#26acts

The photo on the front of the card

Friday I got a voice mail. It was explaining that on December 29, 2012; "because Congress has not acted, my federal extended unemployment benefits will stop."

That small drip from the faucet that has been keeping us afloat, is no longer dripping. When I told my wife sitting across the table about it, the color drained from her face. I retreated inward, trying very hard not to show my anger, frustration, and self-loathing I have had for myself. This was just another night where I thought there was a light at the end of the tunnel coming and I feel like I just got run over by the train that was coming. All of a sudden all the money we have saved, all the sales we found to help Santa deliver an amazing Christmas for our kids seemed like a stupid stupid decision. We felt guilty. We felt stupid.

I was scared. I was uncertain. Not only did unemployment help pay the rent, but it also helped pay Audrey's school tuition. Now all that was up in the air. What was going to happen? My wife was visibly upset. Fighting tears all night and losing that fight a few times. She's been working all that she could possibly work to keep our family treading water in the sea of uncertainty.

In situations like this I have felt that my friends have grown tired of hearing how bad we have it. I often feel like you are growing tired of my ranting and venting on what has been happening. I had no intentions of even writing this post, because people have come forward to try and help where they can. I don't want anyone to feel like their help isn't/wasn't appreciated, because it is. The emails I have gotten from folks. The people who have come back into my life working behind the scenes to make something happen for me and my family. Their efforts are all appreciated and one of the greatest gifts I could have ever asked for.

Saturday morning was a groggy morning. I know Jenn cried herself to sleep and so did I cuddling on the couch with my 10 year old Friday night. Feeling like a failure does that. Whether or not I am a failure means very little when you feel like it. So when I woke up, I hear friends are driving from PA to see us before Christmas. They had a "card from Santa" which, because of their ongoing generosity  over the years, was probably a card from them that we would reject if it had any kind of financial help in it. Our friends shouldn't feel any obligation to help us outside of being friends. I don't ever expect friends to give us financial help and they are simply my friend because they are good people.

When they got here they brought lunch and handed Jenn a card. It simply was a card with Santa in the forest. On the inside it said Merry Christmas. What was inside was completely amazing and when we said, guys we cannot take this, they looked at us and said, "it isn't from us...we had nothing to do with this other than to deliver it". They were just told to drop it off. It wasn't from their parents or family. The card was simply a card from someone anonymous who said to tell us, simply, it was from Santa.

I got up and left the room. My daughters have probably seen me cry once. I fell to the floor in the other room and started sobbing like a baby. Last time that happened I was by my Grandfather's side as he slipped into the other side. I haven't been this overcome with emotion in a long time.

It was an amazing gesture and the second time someone we didn't know came to help when we thought all hope was lost and we were in a corner. My mom has been saying for this entire time, you have to have in Trust Him. She said our way of thinking is changing. It isn't changing, it has changed.

I can't help but think of Ann Curry's 26 acts of kindness campaign. I have been sitting here thinking of various things I could do. Lots of people have given money to people, like paying for coffee for the people in line at the coffee shop, or donating to charity. I have not been able to do those financial gifts. So what was I going to do? I have been giving all the coin change from the stores to the Salvation Army, the only thing I could really do. We give them a smile and a Merry Christmas, but I felt like it was nothing compared to the generosity of what others have shown strangers and, in particular, us.

Watching the news I never thought I would be on the receiving end of an act of kindness like the one shown to us, not just this past Saturday, but since May. That isn't just me trying to be humble, that is a God's honest truth.

I have had some friends grow closer, some grow apart, but I love every single one of them. My way of thinking has changed forever. Life is teaching me to be a better friend, a better brother, a better son, a better husband, and a better father.

To Santa or whoever you enlisted to help you, I say thank you for helping us. I know you didn't do it for public adulation, but I say thank you many times anyway.

I hope the job interview I had this past week turns out well. I will find out the second week of January.

I hope you have a Merry Christmas, because I know this Christmas is unlike anything I have ever experienced. I hope it has been amazing for you too.

Our Saturday Distraction

I was sitting in the band room. My hand folded in my lap, eyes foggy with tears. The band director came into the room, closed the double doors to the room and took his seat on the director's podium. Trying to situate himself in his seat he realized he was up above the class. He moved his seat from the perch and get down to our level.

In the coming 45 minute period we all spoke. Shared our grief. Shared our concerns. Shared our own brush with this kind of violence in our school.

Once we all said our peace, our band director outlined his plan for safety and what he would do should this same tragedy happened in our school.

That was April 21, 1999. I was a senior in high school. It was the day after the Columbine school shooting. That was 13 years ago, and if you asked my 18 year old self then that we would still be having this conversation, I would tell you no way, let alone with a daughter of my own.

So 13 years later I am rushing out the door. My destination was Kent, Ohio where I was invited by a fellow fire photographer to cover a live fire training at an apartment complex marked for demolition. The night before, I asked Audrey if she would like to go. I gave her the timeline and she politely told me she would like to stay home. A 7:30am departure time is early for a kid who likes to sleep in on weekends.

I was just pulling off my street when I got a text saying she would like to go. Had it been any other day I would have kept going, calling her and telling her that she cannot decide once I left to change her mind. She would have to live with her decision and maybe next time she will get up and go. But it wasn't any other day.

I told her she had 5 minutes. I turned around and headed back to the house to pick her up. I was already 10 minutes behind, I am just going to get further behind, but it was important to have my daughter with me today. Thirteen years ago I needed a distraction. I needed something to focus on that was not the news. What better distraction would be to witness an apartment building burn?

Sharing your passions with your children is important. Telling them you really like something and showing them how much you like it is quite another. My dad used to be into martial arts. He found it to be an outlet once he left the military and special forces after Vietnam. He used to be in great shape. When I was growing up I heard all about how much he loved it, but he never showed us. He showed us pictures. He told us stories. Never once did she show us in the flesh how he could break a brick with his hand.

My goal in life was to always be the dad to my daughters that I never had. The guy who was at every thing I could possibly be in. Make it to more things than I missed. Volleyball games, gymnastics recitals, practices, school activities, and being there for her when she needed me. So taking her to a photo shoot that the main subject was smoke, fire, and firemen seemed like a good opportunity to show her how much I loved taking photos of them, and teach her a few things about fire safety.

Up until this point she had never seen anything but a campfire. So seeing a large building catch on fire would be a spectacle. Training burns aren't quick, they are exciting at times, but most of times you are looking at smoke, firemen milling around, and it is usually punctuated with fire.

Between shots I was showing Audrey how I set up shots. How I approached safety. I got over 840 shots from the 4 hours we were there, and in the end, the one I love the most is of her, over looking the fire ground wearing a bunker jacket. If you could see the front, her eyes were wide, jaw on the floor, and it appeared she was enjoying every single moment.

I was proud of her that day. Not because she came, but because she was getting cold, feet were hurting, and smoke was starting to make her second guess her decision to come, but she never complained, always paid attention, and in the end, gave me a huge hug and said thank you.

I am really the one that should be thanking her.

A picture in words

It is 6:30am. I have been awake for an hour and I have been staring at the blinking cursor on the screen. I have had my self-rationed 2 cups of coffee already and contemplating breaking my 2 cup rule. I have gone over and over what I have wanted to write several times in my head. It is right there, right about to come out, and then I lose it. Perhaps I am trying too hard, but perhaps the thoughts I do have just aren't done cooking.

Maybe my mind doesn't want to face the reality that not only our country is about to go over the proverbial fiscal cliff, but so is the family if I cannot get employed and fast. As this roller coaster gets close to the top of the hill, I am not scared. I find a great peace in accepting a fate I have no control over at this point. All I can do is continue to put my hat in the ring of several career paths in hopes that someone will bite. I have a feeling something may break loose; although I have been saying that for months now. 

An extraordinary group of people have started to advocate for me in a few places I never thought to explore before. Not because I asked, but because they offered. They understand that your worth is not the contents of a resume or a punch card of accomplishments. It is the ability to adapt, learn, and teach. Life isn't about what you accomplish, it is about what you leave behind. I have met a lot of rich people who have accomplished a lot and leave behind only money for their next generations. Money does nothing for anyone unless they understand how to use it to their advantage. Like a regular guy winning the lottery, it is easy to go bankrupt and then what did you leave behind?

This summer I have learned more about myself than I can possibly imagine. I learned how humble I must become and how much pride swallowing I had to do when all of a sudden I found myself without a job. I learned that my worth to my wife goes beyond the amount of money I put into the bank. I also learned that I am a terrible housekeeper (this shouldn't be a surprise). But in the end I learned that despite all the bullshit my wife and family has had to endure, we still love one another and would rather go through this all together than apart. 

Life has a funny way of teaching you what is important. I took what I had for granted. This summer, fall, and winter have taught me a lot about myself and even more about my family and friends. We are resilient, we love each other, and no matter what we are in it together and couldn't be happier. 

Here's to a new career and the start of a legacy. 

Subway Controversy

Today the New York Post published a shocking shocking photo on the cover. A man, pushed onto the tracks of a New York subway is attempting to get back onto the platform as a subway train is bearing down on him. The man in the photo was killed by that oncoming train and sparked a controversy.

The photographer, a freelance photographer for the Post, snapped frames of the ordeal. He states he was "attempting to get the driver's attention with his flash" to save the man's life. What is important here is not what the photographer was attempting to do.

He is a photographer for a news gathering organization, his job is to capture news. This photo shows that he was in close proximity to the victim, close enough to maybe lend a hand. Photos can be deceiving when it comes to proximity. Look at some hotel sites in major cities. There are some great photos showing how close to something each hotel is, but in the end, that is not always the case.

But this whole situation sheds light on the role of a photographer. Are they there to help or are they there to take pictures. This photographer is not a first responder. This situation might have happened so fast, the only thing he could do is to throw up his camera and snap a frame. This photo doesn't show how fast that train was moving. This photo doesn't show a realistic view of how close he really was to the victim.

This controversy of photographers is nothing new. Take the photo Kevin Carter shot in Sudan in 1993 for instance. He frames a chilling shot of a starving child being stalked by a vulture. People were critical of Carter for not helping the little girl, but was it his responsibility to do so? His job was there to capture the news. Bring light to a subject often in the dark. He was told not to touch the victims of the famine. The guilt Carter lived with had to be astronomical because three months later Carter committed suicide.

If we are putting the onus on the photographer of this photo to have helped this man, why aren't we putting anything on the crowds of people who were also on that platform? Why aren't we up in arms that other folks didn't jump in and help? If you want to blame a photographer for doing what he saw as the only thing he could do, you also have to blame every single person on that platform at the time for standing there and letting it happen. Why didn't the crowds of people subdue the man who pushed this guy onto the tracks? Because when humans see things that are unbelievable they freeze. They stare at them and sometimes they may never understand what they just saw until it was over. Firemen, paramedics, soldiers, and police officers are trained to run to danger. They are trained to help people; a photographer in the subway waiting to get on a train is not.

This photographer should not be lambasted. This was an unfortunate situation that had a terrible outcome.

I happen to think the photo is a metaphor for America.

It Makes Me Remember

Me during the magical summer of 2004, shortly after
Jenn and I started Dating

We all have that project. That one thing we have to do, but always find a way NOT to get it done. You know the boxes you packed 6 years ago and have yet to go through them. The room full of crap you kind of pushed in there to clean the other parts of your house for guests. The attic you throw crap into without a care in the world and now the cable guy has to come over and fix your cable and he needs to get through the attic, and there you are, sitting in the cold sorting through crap to get rid of to make a path. I know you can relate. 

Well I started one of those projects. I have a room dubbed the "office". It was neat and organized, until we realized that we have a full house of people coming and still have crap all over the house. So we took all that crap and threw it in the office, closed the door and said, "don't go in there". If the producers from Hoarders came through they would say that this room was just the start of a bigger problem. No joke. Well it was the past Monday when we realized that the only way to get out our Christmas decorations is to un-bury the hatch to get into the crawl space where we store them. 

So last night I started to pull boxes out. I realized they were packed and sorted totally incorrectly, so I started to sort through the contents of the boxes, bags, envelopes, and Rubbermaid containers. This morning the sorting and repacking of memories started again, but stopped suddenly when I came across a folder stuffed with cards. Christmas cards, thank-you notes, wedding invites, and ticket stubs. I stopped to look at them and they were every Christmas card I have ever sent Jenn....ever. The first Valentine's card I ever gave her, a ticket stub from when we went to a play downtown when we started dating. The invitation to her best friend's wedding where we rekindled our relationship (July 10, 2004) that was started in high school. With every nonsensical page I turned in this card montage a whole flood of memories came back. 

What stopped me in my tracks was a journal Jenn had written in semi-regularly for 6 or 7 months from July of 2004 to about January 2005. It just so happened to be those first months when we started dating again in the summer of 2004. It had all her uneasy feelings about the beginning of our relationship. Her self reflections on how she felt about me, about Audrey, and about where this "thing" was going. As I flipped and read parts of it I realized I have forgotten a little bit of the man my wife fell in love with. I forgot about what it was to make her feel good. Lately things have been so crappy financially that we have forgotten about ourselves in the big scheme of things or job hunting and working at all hours to get the bills paid. I know we can never go back to the way it "was" but as the years pass, sometimes we forget about the things that made us fall in love in the first place. 

The names I gave her in the beginning I felt were hokey; I knew she loved them, so I continued. The way her days would not suck when she woke up with my arms around her. I read a note I wrote to her in the form of a thank-you card in December of 2004. Telling her that she has made me a more self-confident man. She reminded me what was important I closed it with a thought that I know this was the beginning of something special and to last a long time. 

I saw pictures of what I was. A strong self-confident man who just got out of a situation that was not ideal. I was finding myself again back in 2004. Fast forward to 2012. I feel much the same way about my self as I did prior to that magical summer in 2004. I don't feel confident. I have the same recurring nightmare about sitting in a crashing airplane. The dream interpreters say that it signifies I have set lofty goals for myself that I fear will never come to fruition. It also shows I lack the confidence to make those goals happen. 

Well in 2004 the sky was limit. I want that again and I want it again with my wife. My wife who is magnificent. My wife who became a mother of our lovely pain in the ass(said lovingly), Addison. This whole project of cleaning out our office has made me remember what I was, who I am, and what I am capable of. It reminded me of the Dad I used to be, the fun one that always enjoyed playing games and reading books.

Many of us forget what it was like way back when we started to date our now wives. Often life gets in the way. When you get into a fight you forget all the great things you loved about the person. It took me finding a journal my now wife wrote 8 years ago to make me remember who I was and to realize what I have become. I am not a bad guy. I love my wife just as much as I did in 2004, but I have changed no doubt. I have gotten a little more lazy and fatter. I don't leave love notes for my wife anymore. I need to do that again. I love her more than words could show, but I need to try and show her more.

I believe that life puts relationships in situations designed to rip them apart. It is only when you get through them that you realize your bond with each other is stronger than ever. 

Here's to getting through this storm. 

Live to Buy Local

When Christmas morning rolls around and all the presents are opened; what are you left with? Another gadget taking up space in an electric outlet. Another toy to step on in the middle of the night. Another bland whatever that everyone seems to have this year. 

On Cyber Monday places like Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy are spending huge sums of money to put their ads on TV, so they can capitalize on your holiday spending. You aren't buying the gift from a person, you are buying it from a huge corporation. That is amazing, but there are hosts of small operators that sell things at a higher quality than any mass produced big store can offer. Here are some of my favorites.

Dick and Jane Create by Cierra - Cierra knits these crazy cool hats to show your pride in your neighborhood. Looking for a knit cap, scarf, or any other awesome accessory to set yourself apart, check it out. 

Equine Expression by D - Dawn creates charms and jewelry with a equine theme. I met her while she was just starting out and it is awesome to see her shop grow. People buy it from all over the world. She has items in some equine catalogs, but buying it directly from Dawn benefits her and the local economy more. 

G Squared Studio - I am the new guy to the game. Unique Photography from Firefighters to Airplanes, we have something for almost everyone. Paracord creations like bracelets and keychains, designed for functionality. Drink coasters to accent your room. We've been featured in a few treasury collections on Etsy. The fire hose picture frame is our most viewed item, and it will look great hanging on your wall. 

Support these businesses. We are small. We benefit the local economy. We want your business. 

The Thankful Summer

Coming up there are going to be plethora of "What I'm Thankful posts" because as Americans facing a holiday many businesses, consumers, and retail workers either hate, love, or forget; we have to show how much better we are from the status quo and talk about how much we hate the Christmas Seasons because of its superfluous consumerism and show how thankful we are.

That is why I am doing my 'thankful' type post a whole week early. It shows that I really do care about those around me without a national holiday telling me.

But really, I really am thankful for everything I have. I am thankful for my wife who is supportive of whatever crazy dream I might have. I am thankful for my two lovely children, which if my wife has her way, will be getting a brother or sister as soon as I (or she) get a full-time job. I am also thankful for all the people who have called me, sent me texts, emailed, tweeted, Facebook'd, and more importantly helped he build on the skill set I wanted to create into a career somehow.

Since May I feel like a weight was lifted off my chest. I no longer had to go to a job I didn't like. I no longer had to wear a suit that I never felt comfortable in anyway. More importantly I was happy. That being said the lack of money, uncertainty, job interviews, and also hit on my credit was also not fun in any way. But with unemployment benefits, I was able to look for a new full-time job, but in the meantime I could build some skills for a job I really really really want.

My summer was terrific despite all the adversity, and I think that is hard to remember because the bad things were pretty bad, but also the good things were really good.

Laura and her daughter Emily at a beach on Lake Erie

The summer really started when my friend Laura and her two daughters Kelley and Emily came in from Boston for a week. There is something to be said for a family who travels from what is considered one of America's great cities to spend a week at what some consider a city not worth a damn (we all know I love Cleveland, but outside looking in, if you never come, you'll never know). We saw all the coolest places. The Westside Market, Ohio City, The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Rock n Roll Hall of Fame (again), Lakeview Beach, Melt (again), and even a dive bar in downtown.  It was a great time.

Hotter in Cleveland morning Safety Brief 

While Laura was in town I was also given a terrific opportunity to build on my on-scene photography skills. I got an email from the largest fire department in the area to take part in one of the largest full-scale drills in recent memory. I got to work closely with the PIOs from a few different organizations, media types, and even friends who I have worked with before. It was nice having being included with media, even though I am a blogger, avid tweeter, and photographer. I am non-traditional, but many large organizations marginalize our reach; it was nice to see Cleveland including us in their plans. This opportunity allowed me to test a few theories I have had in my head. It allowed me to see how the PIO world operated in a scenario and how they could leverage a photographer into their plans. Most of my ideas can work I have learned, and it is exciting to see if Cleveland adds to that. They might, they might not. But the opportunity to be as close as I was is something you can't forget.

Fire Academy Student (Left) and Instructor venting roof of house

Even before this exercise I was expanding my chops for on-scene photography when my mom called me and said, rather loudly into my ear, "They're burning today!" She was talking about a house set for demolition on Lake Rd. near her home. The owner, instead of tearing it down to build his new house, he donated it to the Tri-C Fire Academy for a live fire exercise. I had no clue who was running it, I had no clue what to expect, so I packed my camera and batteries and headed to the scene. I got there as they were tapping the hydrant. I hadn't missed the fires. I spoke with the cop on duty and handed him my card and said, "I'd love to see if I can come on-scene to shoot this" The cop being one of the coolest cops ever was appreciative of me asking. So he sent a student firefighter up to the command post and minutes later he came back, with a fire chief. He asked what I wanted to do, I explained I want to get as close as you'll let me. I name dropped a bunch of people that I worked with before and in the off chance this guy knew them and called them, they wouldn't laugh me off scene. Come to find out they let me on-scene. I got to get closer than the local media, and I proved more concepts of on-scene photography. Mainly a photographer can be a second set of eyes for the safety officer. To an untrained or uninitiated photographer, many missteps can be missed. I was lucky to have as much time in training as some firefighters.

It's hard to believe it gets better but it does; but it will have to wait for another post.

In This Together

I have been blogging since 2004 when I wrote a private blog in the now ghost town of myspace. A tradition it seems is that I spend some time reflecting on the presidential election the day after a winner is called. Kind of a way to write down my feelings so I know how I felt when I learned the outcome. My post 4 years ago was filled with naivety that comes with having a good paying job, recently newlywed, and trying to have a baby. It is funny to go back and look at it. I know exactly how I felt, and oh how things have changed.

Today is much different. Before writing this post, I sent resumes to several potential employers hoping that one of them will get serious about hiring someone. This election, I don't sit on the lofty perch of employment. I don't have the security blanket of a paycheck in a couple of weeks. I am faced with a reality that I have a very qualified wife who is terrific at what she does, who works her butt off at a job she doesn't like most days, who can't get a job interview for a better job despite her college degree because she is in that catch 22 situation. They want experience, but no one wants to give her a chance for her to gain new experience. I am faced with the reality that for the first time I am not the major bread-winner in the house.

I can tell you this. You will not find a harder working person on the planet than my wife. I am in awe of her. She is the only person I know who worked nearly full-time, went to school nearly full-time, was a mother nearly full-time and still had a smile on her face when I came home and told her I lost my job. She is the only woman I can imagine that wouldn't leave me immediately upon my arrival home. To be honest I am still nervous about that aspect with every week I have to collect unemployment.

I have been humbled by my wife and last night when we sat up watching the returns, she was upset. Upset that no matter the outcome of the election, we still didn't have jobs that created the lifestyle we saw for ourselves. We were still living paycheck to paycheck. We don't own our home and every month that dream gets further in the distance.

My wife said last night, "There are no options for us. We didn't come from a poor family, we didn't come from a rich family, and we didn't serve the military. There are no options for people who worked their ass off to get through college and are struggling right now." This sums up how I feel too. It feels that if you came from a poor family there are programs to get a free education, and if you came from a rich family they paid for your education, serve in the military and you get college via the GI Bill and the ability to enter the workforce as a college graduate with ZERO college debt.

I feel marginalized. I feel like despite our best intentions we (me and my family, not the country as a whole) are at a fork in the road; to the left is a welfare state which we qualify for and to the right is the fantasy land of a prosperous future that is shoved down our throats by our politicians, but rarely reaps the rewards promised to us.

The answer to our problems is not the partisan bickering that comes with a political campaign. The answer is somewhere in the middle of the rhetoric. It is a Republican looking at a Democrat and asking, "how do we get this done?" It is a Democrat looking at a Republican and asking, "How can we work together to do this?" It is both parties looking at a 3rd party candidate and taking them seriously and respecting their ideas, because most 3rd party politicians have answers that are the center. It is making companies feel comfortable to hire people and take chances again.

It has been almost 6 months since I lost my job. It has been 11 months since Jenn graduated college. I feel lost in a sea of uncertainty. I don't want a hand out. I want a hand up. I want an opportunity to prove that I can do any job I apply for. I want someone to start thinking like an American again and start taking chances on someone who may not fit their mold exactly.

I am optimistic despite our situation. I know exactly what I want to do with my life. I have spent the summer trying to blaze my trail and stand out. This week, let's hope that with this election over, things start to break loose for me, my family, and for you too.

This is not the fault of Republicans, Democrats, red states, blue states and this post isn't designed to put blame on anyone. This is to remind us that our collective eyes are off the ball. We stopped believing in our neighbors. We forgot.

We are all in this together.

Inside the Zombie Apocalypse

Somewhere in Cleveland, Ohio 4 days after Hurricane Sandy hits Northeast Ohio - You can smell the stale coffee in the air, the coffee machine has been running continuously since Monday morning. Public Information Officers (PIO) from various agencies are huddled over their laptops, fingers curled on the keys punching out messages for the general public. Cleveland Public Power is working on a piece about downed power lines. The mayor's office is monitoring their social media feeds. The Department of Public Safety is on the phone with the Fire Chief getting a report on what they are seeing. They are all collaborating together keep the message consistent. It is about quality, and volume. 5 voices are better than 1. This is all happening in real time at the Joint Information Center (JIC). These are the PR people of public service. Their job is to get information to all forms of media.

Press releases are sent to traditional media outlets, PIOs are engaging followers on twitter to monitor and disseminate information to those who are tuned in on social media. All of this is just one cog in the machine of public information. It gets bigger. 

Down the hall lined with photos of SWAT equipment is an even bigger room. Huge projection monitors are at the head of the room. One has an internal program to share information across agencies, the other the local news. On the left wall is another local newscast, on the right wall, CNN. This room is nearly empty except for a member of the Red Cross working her phone and checking in  on the various shelters scattered across the region. 

There is still a lot of work to be done, but everyone's left for a short few hours to take a shower at home, kiss their husbands and wives, and then will head back and continue to monitor the situations across the city. Where are power crews needed? Do we need to shift assets to a certain part of the city for security? What new crisis has come up that need to be dealt with?

When you are watching the news and you hear them say, "Officials say..." this is the room where all those "officials" craft what we are hearing, seeing, and even feeling. If there is a situation, they are on it and trying to solve what ever problem has come up. 

These are the silent partners of our safety. These are the unsung heroes that work late into the night working together to solve problems to help the boots on the ground. No one is in the EOC and working the JIC unless they can get things done. They are all decision makers, policy makers, and doers. The power outage on W 54th and the power outage on E 72nd, only enough crews to fix one, this is where the hard choices are made. 

The Zombie Apocalypse

Cleveland, Ohio skyline from Edgewater Park © acgercak

It felt like the zombie apocalypse. The streets were empty and flooded in some places and trees were across the roads with power lines tangled among the mess. Power was out all over and you could smell the fires in fireplaces as people try and keep warm.

So what happened? I live in Cleveland, Ohio which is close to 500 miles West of Ocean City, NJ where Hurricane/Super storm/Frankenstorm Sandy made landfall. This storm was unlike anything I have ever seen or experienced before, and this from a guy who spent a year in Tornado Alley. In Cleveland, winds off the lake are nothing new, but the velocity and duration of the winds we got were unreal, and to a emergency junkie like me, something completely awesome.

When the storm started to hit Monday morning, I grabbed my camera, got some drinking water into the fridge and set out with my friend Patrick to try and get photos of the predicted 15-20 foot swells on Lake Erie. I have lived on the lake for years, never have I seen waves that large on the lake. I had to see it.

Veteran's Memorial Park Avon Lake, Ohio 

We made our way to Avon Lake, Ohio which is 18 miles West of Cleveland to start the adventure. Avon Lake was the western edge of the large wave zone. So I figured starting out and moving in would be the best. As I stood on a 10 foot cliff over looking the lake, I was getting battered with spray as the waves crashed onto the cliffs and sprayed all over the place. The waves were large, but nothing that I haven't seen before having grown up here and body surfed these waves.

Satisfied, we moved East to Huntington Beach in Bay Village, Ohio in hopes of larger waves. We got all the way down to the beach before seeing siding ripped off the tower of the ice cream stand. The waves were larger here. The rain stung our face from the howling winds. And this was at the very beginning of the storm. I could only imagine what was on the way.

Huntington Beach Bay Village, Ohio

After we were done there, we met up with a couple of friends, George and Mandy Gomez; both are adventurous and wanted to see the lake as well. As we made our way East the wind picked up and started moving the car around as we drove. The next stop was Edgewater Park in Cleveland. From there I could get a perspective of the lake and the city. I was there 5 days earlier at sunrise; Monday was much different.

Through the greyish haze you could make out the city. In the big surf on the beach there was a kite surfer. Unreal when you look at it all. We made our way down to the beach and there we saw it littered with surf boards and people in full wet suits getting ready to surf Cleveland. Again these waves were small compared to what was on the way. I put these waves at 8-12 feet at times.

Our last stop of the day was the E. 55th St. marina. At this location there isn't a beach to absorb the energy of the waves and they crash directly into the break wall just feet from I-90. In Cleveland this is where the big waves were. Like Banzai Pipeline on Oahu, HI; E. 55th was the place to see the big ones.

Waves at E55th St Marina Cleveland, Ohio

 The parking lot was packed with curious people. We all wanted to capture and experience the waves, the spray, and the wind. A hurricane in Cleveland is rare, we all wanted a piece. Again this is all before the big winds of the storm were coming. I looked at the waves crash, made a few frames, then George said, we should go out to that walk way that runs along the Shoreway for a different perspective. I was, at first, a little gun shy about going out there. The waves were crashing almost over the walkway, we would be sitting ducks, but we went any way.

In the end, that is where I got a different perspective. The waves would crash on the dock and roll up the break wall rocks and drench our feet. I got a few more frames, and we headed home. The worst was still yet to come and we didn't want to get caught in it.

View from the walkway along the Shoreway Cleveland, Ohio

Around 8 o'clock that night, the winds really started to pick up. I heard trees bending in the wind. Around 11:00 I lost power and we were in the dark. We were prepared, and honestly we were expecting power to be lost a lot sooner than it did. The next morning we got up to scope out the damage around town, and because we didn't have power, stopped at McDonald's for breakfast and news. My mom asked that I call my Grandma and check on her. Instead we made the drive out there. I checked her foundation and made sure it wasn't leaking, checked her sump pump which was on battery back-up was still functioning, and her siding is still on the house.

I walked up and down the street to see what I could see. Just south of her house there was 4 downed trees, one on a house. To the north there was a power line in the road that had been closed. Around a little street called Coveland, which is right on Lake Erie there was a tree across power lines, trees on cars, houses, bushes missing, decking in the water, and waves crashing so hard on the cliffs that you could feel them thump at your feet.

Despite the damage, we dodged a bullet. We got hit, and hit hard, but because much of us were prepared and ready, there were not any deaths associated with the storm in Cleveland and there wasn't widespread flooding. Most of us were inconvenienced by no power, unlike the East coast where there is no power and also a lot of no houses, no cars, and a crane dangling hundreds of feet in the air.

Coveland Dr. Avon Lake, Ohio

Cleveland didn't have it bad, but we got through it thanks to great info from Emergency Management folks and spot on reporting from local TV and radio stations.

Hire Me

Since being laid off in May, I have scoured the Earth for a new gig. Banking, technology, PR, and photography have been the areas I have concentrated most of my efforts. I am knowledgeable in all those industries and what ever I may not know, I could learn quickly.

A large bank interviewed me, liked me, and called the day after my interview and said someone internally is moving into the position I interviewed for. It was a cool gig too, but I was encouraged to keep a look out for more opportunities in that department. I saw a posting last week, jumped at it, and waited. Then I saw that company was laying off a ton of people, and the recruiter called me to tell me the open position was being eliminated due to those cutbacks.

So I kept looking. Last week I saw a posting for the Avon Lake Municipal Utilities. Part-time community outreach specialist. I read the description, saw I knew how to do everything they were looking for, and even better, it was in my hometown. I had a friend who's Dad worked (possibly still does work there) there when we were in high school.

So I punched up my resume, again, tailored it to the job, wrote a cover letter, sent two writing samples, and ultimately my video work too. I gave them a lot to chew on, and I am hoping this goes my way. I got a twitter response yesterday that they will look at the apps on 11/8.

I remember when I was a kid and a water main would break on our street. Water would go pumping all over the street, the big green vans from the water department would come out, knock on the doors to let us know the water is getting turned off while they repaired it, and then all the neighborhood kids would go out and watch then bring in the backhoes and repair the leak. Seriously, we would just watch them dig, repair, fill, and patch. We were fascinated and to an extent I still am.

It was fun to see and kids that I knew that lived in newer developed areas of Avon Lake had no idea that a water main could break and flood a street. All their infrastructure was new, worked well, and their streets were unblemished by a ruptured water pipe.

This position at Avon Lake's Municipal Utilities is just my childhood fascination with the green trucks coming back. I think from the late 80's to today our kids have lost some of that fascination with the world around them and I am hoping I get the opportunity to show them that under our feet is a vast array of pipes that connect to every house in the community. The water department does a lot more than make sure your water comes out of the tap. Some might say that they are the backbone of a community because without them, we would still be going in outhouses and walking to get our water.

Fingers crossed. I am hoping this is the start of a new career path for me. Wish me luck.

G Squared Studio

Well we are nearly through our first month and we have had some great help getting things rolling. I am not sure what the typical traffic to most Etsy shops are, but I feel we have gotten a good sum of visitors thanks to you.

We have gotten messages from users that think our products are brilliant and are important. I feel terrific that our photos have made an impression. This gives me hope that maybe, just maybe, this can be successful. Christmas is coming up, and now I understand why Wal-Mart and every other box store starts pushing it early. Doesn't make it right, but at least I understand better.

Jenn and I are passionate about what we do and I hope that comes out in our work, but that first sale is elusive. We are ready to fill orders and we are hoping we break that ice soon. I know so many people who have found success on Etsy, and I hope I can take what they have taught me and run with it.

Our next steps are to try and add more items, a specific blog, and then a website. Our little shop is just the beginning for us.

If you haven't been to the shop, check it out. If you'd like to buy something, we'll throw in shipping. Use coupon code: SHIPIT at check out.

Aspirations

Your senior year in high school can be classified as a pinnacle of an adolescent's life. Since kindergarten our children are groomed to be pushed out of the nest when they are 18 and fly. Their first flight will be either working or going to college. With Brittanie this is no exception. She has worked all through high school taking all her classes for high school at the college level. She is going to graduate high school with an Associate's Degree and her high school diploma. This is a huge accomplishment for any person, but for Brittanie it is just the beginning. From here she has a choice to make. Where to go to college?

As I sat her down on a bridge in Cascade park over a moving stream, it was the perfect metaphor for what is to come. Right now she has built her bridge from childhood to adulthood. Rushing below is all the adversity she has had to over come to get to where she is. As she continues her journey she will dip her toes into adversity, but I hope she remembers what it feels like to accomplish a feat most of us never did at such a young age.

Brittanie aspires to be a doctor. After spending an afternoon photographing her, her aspirations and dreams are what I thought were missing on the youth of America. She will be a success and we all can say, "I knew her when..."

Start Up

I was up all night. My wife would say I was sleeping, but I was awake. I had ideas running through my head. Ideas for video shorts. Ideas for photo shoots. Ideas for so many things. I couldn't quiet those voices. Just as they about shut up for the night was when my wife snuggled into my section of the bed and pushed me out.

I guess crap rolls downhill. I got up and saw that the three year old was pushing her into me and me into the abyss. I gave up and got up. 

I guess this was the perfect metaphor for what I have done. I had a idea, a big idea, but it needed money. So my wife helped me take that idea, scale into smaller bite size chucks to achieve a larger goal; proving my theory that behind every good man is an even better woman. All of it so that I can provide for the little monsters that we call kids. 

Last night our little internet shop opened to a little fanfare, I tweeted a few links, put some stuff on Facebook and people came and viewed the shop. It is a leap of faith I never knew I was going to do and let alone do together with my wife. What happened next was awesome. People reaching out on how they can help promote. "Send me a flyer", "E-Mail me a link", "Do you have..." It was amazing to see so many people rooting for us. Refreshing actually. One email I got stuck out. It was from another internet shop owner. "Why do you photograph firemen?". So I thought about it and responded back: 

We have photography that shows real men and women doing extraordinary things. There is a print of a firefighter in a smokey building. You can barely see him, but if you were trapped in that building you would easily mistake the hands that pull you from that hell as the hands of God. I have another print of a vintage fire engine with bright reds and greens that any little boy would want in their rooms. I think people relate to it because when we were kids, that was the engine we imagined riding in one day. There is even a print inside of a structure as it is set on fire, a rare glimpse into what firemen see and the public rarely, if ever, sees. 

These aren't just photos to me. Behind every frame I've made there is sweat, passion, and desire of someone who absolutely loves the job they are doing. You have to love firefighting to do it. That passion is what I am after, a photo is the only way you can capture it.

A friend of mine has a saying about photography:

"A photo tells a story...a good photo starts one." - Adam Watt 

This is the start of our story.

Out of Necessity

I am staring at a blinking cursor. There is so much potential in that little flickering set of pixels. Out of that blinking cursor comes something new. Created out of someone's mind and onto the screen. Right now I am that little blinking cursor. I am filled with potential, hope, something great, and it is up to me to make something of my talents and love of what I do.

I looked at losing my job earlier this year as devastating, and it was, but something special has happened this summer. I got to know my kids a little better. I got to know myself a little better. I learned very quickly what I wanted to do. I wanted to do something with my photography. I wanted to capture and sell and make myself the number one resource for fire departments to capture their stories. I wanted to start a relationship with the Cleveland Fire Department, a fire department coming off one of the worst scandals in it's history, to become a person they could turn to when they wanted quality photos of what they do. The activities of a few should not taint the public perception of the good work they do and I wanted to tell their story. I also wanted to double down my involvement in Fire Photographer Magazine and help it grow.

I can tell you that everything I set out out to accomplish this summer has happened. I have qucikly become Cleveland's go to on-scene guy for big events. The first event grew into another, and into another, and by the end of summer firefighters recognized me, other agencies recognized me, and I was standing in a live fire burn house snapping frames of doctors playing the role of firefighters. I met the chief, battalion chiefs, and PIOs I am happy to call my friend. People who I look up to as super heroes know my name. I was invited to sail on a Navy warship with them. I was given incredible access to capture things the general public don't get to see. Fire Photographer Magazine is growing, so what's the next step?

My dream job is working on a fire department as their official photographer. That is not a secret. When will that happen? I don't know if it will ever happen, but instead of looking at the summer as a waste, I am using it as a stepping stone for the next steps. I need to live, I need to contribute monies to the bills my wife has been working hard to pay, and I need to feel creatively satisfied.

My wife and I have been tossing around the idea of opening a creative studio. I would work as a photographer, she would work as the in house graphic designer. I grab the photos, she edits,  we sell them. We could make videos. I would write and shoot them, she would add artistic flare to them and we could sell that. She could create logos, crafty awesomeness, and we could sell that. The cursor blinks.

So what I have been doing is researching the laws about selling photography of firefighters doing their job. The conclusion is with a release I can do it. I spoke with a few firefighters that I have photographed and low and behold, I can now sell some of my best photography.

The next few weeks you will start to see things from me on various social media platforms asking for your help. Help is getting this jump started. I take photos that some people see as niche. I don't subscribe to that school of thought. I take photos that tell the same story as a landscape of Paris, except my story usually involves something burning.

So as this little cursor blinks on the screen, out of it comes something amazing and I hope to have your support both here in my personal endeavors and over at Fire Photographer Magazine, as it is recognized as the best place to see fire photography on the interwebs.

Stolen

This post originally was posted in Fire Photographer Magazine but I wanted to share it here as well. Thank you for all your support as always. You are the best. 

Cleveland, Ohio |9-4-2012 | 2240 hours

I just tore my best friend’s car apart looking for one of three missing bags. Minutes ago as we dropped off a fellow blogger and friend at her office in Downtown, she got out to discover her missing bag. Astonished, I got out checking the back of the car, which is the hatch of a Dodge Magnum. As I looked I notice two of my bags were missing. Not where I left them. Missing. Gone. Taken.

How did I get here? What the heck happened?

I am reliving this day in my head over and over again. I was up and out the door by 0615. I met with the PIO of the Cleveland Department of Safety and we car pooled to the Justice Center where I parked and locked my car. Over the shoulders was a blue and orange backpack filled with emergency munchies, change of clothes including my Fire Photography T-Shirt, a Cleveland Browns hat, and my car keys. Over my shoulder was my black shoulder camera bag. In that bag was a Nikon D3100, 2 fully charged batteries, battery charger, two class 10 memory cards (8GB & 16GB), 3 lenses (VR 18-55mm & VR 55-200MM & screw tight Macro Fisheye combo lens, two standard light filters, and the mount for my Tri-Pod.

I was prepared. We met up with the Commander of Navy week which has just concluded in Cleveland. The last frigate, the USS DeWert, was set to steam from Cleveland to Detroit for the next week. Erica, the PIO, Danielle Fink from Channel 3, and me representing Fire Photography Magazine were going to on the ship the whole way. I was tasked to take pictures and video to document the entire day. From cast off to docking in Detroit and everything in between; this was the chance of a lifetime and to do it in conjunction with Cleveland’s Safety Department and Fire Photography Magazine was something I felt very proud to be doing.

To give you a sense of what this magazine does; I disembarked the USS DeWert in Detroit and there was an Engine sitting on the dock waiting for the tanker to fill water barricades. Of course I snapped a few photos of the rig and the guys on it, and introduced myself only by my name and asked me who I wanted to ride with tonight. They told me they liked my work in the magazine and to keep up the good work. Fire departments read my work? People I don’t know like what we are doing? This just solidifies my mission and my decision to do the kind of work I do. To shoot the stuff I shoot. We tell stories that matter to the boots on the ground. To have their support was amazing.

With my two bags over my shoulder, my best friend was there with his car to take the three of us back to Cleveland, but first we were hungry, in need of a beer or two, so we asked a local for a recommendation. They recommended Slow’s BBQ, and it did not disappoint. Half-way into the restaurant we were joking about the crime in Detroit and that we should probably bring stuff in, but we laughed as we hate it when people say that about Cleveland and we sat down. The decision to not go back for my camera will haunt me forever.

We finished dinner and headed to Cleveland. As we pulled into Channel 3’s parking lot, is when we noticed it. Danille’s bag was gone, my camera bag with everything in it including the 800+ photos on the ship and on the dock was with it, and my backpack was gone. Erica’s iPad and bags were left untouched. There were no visible signs of a break in and we just stood there, astonished. We are now just another statistic on Detroit’s crime reputation.

But I stood there, blank, numb, and with anger so red I could feel it pulsing in my toes. Erica called the restaurant and our friends at the Cleveland Police Department. They opened their doors to help start the investigation and pass whatever they had to Detroit, so they can start looking too, that is if someone hasn’t murdered someone that day. They dusted Pat’s car for prints, got a few good ones and they took my prints and the prints of everyone in the car to eliminate prints on the outside of the car.

Their generosity is something I truly appreciate and the people of Cleveland need to appreciate. They help, they will help, and they want to help. I often work with the fire department, and seeing a side of the Police Department no one sees because they can’t unless something bad has happened, is something I will never forget. They picked through everything for any shred of anything we can get.

I might never see my camera again. I will never see the photos I shot on the ship, but the memories and kind hearts of everyone I encountered is more than enough not to give up on the human race.

To all that have helped get the word out about my camera, thank you. I can’t thank you enough for the support. That camera was my livelihood since losing my job in early May. My family has been nothing but supportive, and what is life without your family? My friends who have stepped up, watching the baby while wife was at work and I was on the ship, and then was kind enough to drive us home from Detroit. Last but not least, everyone at the city of Cleveland. Their support in my mission to capture and tell their stories is nothing short of amazing.

To all who have got the story out; Thank you. Really thank you a million times.

An anonymous donor has come forward and offered to help me get a new camera. I am still in tears over this kindness, and I will let you know once I am back on my feet again and shooting fires. 

2012 Cleveland Air Show

Photos taken at the Cleveland Air Show on September 3, 2012 at Burke Lakefront Air Port

The Big Tease

The big tease. I have been working on a fire training video and it is finally nearing completion. Here is a sneak peak of what is to come.

Big Announcement...

When I started to photograph firefighters and training burns, I never thought it would lead to anything other than a fun hobby; something to do on the weekends. I have been writing on blogs for the better part of 8 years with some success and always dreamed it might take me somewhere.

Well this blogger, writer, photographer is taking his talents to a somewhat different level. After years of writing for me for self amusement I have landed a gig as a staff writer/photographer for a growing publication Fire Photographer Magazine. It is the perfect opportunity for me to combine two huge passions of mine; writing and fire photography.

Chris Kimball, the publisher reached out to me Wednesday morning and explained the opportunity. It is a gig that can grow into something bigger than just writing and photographing fires; it could be a career. This is not meant to be a full-time 40+ hour a week thing, at least right now; it could be. Like everything in this world, nothing great comes easy and right now we need to fill the virtual pages of Fire Photography Magazine with great content, photos, and videos. The advertisers will come if we give them something to come to. I am totally humbled that Chris and Tara, the editor, have faith in me to help them take their magazine to the next level.

This just gives me more motivation to get better at doing what I love doing. Get out there, find stories and tell them in a compelling manner. It's time to put on my big boy pants and get this thing done.

Don't worry, I will still be sharing and writing here, I could never let this go. Not everything I see or choose to write about will be right for the magazine. I need to get those ideas out of my head so they will go here. This will also be a place where I might try out a story or develop ideas for stories too.

This new opportunity feels like home to me and I am glad you are here for the journey with me.

Tri-C Live Fire Burn

When the phone rings from your mother at 8:30am; you answer it. When the phone rang Tuesday morning, I answered it like a good boy should.

"They are burning today!" my mother said rather loudly in my ear for being 8:30am.

On Lake road in Avon Lake, there was a house that was prepped for a live burn. My mother, God Bless her, has a keen eye for firemen, and when she saw apparatus heading into the house, she knew they were going to light a fire and let it burn.

She had been bugging me for week that they are burning it down and that I should call and see when. I called the ALFD, but didn't get a call back, so I was convinced they didn't want a snooping photographer on scene, and besides it is 8:30 on a Tuesday and my back was killing me.

But my curiosity got the best of me and I headed to the house. I knew exactly where it was, I knew where to park to stay out of the way. I was from Avon Lake. I walked on scene with a barely charged battery and a nearly full memory card and a pocket full of business cards. I wasn't prepared and that scared me. I walked up to the police officer on traffic duty, and he immediately asked if I was with the paper. No, just a snotty fire photographer looking for some fun. I asked if he was cool with me crossing and seeing if I was cool to come on scene. There was no way I could get photos from the street.

Thankfully the Chief let me come on scene. I told them who I was, what I do, and who I have worked with. When all else fails, drop the names of a few fire chief's that like you. Not only did they give me incredible access to their live burn for the Tri-C Fire Academy, but they gave me better access than the local paper. Where I was close enough at points I could touch the building, the local paper guy, who as it turns out is really cool, was stuck outside the command post with a short lens.

The safety officer took me around the building where he thought there might be great photo opportunities. The backside where they were doing roof ops, the front where they were coming out onto a flat roof. It was great access for a guy who just walked on scene, didn't know a single person in charge, but yet they seemed to trust me. They trusted me enough to hold the ladder for a trainee while they went up and down because they had to run and grab a tool for them and instruct them.

It was a great experience, and I hope they like the photos I sent them.

How Firefighters Honor Their Brothers

When a good man dies, the community takes notice. When a firefighter dies, whether in the line of duty or not, the immediate community takes notice, but so does every other firefighter in the community and quite frankly the world.

James Waugaman, Jr passed away on November 11, his passing was felt throughout the community of Brunswick. He wasn't just another citizen of the small Ohio town; he was the founding member of Brunswick Old Fashioned Days, the largest volunteer festival in Medina county. He was Chief Emeritus of the Brunswick Fire Department and very active in the Ohio Firefighters Association. He lived his 77 years in service to his community.

A few months later Brunswick lost another great man, Fred Hoffman. He passed away at age 94 and his resume is just as amazing as James'. He was an original volunteer member of the Brunswick Hills Fire Department and late Assistant Chief Emeritus of the Brunswick Hills FD. He was fighting fires in his community before they started to pay firefighters to do the work. He obviously loved what he did and loved his community.

Well June 24th, the community gave something back to these two great men, two firefighters who gave all they had to their community and their brothers in arms. The Old Fashioned Days parade was lining up and a special honor to anchor the parade this year.

Walking around the Brunswick Fire Department on this cool morning you can hear all the firefighters talking about Jim and Fred. "I knew Jim well, he helped me find my way into the fire service." is what I heard from many different firefighters. They came as far away as Youngstown to drive their fire trucks in what was being billed as a possible world record. There were apparatus from years as far back as 1916 and as recent as 2012.

Brunswick councilman Brian Ousley said, "we aren't going to break a world record today and that's not important. What is important is that we remember Jim and Fred." he spoke with clear emotion. The firefighter community mustered together, by my count, 36 apparatus. With each apparatus filled with firefighters, family, and friends, they rolled out onto Route 303 to anchor a parade; a parade started by Jim Waugaman, it only seemed fitting that his brothers end his parade, sirens blaring, horns honking, and crowds waving.

Fire service is often called a brotherhood, and this past Sunday they proved it with a salute only fitting for a fireman. A big truck and loud sirens.

You can see more great fire apparatus from that day here.

Father's Day Fire

I ran across a working fire in Cleveland on my way home from a Marine Week demonstration. There was heavy smoke showing not far from where we were. Traffic was heavy, but when I got to the scene the fire was out, but crews were still working. I did what I always do. I found a legal place to park, grabbed my camera and walked to the flashing lights. 

The fire was on a two lane street in a small warehouse across from the FBI field office. According to the very nice security guard working the gate, someone was charging a battery for a car, and the battery exploded catching the building on fire.

This capped off an awesome day. Saw war machines all afternoon then I saw a working fire. Father's day was complete!

Scene Size-Up

This is a piece I wrote for Fire Photographer Magazine: You can see it here.

You hear the scanner crackle to life with the words you've been waiting to here, arriving fire crews have just confirmed a working fire. You heart starts to pound as you grab your camera bag and rush out the door.

By the time you arrive on-scene you can hear the mutual aide fire crews en route, sirens blaring and the adrenaline is pumping through your veins. Like the arriving fire crews, you too must size up the scene quickly. You identify if there has been a perimeter set up, where the first due engines are set up and where new arriving crews are going to set up shop and where the fire is and is it accessible.

You work from the outside in, snapping crews walking down the D side, B side. You snap teams staging at the front door before making entry. After snapping photos you perform a secondary size-up. What is above me, what can possibly fall on me, what looks unstable, is it safe and accessible to get to the rear of the structure? You see ladder crews raising the tower to gain access to the roof. You stop, drop to a knee, grab a photo, and move on. You spend your time shooting the structure and the firemen coming in and out, those images are perishable. They won't be walking out of the fire for the first time ever again on this working fire, they just did that and if you weren't ready, there isn't a re-do.

The fire is out, you stop to check the status of the battery because you might have drained it during the fight; then you start to shoot the apparatus on the street. The wide shot showing the scope of the response, the close ups of the various trucks, lights still on, the fire fighter unstrapping his gear and sitting on the front bumper of the rig to catch his breath. You get close-ups of dirty faces, dirty gear, and spent tanks. In the 35-40 minutes you've been on scene your memory card is bursting, you're almost out of room for more, but you press on.

Fire scenes aren't just hectic for the firemen on scene, it is also a target rich environment for fire photographers trying to capture the moment as it is happening. In my opinion it is the closest thing you can get to combat photography outside of actual combat. Like firemen responding to a fire, photographers also need to have tactics and rules to keep themselves safe. We have to get the shot without putting ourselves in immediate danger.

This is our rush. This is our job.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day started as a day to remember the Civil War casualties of the Union. In modern times this as evolved into remembering all of the Fallen American Soldiers. In 1911 the Indianapolis 500 was run on the Sunday during Memorial Day weekend, and it marks the start of summer vacation season; the "barbecue-ification" of the holiday began shortly thereafter. Let us not forget why. 

Today is a day of pause and remembrance. We cannot forget as a country why our soldiers died. Wars are made by politicians and fought by soldiers who have no say in the matter. 

When you see a soldier in uniform, what do you do? Buy them a drink? Buy their dinner? Shake their hand for giving their lives and free time to be at the ready to defend your rights? Or do you walk in the other direction because you disagree with what their boss tells them to do? You blame them for what ever war they fought in? You can't blame a soldier for the war. 

Take the time every single day to thank an active duty member of the military, a retired veteran, or a widow or widower of a fallen veteran. Their families have made sacrifices in order to defend our freedom. We must thank them everyday. 

Thank you. 

Get Prepared -- #ReadyCLE

Erica over at CLESafety posted recently that she was at a conference and she was learning how to encourage people to being prepared. She shared a personal story; go read it. We can all relate.

 In keeping with this theme, having worked very close with a few local fire departments, I want to share my story, hopefully adding another voice to a very important conversation.

Quick trivia question: During a Hurricane warning in South Florida, what is the most purchased item at Wal-Mart? The answer at the end of the blog.

Be prepared. We all hear it; we all think about it; but rarely are we prepared. What does being prepared mean? It more than likely means many different things, but in reality, if an emergency happens right now, are you prepared to react? Something as simple as knowing CPR or the Heimlich Maneuver can mean you are prepared. I know both by the way. I keep my certification up with the Red Cross. If your kid is choking in a restaurant or not breathing, I am a good guy to keep around. I saved my oldest daughter's life twice just by knowing how to dislodge food from her throat. The summer is here, and thunderstorms are on their way. I too have a story about a tornado, and why when the tornado watches fly, I grab my shoes.

I was a small kid, can't really remember how old I was, I know I was playing little league baseball. I was spending the normal 2 weeks in July with my Dad out in Vermilion Township. He had two acres of property. It was great to get lost in the seemingly endless cornfields and pastures; also very very far away from pretty much anything. One day an early evening thunderstorm was booting up. The power went out rather quickly but not before hearing the tornado warning. My Dad and step mom ushered us to the basement rather quickly, but I didn't have shoes, a jacket, a flashlight, nothing. Just a t-shirt, shorts, and barefeet in a very very old dingy basement. I am talking the kind of basement that is just basically a glorified crawl space. It was a house built in 1890, it didn't have the nicest basement.

We emerged after what we thought was the worst of it. We ran outside to see the tornado heading away from the house and hitting the tree line on the corn field across the street. Debris was flying all over the place. It was about 500 yards away and moving quickly.

What would have happened had the tornado hit the house? I would have had to climb out of there without shoes to protect my feet.

Since that day when a tornado watch goes off, I grab my shoes. Last year when an early thunderstorm hit in North Ridgeville, I made my family put on their tennis shoes, and I grabbed the diaper bag, dog and leash, and we gathered near the safe room in the house; just in case. After the storm passed I knew there was major damage nearby, the scanner was going nuts. The house was secure, family was safe, I grabbed my camera and left to get photos of the damage.

Mostly out of curiosity I snapped pictures of a lot of damage. There was an RV that was blown over.  I stopped took photos of the whole thing. From all 4 corners, inside, and outside. Having a camera in an emergency can be an invaluable tool. How many times do houses blow over and stuff is strewn about? The City's job is to get roads open for crews to get into neighborhoods. If you can get photos of all your stuff all over the place, that would make filing an insurance claim easier. You have proof of what you might have lost before it ends up in a heap with all the other debris. With the shoes on your feet you should be able to get to relative safety without tearing up your feet.

Be prepared. FEMA has a great tool to help you. Use it.

Trivia answer: In Florida, the Hurricane preparedness plan has Strawberry Pop-Tarts in their survival kit.  Why? Because Pop-Tarts' packaging is water tight and has enough air to keep it buoyant in a flood. They can keep without refrigeration for an extended period of time and keep you nourished until a new food source can be secured. So when a Hurricane starts to head to Florida, Wal-Mart ships extra Pop-Tarts to their stores. (source: Business Acumen Training 2008)