Weekend Update – 5/12/12

Posted by lieutenantlemon on

Back to the Updates this week. It has been a busy one…

1.) Lt. Lemon gets “Combat Ready”

I hit the road with ELAFF HQ Training Captain “Stumpy” Doerr on Monday morning for a little learning session. Thanks to the Salisbury (NC) Fire Department and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, Ricky Riley and Nick Martin of Traditions Training, LLC brought the “Combat Ready Firefighting” class to NC for the first time…and it was FREE for ALL North Carolina firefighters. How great is that? The room was full of Brothers and Sisters who made the trip (hours long for some) to gather ideas to take back to their departments. The 8 hour class was excellent and I walked out feeling incredibly motivated. I had the opportunity to meet Jonah Smith of The Hose Jockey, as well as West McBride of HPFirefighter.com, in person for the first time. They are both great guys. Jonah was so popular that Chief Riley even mentioned him mid-lecture, while looking for “the Charlotte guy, that radio geek”. Don’t worry, that’s a self-professed name.

All in all, it was a great class. Very motivational and straight-forward (despite the constant murmur of Charlotte firemen who were all jacked up on Sun Drop and Chick-fil-a sweet tea).

To cap it all off, Salisbury FD ran three reported structure fires through the duration of the class. Only one turned out to be a worker…the one with NOTHING SHOWING. There’s no better way to drive home the need to be “combat ready” and to “expect fire”.

I can’t wait for the premiere of the newest Traditions Training class, “Nick Martin presents: The Art of the Combat Ready 2.5″ leader line”.

2.) Andy Fredericks Training Days

I wasn’t able to make it to AFTD this year, but thankfully the AFTD crew kept a steady stream of real-time quotes from the lectures posted on Facebook and Twitter. Here are some of the best:

“Salka: Wear your radio – don’t carry it. No other better way to wear a radio.”

“Removing gasses and steam with a hose line isn’t ventilation. It’s smoke removal. It comes AFTER the fire is knocked down and out. We shouldn’t be buying nozzles for their ability to perform this task because it’s secondary.”

“Did you know the asphalt machine is 12′ wide? If you see the seam in the road you got 24′ across – How wide is your truck? Jacks in; jacks out. Using the clues in your surroundings to be a great truck operator.”

“You don’t have to take an 8 hour class on reading smoke to know that when you arrive and there is grey smoke at the ceiling and then a few moments later there is dark brown smoke down to the floor you’re in deep doggy do-do!”

“Talking to guys in the crowd from DCFD about number of runs Gustin asks: ‘By the way what is the name of your fire department today? Well that must be GREAT for morale.’ “

“It’s not just enough to bleed the line; you gotta open that bale all the way and make sure your gun is loaded.”

“Bill Gustin ‘You will never make it in todays fire service my friend, you have too much common sense.’ “

I am definitely planning on trying to make at least one day of AFTD next year. You should, too.

3.) Kentland Expectations

The guys of First Due Questions had the chance to stop in at Kentland 33 this week. They snapped a shot of a board displaying the “Expectations” of Kentland officers and firemen. They are universally applicable:

Kentland 33

 

 

That’s all for this week. I’m slowly working out of my existential crisis and getting back into the swing of sarcasm. I may still throw up a personal post or two…bear with me. Thanks for reading.

Pete (Lt. Lemon)

Reflection

Posted by lieutenantlemon on

“Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes.”

These words caught my eye in a recent blog post, one of a few which struck me deeply in the past 24 hours, stirring a period of serious reflection. Reflection on myself, my ideas, my actions, and my writing. Reflection on this site and ELAFF as a whole. It has been nearly one year since I moved the ELAFF movement to this standalone site. I used to hesitate to call it a “blog”, as I tried to steer away from the personal posts commonly associated with that term. This was due in part to the anonymous nature of the posts, but it was also an attempt to maintain the universal, ambiguous nature of the topics which any agency or individual could relate to. As you well know, the anonymity is no more. So, the occasional “personal” post can be expected…and this is the first. Stay with me, though. I might stumble on something of use to you.

The removal of the “anonymous” barrier brought a question to my mind. If he isn’t the mythical “Fire God”, who hand-carves door chocks out of oak trees using his Leatherman multi-tool, then who IS Lt. Lemon? Who AM I? I found that it was much easier to answer the inverse question. Who am I NOT?

I am not anyone special. I am not an expert. I am not an instructor, trainer, teacher, nor professor. I am not a philosopher. I am not the definitive voice of reason on all or any topics.

Who am I? I am a guy with a keyboard and an interest in stringing words together into sentences. That’s all any of us(bloggers/writers) are. I am simply sharing opinions and ideas, not undebatable facts. So, how does this relate to you?

This serves as a simple reminder to take everything with a grain of salt. Don’t automatically believe anything you read online or see on t.v. This is not a training site, but a forum for discussion. Read critically and question the material presented. If you disagree, feel free to rebut with your own opinion. If you agree, add your own thoughts to the discussion. I never fully cover any subject which I write on and there is always room to elaborate. I’m sure most other fire service writers would ask that you do the same and I am striving to become more involved in the posts which influence me.

My status as a member of this forum, rather than a teacher, affects me even more. This site isn’t really about spreading my ideas, but more about gathering the ideas of others. ELAFF has allowed me to network with firemen from beyond the county, state, and regional boundaries which usually inhibit growth in the fire service. It exposes me to varying ideas, tactics, theories, and equipment which I might have missed if I remained isolated within the comfort of my home department.

Some don’t realize the potential of these differing ideas and tactics. They immediately jump to bash and scrutinize others for their differences, falsely perceived to be mistakes. They react with the same fear as the townspeople to Frankenstein’s monster. Frankenstein’s “turtleshell” wearing, fireground sprinting, roof cutting monster. However, they are not fearful of the literal differences which they see, but of the theoretical change which those ideas could bring to their department. Oh, “change”. That double-edged sword that we’re all SO scared of..even positive change(a.k.a IMPROVEMENT). Perhaps what scares us most about improvement is that , in order to improve, we must expose our weaknesses. Admitting the need for improvement is admitting that you are doing something wrong or, at the least, not as well as you potentially could.

I try to take a different approach to these “differences”. I’m intrigued by them. I see them as a chance to learn, grow, and improve…and that’s a good thing. Obviously, new tactics must be evaluated, just like online articles. Will it be useful in OUR first due? If not, can we modify it until it IS useful? In this same manner, we should also evaluate our CURRENT tactics, ideas, and equipment to see if there’s a need for improvement.

This is the benefit of the site, and the network it provides, for me. A chance to discover new ideas and re-evaluate my current ones. I get more out of this experience than any of the readers will…and that’s the point. This is an experiment in self-improvement. The cycle of discovery, evaluation, and improvement is both humbling and enlightening. Expanding my knowledge, while shrinking my personal pride.

As much as I enjoy the satire of ELAFF’s roots, I require more accountability in my material. I long wrote as “Lt. Lemon”. Since the “Big Reveal” I’ve simply added my first name, in parentheses, clinging to that alter-ego. However, it’s time to separate that persona from myself and set it on the back-burner. I’m Pete Sulzer…this is my “blog”…and these are my words. Thanks for reading them.

-Pete Sulzer (Lt. Lemon) 

I was driven to write this after reading a number of articles, namely the following:

Working the Job – “Awakening”

Fully Involved – “Stay Hungry”

Engine Co. 22 – “Culture of Self-Improvement”

Go read them now…

Weekend Update – 4/14/12

Posted by lieutenantlemon on

Weekend Update time again…here’s what made the ELAFF FB page this week, in the order of posting:

DC Fireman Needs Your Votes

Alex Capece of RaisingLadders.com is a DC Fireman who is in the running to be a sponsored cyclist/brand rep for Foundry Cycles. He needs votes to make it as a finalist. If you feel like supporting a firefighter/athlete, click this link, find the Northeast section, and vote for Alex. You will need to log in using Facebook. Don’t worry, this is just to keep people from voting more than once.

Here’s the link, one more time: http://foundrycycles.com/rideforfoundry/#northeast

Here’s another link to Alex’s blog: http://raisingladders.com/

Here’s a post by Alex about this contest: http://raisingladders.com/2012/03/ride-report-repeat-raisingladders-on-foundry-cycles/

Another Danger of Texting While Walking

“We fight what you fear”…sometimes…

Working  the Job posted the following quote from Fireman Ryan Cox:

“We fight what you fear. Until it scares us. Then it becomes a “Close Call.”

This was related to the following video, which made the blog-rounds over the week:

The Fire Critic posted about it HERE, and a decent discussion ensued. The video included the words “Close Call” in the title and the question was, “Is this really a close call?” After hearing responses from many ELAFF followers, the consensus seems to be, no. As a matter of fact, nearly everyone agreed that this is standard truck work. When you cut a hole in the roof, fire comes out…that’s the point of CUTTING THE HOLE. Let the heat OUT.

Ken Scofield (@KenScofield) used the Twitter hashtag #ventedroofsaresupposedtoletheatout. I tried unsuccessfully to make that a “trending” topic. If you’re on Twitter, shoot that one out when you get the chance.

This vent crew earned extra points by venting from the “stick”, therefore avoiding nearly all chance of falling through (as one follower pointed out, there is ALWAYS a chance). The only possibly unsafe action was retracting the aerial while the crew was at the tip. However, the operator may have been communicating with the crew via intercom, so I won’t pick this one apart. I honestly think the “close call” was added by the videographer, who may not have realized what was going on.

The bottom line on this one is: when you vent the roof, fire coming out is a good thing. Don’t be alarmed or surprised, DON’T call for a handline and spray water in on it…consider your objective complete and get off the roof.

(The same goes for when fire is blowing out the window while an interior crew is pushing in on it. This is a GOOD thing, beneficial to the attack crew, DO NOT spray water through the window, no matter how excited you are…you will only make the attack crew’s job MORE DIFFICULT. More on that in an upcoming post…)

 If We Listen to the Stories…

Beneath the Helmet posted a video that you should watch, along with a post that you should read…here’s an excerpt:

“…When you exercise to get and stay fit on- and off-duty…
When you eat, drink, and sleep right…
When you train above and beyond the requirements…
When you make the right decisions on the fireground…
…do it for the brothers that can’t get back on the rig, like the ones we lost in Philadelphia and Tennessee. But do it also for yourself, for your coworkers, for the entire brotherhood, and for the family and friends who want to see you live long and well…”

Read the rest and watch the video here:http://beneaththehelmet.com/post/20989777759/if-we-listen-to-the-stories-or-read-them-about

“Beaching” the Rescue in DC

The FB page “Beaching the Front Lawn” posted these photos of DC Rescue 3 clearing the road for the companies with a more limited deployment range.

This is My Ladder

Brian Brush discusses balance points, lazy halyards, fly-in ladder placement, and one man throws in a new Fire Service Warrior post.

Great tips and interesting points to consider.

Here’s the link: http://www.fireservicewarrior.com/2012/04/this-is-my-ladder/

Deep Survival

A reflection on survival instincts by The Hose Jockey.

“We may push ourselves that much deeper in the building because we’ve done it before, we may say ohhh we got this, we just had the same fire last week.  Meanwhile the new guy is thinking, WTF, I scared but this guy knows what the hell he is doing.  Then he forms that same bookmark in the same dumb ass spot as the senior man has.  I think you see where I’m going with this.  As a service we have to assert some leadership to realize the way we have always, isn’t always the best.  Maybe our bookmarks are on the wrong page, maybe they are in the last chapter, as we all have seen 100′s of times each year. “

Do you have the right “bookmarks”, and more importantly, what “bookmarks” are you setting for the next generation?

Here’s the link: http://hosejockey.blogspot.com/2012/04/deep-survival-part-1.html

I Got Bronchitis…and Auto-tune!

This video popped up over the week:

An Auto-tuned remix popped up last night:

1,500 “likes”

Last night, the ELAFF FB page reached 1,500 “likes”. LET’S GIVE SOME STUFF AWAY!

…

Oh, right…already did that…

Thanks for liking, reading, and following.

On that note, I noticed that Fire Service Warrior now has less “likes” than ELAFF. The FSW crew is too humble and focused to ever ask for likes. They aren’t concerned with the social media popularity contest. They simply produce high-quality content for the fire service audience.

I know that many of their readers don’t use Facebook, and I’m sure that they receive more hits than ELAFF, but it seems like the universe is off-balance if FSW has less “likes” than ELAFF. My ramblings and re-postings are mediocre at best. The FSW team puts out great content, at a constant pace, on every topic…from keeping the right mindset, to training tips (like the article above), to a daily workout regimen.

Take the time to check out Fire Service Warrior (and “like” them) and read through their posts…you won’t be disappointed.

Here’s the website: http://www.fireservicewarrior.com/

Here’s the FB page: http://www.facebook.com/FireServiceWarrior

That’s all for today.

- Lt. Lemon (Pete)

Weekend Update – 4/7/12

Posted by lieutenantlemon on

It’s time for another Weekend Update(still looking for a better name for these posts)…two weeks in a row, I’m on a roll.

NC Bridge to be Named for Asheville Captain

“A COMMITTEE OF THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT of Transportation has voted this morning (Wednesday) to overrule a policy and recommend that a highway bridge be named in honor of Ashville Fire Captain Jeffrey Bowen who died tragically last June while fighting a fire in a mid-rise office building.” - from FireGeezer.com

The Reality behind the “Reality” Photo

A viral photo began making the rounds of social media this week. Much like the “What Do You Make?” status, it promoted an exaggerated sense of bravado by adding a cliché “Motivational Poster” scheme. Many questioned the photo’s source, and P.J. Norwood posted the truth behind it. Jason Jefferies subsequently wrote about it HERE.

It’s All In the Details

Jonah Smith of The Hose Jockey posted about an on scene video. He avoids the vortex of futile tactical debates and focuses on something we can all agree on. Use your chin strap, SCBA waist belt, and hood properly. They are there for a reason, and those little details could make a huge difference when things go wrong.

“So please my plea to all of you fix these issues if you see them, because the last thing I want to see is someone get hurt because of something they could easily fix on their own.  Control all the things you can all of the time, and have a plan for those things you can’t control.  Be safe out there.”

That’s all that made it on the ELAFF FB page this week, but there are plenty of other great sites to check out. Click the links on the right sidebar and check them out.

Stay safe!

- Lt. Lemon (Pete)

Weekend Update 3/31/12

Posted by lieutenantlemon on

The weekend update was a posting format I tried when the ELAFF blog started. It was a weekly post recapping the links posted on the ELAFF FB page, along with other content. In order to boost the posting rate on the blog, and to keep the “Leather-freaks” engaged in the discussion, I’ve decided to give a hearty attempt at reviving the Weekend Update.

*If anyone has an idea for a better name for these posts (preferably more fire-related) leave a comment.*

Gore FD is in need of a tanker

Rhett Fleitz posted on FireCritic.com about the Gore (VA) VFD, which is in need of a tanker. The tanker they relied on for rural water supply was totaled in a wreck, in which one of their firefighters was tragically killed in the line of duty.

“If your department is selling or willing to donate your tanker truck to the Gore community, please contact Assistant Chief Kevin Yost at Fire Station 14.  The phone number to contact is (540) 858-2811. If you prefer email, contact the editor of VAFireNews.com at editor@vafirenews.com and I will forward the message. “

Urban Firefighter Magazine released Issue 7

Urban Firefighter Magazine released the long-awaited 7th Issue of their online publication. It is filled with great articles, written and presented in a more modern fashion than other trade publications, and it’s only available online (but that means that it’s FREE).

Urban Firefighter on Facebook

Video Demonstrates the Dangers of “Home Response”

This video (from Long Island, NY) surfaced, showing the dangers associated with “home response”. For those unfamiliar with the term, that’s when volunteer/paid-on call/reserve/etc. firefighters respond from home/work to the station before responding apparatus.

French Company Makes Fire Safety “Fashionable”

I stumbled upon a French company that is making fire safety “fashionable”, and perhaps more common. Fire Design sells fire extinguishers in various designer colors and designs. They also sell smoke detectors, kits with detectors AND an extinguisher in a gift box, and belts, bags, and phone cases made from recycled fire hose. The site says they have distributors in NYC and Hollywood, but you will have to email them in French to locate the exact stores. A neat idea to get life-saving products in more homes.

We’re Closer to Giving Away a Phenix Leather Helmet

In December, I announced that ELAFF had started a Bucket Brigade to raise money for the National Firefighters Endowment. Part of leading a Bucket Brigade is the opportunity to receive a Phenix leather helmet upon raising $1000. I didn’t feel right collecting a helmet that the ELAFF leather-freaks “paid for” (plus I own a leather), so I decided to give it away. Every $1 donated is an entry into the drawing. $100 = 100 entries. Here’s a direct link to the donation page. The fund drive recently received a big boost when 4Factor donated $1 from every product they’ve recently sold. They also have each customer’s information to be entered in the drawing for the helmet. Who is 4Factor?

4Factor

4Factor is an up-start business project involving Captain Chaos (Matt Ritter) and Steven Sweatt of The Daily Hydrant (also an ELAFF local). They started with Lemon Wedge-inspired “Thin Red Line” wedges and are slowly adding new products. They are very customer oriented and dedicated to helping the fire service. They are committed to donating a portion of ALL sales to different fire service charities.

4Factor website

4Factor Facebook

Check them out and tell them that Lt. Lemon sent you!

ELAFF Contest Prizes Arrive

The ELAFF contest prizes have shipped and have started to be delivered. Check out the “Da’ Travels of Da’ Lemon Wedge” photo album on the ELAFF FB page for photos as prizes arrive…two are up, so far.

The Hose Jockey and the Abilene Paradox

The Hose Jockey posted about the Abilene Paradox:

“It is where everyone agrees to do something out of fear of being different even though no one in the group agrees with it.  To put it in firefighter terms, its where you assume everyone wants to do something, but in reality no one wants any part of it, but for whatever reason everyone agrees to do it.”

Great post, check it out.

Close Call Video in Michigan

Statter911.com had a  news post on a close call in Dearborn, Michigan. The video below shows as a roof crew operating at a structure fire nearly goes through the roof. Many things to learn from this one. Be sure to watch and discuss this with your crew. Internet critiquing/quarterbacking is what it is, but the folks on your shift are the one’s who you could potentially be with in this situation. Share it with THEM.
http://www.wxyz.com/video/videoplayer.swf?dppversion=18327

ELAFF Facebook Page and Blog Integration

I’ve integrated the ELAFFHQ.com blog into the ELAFF Facebook page. You now have the option of reading posts, sharing posts, and subscribing to the blog…ALL on Facebook. Click the link here, or the “Networked Blogs” tab on the ELAFF Facebook page.

…and finally, a Local post

When the Excessive Leather Accessories for Firefighters Facebook Page first started, I used to post regular messages regarding ELAFF Locals (b-days, accomplishments, etc.). However, I stopped this practice when I realized that it could compromise my anonymity. Well, that doesn’t matter anymore…

Today, ELAFF Local Travis Flinchum is getting hitched, big ears and all. Congratulations, Brother! See you this evening…TIME to PARTY!

That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading.

-Lt. Lemon (Pete)

Being Prepared

Posted by lieutenantlemon on

I recently had the pleasure of sitting through a wonderful, city-mandated, OSHA compliant safety class. I’m not going to discuss the frivolity of teaching identical blanket courses to every city employee (including chainsaw safety to receptionists). In fact, this post has nothing to do with that class, directly. Rather, it stems from a side comment by the instructor.

He started speaking on the subject of recognizing trends in workplace injuries and acting to prevent them. He mentioned another municipality which had recognized a trend in fire service injuries during training, mostly heart-related problems to be more specific. Some of these incidents occurred at their department, however most occurred at other agencies. This led the municipality’s administrators and safety gurus (as far as I know this was done above the fire department level) to investigate the cause of these incidents. Their investigation led them to determine that many of the cardiac and respiratory issues, which resulted in treatment and/or hospitalization, occurred while training in full turnouts, and that the extra stress from training in full gear was a direct cause of these injuries.

Fair enough. Donning full PPE brings added weight, restricted movement, and limited vision. Its hinderance IS stressful if you aren’t used to wearing it and working in it. So, naturally, the safety gurus brainstormed how they could decrease employee injuries due to the stresses of TRAINING. Their answer was simple. Stop wearing full gear while training, unless absolutely necessary. That’s right. Training in turnouts is stressful, so we shouldn’t do it.

Now, it doesn’t take an expert to realize that this is ridiculous, but I’m going to break it down anyway. The stress and anxiety of working in full gear, whether during training or on the fireground, is mostly due to our being unaccustomed to working in such conditions. Our brains don’t like it when our senses are restricted. The limited movement, vision, and hearing cause anxiety on their own, which elevates pulse and respiratory rates. Add in the sheer physical exertion of WORKING in full gear, and we’re putting a decent strain on our hearts in training alone. Training without gear on will most definitely alleviate the occurrence of training injuries, but it won’t do a thing to help us remain calm while working in full gear. When we do don that gear on the fireground, the stress, the anxiety, and the panic will still be there and it will be elevated because of an even lower frequency of training. The difference is that on the fireground things are real (increasing stress), lives are in danger (increasing stress), and there is no pause button when a Brother falls out because he hasn’t worked in his gear since the last fire. The only impact this policy will have is to move those injuries from the training ground to the fireground.

What needs to be done? I don’t know any members of this department, but PT is always a good idea. If your body is weak, make it stronger. If your body is strong…make it stronger. Secondly, instead of doing less training in full gear, try doing it MORE often. The only way to reduce the anxiety of wearing gear is to become accustomed to it, as though it is the only clothing you ever wear. The more often you suit up and move around, the stronger your mind and body get. Once you take care of the minor stresses of wearing and working in gear (which really shouldn’t be an issue if you are off probation), take it to the next level.

That is the famous “Impact This” video from Ric Jorge, aka Glass Guy. Here’s a link to a longer, but un-embeddable, Facebook video of the training exercise “Impact This…AGAIN!” Watch it, then keep reading.

Intense, but the only way to be prepared for a stressful event (disorientation, collapse, low air, etc.) is to work through it during training. Mind you, the “Impact This” scenario is not one to simply jump in to for your next training. That drill was preceded by hours of lectures on stress-management techniques, followed by hands on training, slowly progressing to the full-blown drill in the video. The drill involved a lot of preparation, and that is what our entire profession is about…being prepared.

Prepared for the worst, prepared for the struggles, prepared for the circumstances that we’ve never encountered before, so that we may overcome, do our job, and survive.

- Lt. Lemon (Pete)

…but, for real.

Posted by lieutenantlemon on

Our faces, our names, our location, and the winners.

Now seems like a good time to add the inevitable disclaimer:

ELAFFHQ.com is independently owned and operated. ELAFFHQ.com is not endorsed by, approved by, or officially associated with any department or agency. The ideas, views, and opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of our respective agencies, co-workers, family, or friends.

And now…

…and Here We Go.

Posted by lieutenantlemon on

Well, Leather-freaks…it’s time. We currently have over 1,100 Facebook followers. Adding in Twitter followers of both ELAFF-associated accounts and direct email subscribers on the blog, we reach closer to 1,400 people…maybe 1,500. No matter the exact number, we have far more followers than I ever imagined we would and the ELAFF community is growing daily. We aren’t going to beg you for “likes” and grovel for followers anymore. That isn’t what ELAFF is about, and it was beginning to get on my own nerves.

So, let’s give some stuff away, so that we can get back to the serious content of the ELAFF movement.

We are actually going to be running two contests. You all should know about the MN8 Products giveaway, so we’ll discuss the other contest first.

The “Guess the Location of ELAFF HQ” Contest

Over the past two years, ELAFF has been distributing “sound fire service ideas with a satirical twist” to an ever-growing audience. Facebook fans range from Alaska to Alabama, along with some international fans. Through all of this, we have maintained strict secrecy over the location of ELAFF HQ and our true identities. It has worked, and the blacked-out photos are fun, but we have reached the limits of what we can accomplish “undercover”. As some formerly anonymous bloggers have said, “Anonymity is overrated.” It is time to give it up. We are going public.

Of course, we can’t simply show our faces and post our names. This is ELAFF. We are still Lt. Lemon and Capt. Chaos. We’re going to have some fun with this unveiling.

This contest will be for the followers who haven’t been clued into the whereabouts of our hide-out. We are interested to see how well we’ve hidden our identities, but this means we have to set some limitations.

If you meet any of the following criteria, you will not be eligible for this contest (don’t worry, you can still win some Foxfire gear):

  1. If you have met either Lt. Lemon or Capt. Chaos in person. (Our memories are photographic…we remember EVERYONE.)
  2. If you are our friend on either of our personal FB pages.
  3. If you have received a Lemon Wedge in the mail. (Sorry, you’ve seen my return address…but you have a Lemon Wedge!)
  4. If you are relatively familiar with anyone who meets the above criteria, or we think you had an unfair advantage.

How To Enter:

Go to the contest tab at the top of the homepage, or simply click here.

Enter your name, email address, and guess of where ELAFF HQ is. You can give a vague guess, like the West Coast or the Northeast, or you can give a more detailed guess, like a state or city.
The winners will be the entrants with the three closest, and most specific, guesses.

The Prizes:

The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd nearest guesses will win a Limited Edition Gold, Silver, and Bronze Lemon Wedge, respectively.

They look much better in person.

Capt. Chaos and I also plan on throwing in other random goodies from ELAFF HQ. There is no telling what those will consist of, but they will be worth it.

This contest will run until 9pm PST on March 2, 2012.

**If you know who we are and you let the secret out, I’ll give you a high-five to the face.**

The MN8 Products Giveaway

The contest that you’ve all been waiting for. We will randomly give away 1 Foxfire Helmet Band, 1 Foxfire tool wrap, and 1 XL Foxfire t-shirt from MN8 Products.

The only requirement for this contest is that you must “like” the ELAFF FB page and the MN8 Products FB page. The contest entry form should allow you to do this when you enter. Everyone is eligible except for Capt. Chaos and myself.

How To Enter:

Go to the ELAFF Facebook page and click the “Big Giveaway” tab on the left sidebar…or just click here.

You may enter once per day, until the contest ends.

This contest will end at 9pm PST on March 2, 2012.

There you have it…you may begin entering now.

-Lt. Lemon

A New Frontier

Posted by lieutenantlemon on

February 11th, 2012

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of the creation of the ELAFF Facebook page.

Two years ago, an inside joke at the firehouse led to the creation of Excessive Leather Accessories for Firefighters. What started out as a place to post funny videos for ELAFF locals soon became a tool to spread USEFUL posts, articles, and ideas. Somehow, random firefighters from across the nation began to stumble upon this little “gag page”, and our following began growing rapidly. My posts on Facebook began to get lengthier and last year, after much prodding, ELAFFHQ.com became a reality. Captain Chaos joined in the venture and we’ve been tweaking things ever since. We now have over 800 Facebook “likes”, along with a small amount of Twitter followers and email subscribers. Through this endeavor, we’ve had the opportunity to network with some great names in the fire service, of whom I have a tremendous amount of  respect and would never have expected to come in contact with otherwise.

Lemon and Chaos training

Lt. Lemon and Capt. Chaos at a recent mutual training event.

Alas, as the movement grows, we must grow with it.

We have a big overhaul to make here on the site, but this is ELAFF and Lt. Lemon and Capt. Chaos don’t do anything subtly.

We don’t want this big change to be simply about ELAFF. We want community involvement in our posts and ELAFF in general, so MN8 Products has stepped up and offered some awesome, glowing, Foxfire accessories to give away as part of a “blog overhaul” contest. We’ll also be offering up a few, special ELAFF prizes.

Here’s the catch…

As part of getting these freebies to give away, we have to reach a large enough audience. We’ve never begged for followers before, and we really aren’t begging now, but before we can start the contest and “overhaul” we have to reach 1,500 Facebook “likes”. This will be the one and only instance where we grovel for “likes”. I promise.

We gained nearly 200 “likes” in a 48 hour period this past week…getting less than 700 more should be no problem.

Thus begins ELAFF’s one and only “pledge drive”. We’ll have more details on the prizes, contest, and overhaul once we reach 1,500.

Share, comment, and complain away…

Thanks for reading,

-Lt. Lemon