THANKS IN NOVEMBER
EDITOR’S OPINION
This issue marks the end of my fifth year as editor of Fire Engineering magazine. When I began, editing was not my strongest suit.
But what did I know? I knew the fire business, from the paid to the volunteer sectors. I knew the higher education aspects as well as how to train with the basics. I knew that no one could have gone to more fires, made as many mistakes, and gained as many lessons. I knew I hadn’t read this magazine for many years—and I knew why.
The magazine seemed to have lost its focus. “Consultants” were on the rise and our fire business was in the editorial hands of “empty suits” (some with different-colored stones in their rings) who hung around and asked you what you knew and wrote down what they thought you told them —under their byline. No wonder you turned off.
1 knew a few things more: I knew that firefighters weren’t really talking to one another and that if we ever did, watch out! I knew that firefighters could solve anything. i knew lessons and ideas were born and reinforced every day, and I knew 1 had a 105-year-old magazine to try to bring a forum together—a forum of firefighters talking with firefighters.
My earliest national friend, Jack Bennett, gave me the incentive to go further when he said over the phone one morning, “i don’t think you magazine guys give a #(5%! about anything we think.” (Incentive Number One.) Then he quipped, “Do you know it’s 6 a m. in Los Angeles on this end of the phone?” (Major Lesson Number One.)
Well, five years have passed since then. The family here at Fire Engineering has continued to grow. Many, many old and even more new friends have given time, effort, and expertise to help us all be better off at our jobs. Gray, Noll, Fire, Caulfield, McDonald, Phelps, Brannigan. Casey, Fuchs, McCarthy, Jeffers, Comer, Corbett. Foley, O’Rourke, McFadden, Fuller, Morganelli, Downey, Carlson are just a few of the many who came to help, then to share.
Editor’s Opinion continues on page 13•
Soon after coming on board, I was told by a publisher more interested in prostitution for advertising than information for subscribers, “Damn you, Brennan, you’re making this a magazine you want to read.” 1 thought about that remark for a long time. Who was I?
By then I had spent an awful lot of time and money in the field. I attended, 1 spoke at, 1 taught, I listened, and 1 learned, at more locations around the country than 1 can even count—so many and so often that “y’all” weren’t laughing at my accent any longer I turned down no one who asked. I never failed to answer my phone when you called.
I called you when you wrote. 1 showed up in your district when you summoned. 1 had a hell of a time and increased a group (in number and geography) that 1 call Brother.
So. in rethinking that statement from the long-gone publisher, I knew who I was: I was you. Proudly, and with a little more arrogance than usual, I marched into the office with my (our) answer: “Yeah, I’m making it something I’d (we’d) read Why did you hire me? More importantly, why the hell would I stay here if I’m (we re) producing a magazine that I (we) won’t read?”
Thank God those fistfighling days are over. We now have owners and a publisher w hose integrity adds to and reinforces what we arcable to do. I’m proud of this magazine in its II 1th year, and especially proud of where it’s at now. and look forward to where it can possibly go. “Y’all” put it here, “y’ali” take it where it should go.
So why all this, and on this page? Well, you put up with my rambiings in this column 60 times since I left the fire stations. Often you agreed and nodded. Still, often you didn’t, and wrote and called. I think it’s about time I mentioned you. This month is the month of Thanksgiving in America, and after five years I have a special need to thank all of you —for your patience, understanding, instruction, lessons, friendship, and brotherhood.
In my first editorial, I said, “If one man knew everything, there would only be oneman.” Well, you proved that statement many times over
Thanks, be safe, and God bless.
