A 2009 poll conducted by market research institute GfK found that firefighters ranked as the most trusted profession in Europe and the United States with 92 percent of respondents fining them trustworthy.

As a firefighter myself I can attest to the response of most people I meet whenever I am wearing something that identifies me as a firefighter.  While walking though a busy part of Dallas a couple of years ago, wearing my FD company t-shirt, two people thanked me for what I do.  I was pleased and proud.  I wear my FD logo proudly and appreciate how people respond.  It feels good.

As a firefighter I also belong to a number of organizations, read publications and visit websites focused on firefighters?  There is certainly some devotion to our fallen brethren and an appreciation such as I experienced in Dallas, as well as in my hometown. But there is also a focus on firefighters as a market.

Fire Companies, Fire Districts, Fire Departments, and Firefighters themselves are all fair game for companies selling anything and everything from Quints to patches.  This is a fact of life.  Another fact is the simple truth that there are haves and have nots in the fire service.

My work with the International Fire Relief Mission and FreeFireGear.org have exposed me to fire fighters and their companies who operate on so little money it is hard to believe.  The IFRM gathers donated fire and EMS equipment from companies in the USA and Canada for donation to companies around the world who desperately need it.  FreeFireGear.org is a free classified database that allows for the same thing to occur stateside.

There are other firefighters and departments that literally have closets full of spare gear. A prudent amount of spare gear is important to assure that needed firefighters can work if their issued gear is taken out of service for any reason.  But there is a limit.  There are some companies that just trash their old gear on a time schedule that may or may not really determine its effectiveness.  This is something that I would like to change.

One companies surplus could save lives of firefighters of companies that don’t have enough gear.  Let’s get unused gear to those who need it.

All marketing isn’t about money.