WRITING A LOCAL NEWSPAPER COLUMN
VOLUNTEERS CORNER
As firefighters we often are misunderstood. We all have stories to tell about bystanders jumping to the wrong conclusions while they watch us work. “The fire was in the front door and you went in the back. What, were you scared?” “What took you so long?” “Did you have to block the street?” “Hurry up; why don’t you do something?”
We’ve heard it all, and it’s frustrating: Not only are we risking our lives to help them, but we also are enduring their criticism while we work. It isn’t fair, we tell ourselves. But we ignore these critics and continue our business, content in the knowledge that we did our job to the best of our ability and did it right —no matter what they say. Most of us have given up trying to explain to onlookers that we “know our stuff.”
APPROACHING THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER
One way to shed positive light on us and give the public a better understanding of what we do is through the local newspaper. My affiliation with a local newspaper began after I responded to my first fire. It was a mindboggling experience, full of thrills and excitement and all the energy’ a wellrun scene can have. I was awed for days. Then complaints began filtering in from bystanders who found a dozen things to criticize. I was incensed and hurt. We entered a building with flames pouring from the windows, and we saved it from certain destruction-only to be criticized by observers. Yes, it is part of the job, but I wasn’t satisfied to let it go.
1 began to write what was going to be a letter to the editor of our local newspaper, explaining in detail why we performed as we did; my hope was to make the people see that we handled things by the book. However, before I mailed it I thought. What if I could arrange to communicate with the public on a regular basis concerning the fire and medical calls we handle?
Soon 1 was a weekly columnist with more topics than I could handle. The newspaper editor took every’ piece I gave him, and the public feedback was positive. I wrote for more than a year and then took a job in another town. I sent a dozen samples of my articles in to the local newspaper and once again found the editor responsive to giving me a column.
People are interested in what we do, and that interest can be used to the department’s advantage. No doubt some people see my column and pass right over it. But one day they’ll see our apparatus on a call and will look to the column to find out what happened.
SOME DO’S AND DON’TS
The following tips will help you get started with writing:
- Don’t aim too high. I’ve sent articles in to major newspapers and have even gotten a few published, but most won’t consider committing to a weekly or even monthly column right from the start.
- Start smalt. Approach your local newspaper; it’s probably the most effective place to start. Sell the editor on the approach that you are part of the community, dealing with issues and situations that directly affect the people who read the paper.
- Go in prepared. I took 12 completed columns to each of the newspapers for which I wrote. The editor could see that there was enough material to support a weekly column.
- Apply in person. Make the editor deal with you directly rather than through the mail or telephone.
- Don’t address your column to firefighters. Write for the general public, people who know little or nothing about us and what we do. Try to imagine how events appear to them, and write on their level. Do not use such technical terms as “telescoping aerial tower truck” when you easily can substitute “ladder truck.”
- Have someone else proofread your article before you submit it. The beauty of a column like this is that you do not have to be a literary genius; you are just an average person trying to communicate the facts.
- Don’t be too specific. Not everyone will appreciate being mentioned by name, so don’t single people out. If readers recognize themselves or others in your columns, they might not be pleased.
- Don ‘t air your dirty laundry. Don’t use your column to air your personal gripes against your department; it will defeat your purpose for writing and breed ill will in the department.
MATERIAL IS PLENTIFUL
If you doubt you have enough material to write about, consider writing about the following topics:
The big calls. Explain why certain things happened. People already read the news account; now tell the inside story. Explain that you didn’t rush into the burning building because you had to gear up, size up, and follow the life-safety protocols of the department. This information also serves as a subtle reminder that firefighting is a hazardous occupation.
The little calls. I wrote a column about a lady who had a nosebleed. I was able to tell the readers that we are always there for them and that we care for them. I also made it clear that when we are out on the little calls, it makes us unavailable for the more serious ones and that people should use discretion in calling 911
Life in the firehouse. This interests many people, and it helps us break away from our image of being TVwatching slugs.
Special calls. Explain what haz mats are, why we make inspections, and why so many firefighters are becoming paramedics. Describe what it’s like to crawl through a burning building.
Training. Write about the latest safety devices, changes in fire service standards, and training exercises you conduct on a regular basis.
Statistics. Firefighters’ divorce rate is high, death and injury rates are alarming, and we face new risks from AIDS and hazardous chemicals. Let people know what we’re up against every time we go to work.
THE BENEFITS
The impetus for writing such a column must come from an enthusiasm for your work and a belief that you can improve your department’s image by communicating. You can hope for improved understanding and support from the community, but don’t expect miracles; you will be reaching only a small percentage of the population. However, you can convert the readers and cause them to look at you with new respect.
Another benefit is that your fellow firefighters will read the column. We all like to read of our accomplishments and like to be defended when accused unfairly. 1 receive many compliments on my writing; those that mean the most come from my fellow firefighters.
I also benefit from my columns. I worked a job that involved a fatality a few months ago, and I found it a difficult experience to forget. Writing about it in my column helped me deal with it. Somehow putting down the many facets of my job on paper helps make them more understandable.
If writing a column seems like too big a job for one person, form a committee or solicit columns from various department members. If you cannot garner members’ support for a column, write letters to the editor to foster public understanding. People do read those letters, and the letters will get your points across in much the same way. So get busy and start writing!
