While at Fire Rescue International in Dallas, I was struck by the number of friends in the fire service business who have changed companies, work for different manufacturers and even competitors.
I’ve heard the term “Velcro Club” used to describe this phenomenon which is something that needs some explanation. As many of who attend trade shows notice, most vendors and service providers wear the same kind of shirts, slacks and logos to increase brand awareness.
So, where does the Velcro come in, you might ask. It has to do with the concept that people zip off their name or logo on their shirts and slap another one on. They’re still in the fire service, still going to shows and still might be selling fire apparatus, or SCBAs, or doing something completely different, but still in the fire service business representing some company or service provider. Some other industries call it the revolving door with people coming and going.
It’s hard to believe that I’ve been writing about fire service business for closing in on 20 years now and I’ve seen dozens of friends and associates move about in the vocation – some more often than others.
I am a member of the “Velcro Club” myself, having switched to Firehouse from Fire Apparatus Magazine five years ago this month – something I can’t believe.
I am not the only one in the Firehouse staff in the “club.” From the group vice president, to the publisher, to show manager to writers like me, a lot of us have come from other businesses in the fire service.
As you have read recently, Janet Wilmoth, the former editor of Fire Chief is now working on special projects for Firehouse. Her colleague, Greg Toritto, also formerly of Fire Chief, joined Firehouse two years ago as publisher.
And very recently, we added Brian Cassell as our show manager, heading Firehouse Expo in Baltimore and Firehouse World in San Diego. He comes to us from KME Fire Apparatus where he was marketing manager.
Dan McKinney just joined Firehouse as a regional sales manager for the East Coast. He previously worked for BullEx as director of marketing and before that he was global marketing communications manager for Scott Safety.
And speaking of regional sales managers, Firehouse picked up Rich Gluth a little more than a year ago. He's a firefighter/EMT in Wisconsin who is the mid-west and western regional sales manager. He was previously with Fire Chief also, as a advertising sales manager.
And still more recently, Tim Sendelbach was named editor-in-chief of Firehouse. Tim comes to Cygnus from FireRescue Magazine and is well known and respected in the fire service.
I have known Janet, Greg, Brian, Dan and Tim for years, and I'm getting to know Rich well, and I am proud to say I now work with them on the same team.
My point is, the fire service and the business of providing goods and services to firefighters is a family. It’s not like any other business or vocation out there. Either you get it, or you don’t. I once had a very successful fire publication sales representative say to me: “You’re not going to change the fire service, but the fire service will change you.” More than a decade later, I now understand that more than ever.
The fire service is a fraternal organization so it’s only natural that the business side of it would be the same. Good, talented people, who “get” the fire service will always find employment.
That’s why whenever I go to a fire trade show and start walking the floor, it’s like a big reunion. It’s always a pleasure to see friends, whatever business card they happen to hand me. I know them to be people of integrity and it doesn’t matter what booth they happen to be standing in – they are representing the product with pride and professionalism.
I know there are fire departments that buy apparatus from only certain sales representatives. If the dealership changes brands, they’ll buy the new brand because they’re loyal to the person, not the brand. They know the person will provide a quality product and back it up with the service as it’s needed.
Of course, there are always some people who don’t “get” the fire service and they don’t make it in the fire industry. They don’t speak the language, don’t have the skill sets or the commitment to the concept of saving lives and properties that we all instinctively recognize.
That’s why only the best people stick around and remain friends no matter what logos they have on the shirts or cards in their pockets.
Ed Ballam
Ed Ballam served as associate editor for Firehouse. He is the assistant chief of the Haverhill Corner, N.H. Fire Department, and a National Registered EMT. He is also a Deputy Forest Fire Warden for the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands. Professionally, he's been a journalist for over 35 years working for a variety of publications, including employment as managing editor of a national fire service trade journal for more than a decade.
