I’m Putting the Band Back Together
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Nov 1, 2008
Nov 1, 2008
By Dave
Filed in EMedia, Fire & EMS, Friends & Family, National Fire & EMS, Professional Projects
Ten years ago, in a spare bedroom, a team of … er, well, myself and Chris Hebert (with the help of the elusive Travis Good), started a little site called Firehouse.com. Since then, it’s become the largest Web portal for the fire service.
Two years later, Paul Andrews joined us and helped us turn our ideas into revenue as our sales ace. We covered the fire service from every perspective, through Worcester and 9/11, the launch of the Fire ACT grants program, Ladder 49 and more. We also acquired and grew portals in law enforcement and EMS.
In the last few years, we’ve all gone our separate ways. Chris has stayed at Cygnus to lead the online efforts… Continue Reading This Post ...
Two years later, Paul Andrews joined us and helped us turn our ideas into revenue as our sales ace. We covered the fire service from every perspective, through Worcester and 9/11, the launch of the Fire ACT grants program, Ladder 49 and more. We also acquired and grew portals in law enforcement and EMS.
In the last few years, we’ve all gone our separate ways. Chris has stayed at Cygnus to lead the online efforts… Continue Reading This Post ... 
One TV show changed my life.
When I was a wee bit lad of 11 or so, I started tuning in to what was exceptionally poor reception on Channel 24 in Baltimore. There was this awesome show called Emergency! It was all about firefighters and paramedics. Basically, it rocked (for an 11-year-old). I can't even remember what other TV Shows I watched around that time, probably the cool hip shows of the era like the A-Team and Knight Rider. But the reruns of Emergency! were the most festive.
I think I wanted to be Fireman/Paramedic Johnny Gage, but probably over the course of watching those reruns I imagined myself as Chet Kelly, the prankster, or the hard ass but honest Dr. Kelly Brackett. I wanted… 
Its hard to believe that it has been seven years since 9/11. You don't even need to say the year. You just know. I remember that morning vividly, the call from Mike at my office (Firehouse.com) saying 'a small plane just hit the World Trade Center'. Pretty much those exact words. I hustled over to the office a half mile away from my apartment.
I don't recall how long I was there. Maybe until the second plane hit the Towers, maybe the Pentagon strike. I recall talking to my news editor on the phone on the way telling him to get on a train to head to Manhattan -- then telling him to forget it when the plane hit the… 
In 2003, a beautiful, intelligent, driven 16-year-old student firefighter -- 
