An article recently posted to FirefighterNation.com outlines the challenges faced by volunteer fire departments in Pennsylvania in recruiting and retaining their members. Although these types of articles are becoming all too frequent, this one in particular is better than most in that it focuses on the positives of being a volunteer firefighter — not all the negatives. I’ve cited many examples of what not to say if you’re actually looking to solve your R&R challenges in a previous post titled “Is this our best approach?” Too often, it seems that we hand a prospective candidate all of the reasons and excuses why they wouldn’t join on a silver platter.

I have to tip my helmet to the volunteer fire service in Pennsylvania who is no stranger to these challenges — or to innovative solutions to those challenges. I’ve previously mentioned them in “PA VFDs Dip Into Fountain of Youth” for potential solutions as well as I’ve applauded their efforts in the successful recruitment campaign: “Roll with It!” — the sexiest thing to come to volunteer recruitment I’ve ever seen. It rivals the GoArmy.com and NationalGuard.com campaigns.

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The world is changing rapidly and the fire service is getting caught up in the tornado effect of technology on our society.

More and more fire departments are smartly using web sites, e-mail and social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter to recruit new firefighters and to stay connected to their community. There isn't much you can't do with a mobile device today that took a super-computer to do less than 30 years ago.

I recently had the opportunity to facilitate a conversation with a large group of fire instructors titled: "From the Xbox to the Box Alarm" for the University of Kansas Fire and Rescue Institute wherein we discussed today's and tomorrow's generation of firefighters. The conversation focused not only on the challenges in understanding, motivating, training and leading this unique cadre of individuals, but also enlightened the participants as to the tremendous potential they possess for moving our fire service forward.

And, naturally, you can't have a conversation about today's generation of firefighters without discussing the importance of technology and the impact of social networking.

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I am often reluctant to write about commercial business ventures in my blogs and other platforms as I am sensitive to the trusted relationship between a writer and their readers, and leary about self-promotion. Thus I have delayed writing this post for quite some time.

It wasn’t until I came to the realization that this is not about me or what I’m involved in as much as it is about you – my readers, followers and the fire service at large – that I felt the timing was right for sharing this exciting news.

Earlier this year I was invited by my long time and good friends Dave Iannone and Chris Hebert to share in their vision for tipping the traditional training program on its head. Dave and Chris have a knack for surrounding themselves with inspired people and a solid reputation for bringing innovative and successful solutions to the fire service community, so it wasn’t much of a tough sell for me to join them and the other members of their team at the table.

The conversations were very indepth and engaging, even sparring at points, but all with a common goal in mind: to bring a new and exciting approach to providing training for firefighters and first responders. As I looked around the room, I saw a tremendous amount of passion and caring for getting this right.

It wasn’t long before I was hooked and signed on as chief of training, charged with driving the direction of the educational content of their new conference concept.

So what’s this new idea, this next best thing? It’s called Go>Forward Fire and I will introduce it from three different perspectives. For everyone involved, it’s an exciting new venture in firefighter and leadership training from the same industry leaders who created FirefighterNation, FireEMS Blogs, and the original Firehouse.com.

From a fire service perspective, Go>Forward Fire offers “a conference in a box” solution to fire departments, training associations and related organizations looking for the opportunity to bring a national level conference to their neighborhood. Partnering with local fire service organizations, we work with you to tailor the content and agenda to your local needs and then bring top notch presenters and instructors to your region. Oh yeah, and we handle the logistics and marketing too.

All we ask is that you help spread the word and provide your honest input before, during and after the conference. What you get in return is the caliber of training you would normally pay big bucks and have to travel significant distances for and we bring it all to you in an affordable way so as to maximize the return on your training investment.

For conference participants, Go>Forward Fire is not your typical instructor-student interaction. These are not one-time events – but the start of an ongoing conversation and a life-long series of knowledge and experience exchanges. By engaging both the student and the instructor before, during and after each training event, Go>Forward Fire expands the relationship between the student and the instructor like never before with meaningful social and professional connections in a truly immersive learning environment.

While that may sound like a marketing pitch (It is. I wrote it.), as a Go>Forward Fire student, I assure you that you’ll enjoy an unprecedented level of access to some of the most experienced and emerging talent in the fire service. Once a G>FF participant – always a G>FF participant as far as we’re concerned.

This isn’t about how many PowerPoint slides we can glaze your cornea with or how many pounds of handouts we send you home with – it’s about the conversation. As I say in the disclaimers shared at the beginning of each of my presentations, I don’t care if we never leave the first slide as long as you’re satisfied with the direction your training goes in. It’s all about you.

As an instructor, joining our teaching team means that you’ll benefit from the opportunity to link to your students and other instructors in not only an integrated and intimate classroom setting, but also on the training ground, during meet-ups, through blogs, articles, videos, podcasts, commentary, webcasts, online learning and a growing list of social media connections all under one training network.

I’ve spoken and participated at more than a few conferences in my career. This is not your typical fly-in, do your stand-up routine and fly-out kind of gig. Not only do we offer more interaction, we insist on it. Teaching with us is not for everyone – only the most engaged and engaging.

This is the sharing opportunity you’ve been waiting for. The opening to truly coach and mentor the future of the fire service. The chance to have a deep and lasting impact on our emergency services community.  This is an innovative 360° approach to training our replacements and future leaders.

While the term may have already become cliché in the fire service, our overall goal is to be the kitchen table of conferences – not the kitchen sink. Our teaching team is comprised of many of the familiar names you know and plenty of names you’re going to want to get to know.

Accomplished fire service leaders like Chiefs Alan Brunacini, Tim Sendelbach, Chris Naum, Ed Hadfield, Dennis Rubin and Rich Gasaway; and up and coming instructors like Lt. Matthew McDowell from Bluffton Twp. South Carolina, Lt. Chris Sterricker from Suburban Chicago, Lt. Paul Hasenmeier from Huron Twp. Ohio and Training Officer John Shafer from Greencastle, Indiana will provide their keen insight to every firefighter, officer and chief participating. Their national presence will be balanced with local talent like St. Louis Fire Department Captain Nick Morgan and Chiefs Tony Correia and Ed Kensler from New Jersey and Chief Greg Jakubowski from Bucks County PA.

We’re very excited that several familiar bloggers will step away from their keyboards long enough to share their experiences in person, including Dave Statter from Statter911.com, John Mitchell – editor of FireDaily.com, Mike Ward, co-editor of FireGeezer.com, Jason Hoevelmann of FirefightersEnemy.com and Mick Mayers, author of FirehouseZen.com. You know that their conversational style of writing will translate well into the classroom conversation.

Something I’m most proud of is our following through on my vision of strengthening the connection between the fire service and the military. Marine Corps Sergeant and Volunteer Firefighter Jason Ferris will provide a keynote address titled: “It’s not a mission statement – it’s a calling” drawing on the common values our two institutions share. Furthermore, we’ll be donating $5 from each conference package purchased to the support the important work of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Making the team rock-solid are Brotherhood Instructors providing the intense hands-on components of each conference. Curt and Nate DeMarse, Andrew Brassard, Kevin Legacy, Chris Collier and their team of seasoned veterans from volunteer, career and combination departments across the United States and Canada will relate their vast and relevant experiences in a way that every firefighter can understand, regardless of the type of system or community they work in.

And, if you’ve ever been part of a good training experience, you know that some of the greatest value you take away from it is in the informal networking that takes place between classes. With Go>Forward Fire, those connections start inside and extend well beyond the classroom and on the training ground, not just during the breaks.

As our tag line says, Go>Forward Fire is the evolution of firefighter and leadership training, breaking down the barriers of the traditional classroom environment, creating long-lasting conversations and relationships that will undoubtedly make a difference in how we go forward in the future fire service. And here’s the best part: we’re going to have fun doing it – a lot of fun!

I’m so excited about this new training venture that I’m not sure I can adequately put it in words. I guess you’ll have to experience it for yourself to truly understand its impact.

While I am proud to be invited to be a part of this team, I’d be even more flattered if you’d consider joining us at one of our inaugural events planned this fall; or to attend or host one of the several new events we have in the works for 2012 and beyond.

Check out our conference details at www.goforwardtraining.com and tell them I sent you when you register. Use the promo code “SCHMITTENDORF” to take advantage of an added 10% discount on your conference costs.

Don’t worry, I’m not trading off any of my other ventures such as my feature writing here at TigerSchmittendorf.com, my story-telling at Run-to-the-Curb and FirefighterStorytellers; or my coaching at FireRECRUITER.com. And for those of you keeping score at home, I have no intention of giving up my full time gig serving as deputy fire coordinator in Erie County.

This is just another dot to be connected in my life-long quest to Go>Forward in the fire service. Thanks for riding along.

Stay safe. Train often.

Tiger Schmittendorf
Chief of Training
Go>Forward Fire

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Her Dad was a fire lieutenant and her two youngest brothers (twins) joined as cadets, then volunteers and eventually became career firefighters.

But when Janet Wilmoth tried to join her local volunteer fire department, the fire chief told her to “Go home and have babies.”

She went on to do that too, but in the meantime, Janet Wilmoth took another approach to the fire service. She’s been with Fire Chief Magazine since 1986 and now leads the charge for improving the fire service as the publication’s editorial director.

I wonder if that chief has since been reminded of that famous quote: “Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel!”

Join Janet and Tiger Schmittendorf, host of the Firefighter Storytellers Internet radio show live at 9pm EST on Wednesday-February 9, 2011, as Janet tells her story of growing up as a firefighter’s daughter to being a fire service leader.

Read Janet’s story at Run-to-the-Curb, which will be availableat the start of the live show. Please consider downloading and sharing the Show Flyer at your fire station and with your social networks.

Here’s the direct link to the show.

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A natural extension of RuntotheCurb.com, Firefighter Storytellers is an open-format Internet radio show in which listeners are encouraged to call in with personal accounts and anecdotes from their life in the fire service, giving a literal voice to those stories that form a common bond amongst us all.

If you’ve never listened to a FirefighterNetcast, visit the site now, sign up for a new user account for BlogTalkRadio, and be prepared to join in the conversation.

Listen in via the Internet, listen and/or participate by calling in, and join in the live chat that takes place amongst listeners while the show is going on. In case you miss the live show, you can even download the podcast after the fact on FirefighterNetcast and iTunes too. It’s free, it’s fun and it’s easy.

Every firefighter has a story.
Listen in. Call in. Tell your story.

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As I do with much in life, I take new experiences and new information and compare it to other aspects of my life in emergency services. Whenever it’s the least bit relevant – I try to apply it to the business I love: the fire service.

Such was the case this past week when I completed a National Fire Academy on Safety Operations and Management. I applied the process and premise of managing safety in our organizations and applied it to recruitment and retention.

While the resulting article may raise more questions than it provides answers, I hope you’ll ask yourself these same questions to assess whether or not your volunteer fire department is taking the right steps to be flush with volunteers — or needlessly flushing them and their experience away.

Click this article to read more at www.FireRECRUITER.com.

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Glenn Usdin was a Run-to-the-Curb kid, growing up in the Long Island New York fire service and rising to the rank of fire chief in Lancaster PA. Like many in the fire service, his career path has taken him in several different directions including a tenure as associate publisher of Fire Engineering Magazine, president of American-LaFrance Used Fire Apparatus, now the owner of a large used fire apparatus company – Command Fire Apparatus and his most recent venture with FireEMS Blogs, founding the FireTruckBlog.com.

Listen in as Chief Usdin shares his story of how he’s made a career out of his fascination with fire trucks with host Tiger Schmittendorf on the Firefighter Storytellers Internet radio show live at 9pm EST on Wednesday-January 12, 2011.

If you’ve never listened to a FirefighterNetcast, visit the site now, sign up for a new user account for BlogTalkRadio, and be prepared to join in the conversation.

Listen in via the Internet, listen and/or participate by calling in, and join in the live chat that takes place amongst listeners while the show is going on. In case you miss the live show, you can even download the podcast after the fact on FirefighterNetcast and iTunes too. It’s free, it’s fun and it’s easy.

Every firefighter has a story.
Listen in. Call in. Tell your story.

Tiger Schmittendorf serves as Deputy Fire Coordinator in the County of Erie Department of Emergency Services (Buffalo NY). He is a Nationally Certified Fire Instructor and has been a firefighter since 1980. He created a recruitment effort that doubled his own fire department’s membership and helped net 525+ new volunteers countywide. Schmittendorf is active on the editorial board of FireRescue Magazine and is the author of: TigerSchmittendorf.com, RuntotheCurb.com, and FireRecruiter.com.

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It should be no secret by now that I’m big on this whole concept of storytelling in the fire service.

In fact, I’m pretty sure that storytelling has never been more imporant than it is now as a way of sharing our experiences, perpetuating our values and passing down our rich history and traditions.

That’s why I created www.runtothecurb.com as a means of not only sharing my stories which have been writing themselves over the past 30 years, but more importantly, as a platform for others to tell their stories as to what brought them to the fire service and what keeps them going day-to-day and year-after-year. Now a natural extension of that web site, I was offered the tremendous opportunity to develop Firefighter Storytellers — an Internet radio show that gives a voice to those stories that form a common bond amongst us all.

My guests so far have included a volunteer firefighter-turned emergency room doctor-turned author; a magazine editor and well known fire service leader, and a local firefighter who has dedicated his life to giving back to those who will one day be his replacements.

While their backgrounds, their experiences and the paths they take in life may differ somewhat from yours; I’m sure you’ll agree that their stories sound very familiar and similar to your own. That’s the beauty of storytelling in the fire service: Whether it’s the beginning, the middle or the end — all of our stories share a common thread with others like us who are lucky enough to do what firefighters do.

My next show features the story of a young man I’ve only met once but who made a significant impression on me from the start. He’s never forgotten his roots and he’s dedicated himself to continual learning and training others, absorbing and sharing information as a life-long process.

Nick Martin has served as a career/volunteer firefighter in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia; and currently serves in the District of Columbia. He is a frequent presenter and trainer with www.tradtionstraining.com and is an author of articles dedicated to making us better and safer at what we do.  I look forward to sitting around the virtual kitchen table with Nick, swapping stories and forming new bonds.

I hope you can join Nick and I and the FirefighterNetcast crew for another great episode of Firefighter Storytellers on Thursday-October 14th at 9pm EDT. I’d greatly appreciate your efforts to download and the distribute the show flyer. And remember, if you can’t listen live and be a part of the online chat during the show, you can always download the podcast from the FirefighterNetcast site or iTunes after the fact.

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While much of my work here and at www.runtothecurb.com could be considered light hearted human interest stories, the story I share this week does not have a happy ending. Last Monday morning started with a tragedy in our neighboring fire district and this time it took one of our own.

Firefighter Ron Wattie was struck and killed by a school bus while crossing a state highway to catch a bus of his own which took him to work at Buffalo General Hospital every day. Ron was a husband, father and fellow firefighter for more than 25 years with the Highland Hose Volunteer Fire Company here in the Town of Evans. Although we were in bordering fire companies, our paths didn’t cross that often and I didn’t know him as well as others. Nonetheless I’ve always known Ron as a quiet, unassuming type of guy who always had a smile and an unwavering willingness to help others.

A series of unusual circumstances extends the tragedy of this accident deep into our community. Ron’s daughter is continuing his legacy of service as a Fire Explorer with Highland Hose and his son was one of the first responders at the scene which unfolded only a few hundred feet from his fire station. And, there were middle and high school kids on the bus at the time of the traumatizing crash. Ironic and unfortunate, Ron and the bus driver were well acquainted with each other for many years. Thus, there are lots of folks suffering from this horrible incident.

His tragic death shocked our small town and brought hundreds out to remember a man who served his first family and his fire service family well. His loss cuts deeply and his contributions to our community will be sorely missed. Our brotherhood mourns.

It’s only fitting that this week’s Firefighter Storytellers show will be dedicated to Highland Firefighter Ron Wattie and the many others just like him who have written their lives as a story of service to others.

Listen in. Call in. Tell your story.

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Firefighter Storytellers is an Internet radio talk show based on the web site: www.runtothecurb.com, hosted by Tiger Schmittendorf and produced by FirefighterNetcast.com on the BlogTalk Radio Network. ©2010 www.tigerschmittendorf.com

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It’s been a great, long, hot summer — causing me to take some time away from blogging to spend with my family and friends. Although I haven’t been writing much, I have been doing a lot of reading and observing. And, it’s my observation that the need for effective story telling in the fire service has never been greater.

This was never more apparent than during my observation of and interaction with recruits participating in the Firefighter 1 Boot Camp at the Erie County Emergency Services Training & Operations Center where I work.

Each day, I had the opportunity to spend time  with those 50 recruits from 37 different fire departments across our county, talking not just tactics and techniques, but about life in the fire service.

I meet more and more firefighters every day who are in full agreement that we need to revert to our roots in sharing our experiences with the folks who already are, or someday soon, will be our replacements. Compensating for a decreasing level of experience requires us to increase both the quantity and quality of the training interactions we have with our less-experienced members.

Effective story-telling is a low-cost, high-impact investment that can reward us with big returns. It’s our means of passing down our values, our traditions, our experiences — and even our legacy. It’s something we owe to our replacements — and ourselves.

Thus, I’m pleased to announce that “Firefighter Storytellers“ — my online radio talk show on the FirefighterNetcast Radio Network is returning after a one-month lay-off. I’ve got a very special guest in Wally Pieczynski, a firefighter and preservationist of fire service history.

Click here to read more about my upcoming show with Chief Walt Pieczynski on Wednesday-September 8, 2010 at 9pm EDT.

Listen in. Call in. Download and share our stories.

The question is: What’s your story?

Visit www.runtothecurb.com and tell your story there.

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My Three-Part Risk Management Plan: Alex, Laurie and Kathleen

Despite the fact that I wrote this piece for Fire-Rescue Magazine last year, I’m pretty sure its content is still relevant as we ponder recent and not so recent events during Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/usfa-reminds-you-that….

As I stated in comments to another blog by John Mitchell (www.firedaily.com) titled: “The Charleston 43″ (http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/the-charleston-43) — if we don’t make these incidents personal to us, incidents like these have the unique ability to quickly become personal for us.

Thus, I present for your review, a re-post of “Make It Personal” http://tigerschmittendorf.com/2009/09/07/make-it-personal/

Let me know what you think of the piece and what you’re doing to make Safety Week 2010 personal for you.

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It’s after Memorial Day-2010 and I’ve been working on this blog for about a week, in hopes of having it finished prior to the start of the holiday weekend but life got in the way and that didn’t happen.

In retrospect, I’m glad I procrastinated. I’m glad I waited, because now, I think this blog has even more meaning.

The hot dogs are all gone, the parties and picnics are over. Now it’s time to think about what Memorial Day is really about. My goal is not to go into some patriotic tirade that offers the opportunity for readers to tune out before they even tune in, but more importantly to share with you some personal experiences that have put this annual remembrance in perspective for me.

PART 1 – DICKEY KESTER:

I had the honor, over just a few short weeks, of assisting in preparing for a special remembrance ceremony for a firefighter from my department who was killed in action in Vietnam 40 years ago. The sad part is that it has taken us 40 years to bring this fitting tribute to his grave site.

Inspired and led by Chief (Ret.) Bruce Green Jr. who recognized that this year was the fortieth anniversary of the death of Richard L. (Dickey) Kester, some of us senior members of the department decided that something needed to be done. His sacrifices were too long overlooked. Bruce took charge of mustering the rest of the fire department to do the right thing and his motion at our monthly fire department meeting was met with an enthusiastic outpouring from the membership of donations to offset the costs of the flowers that would be worn by our firefighters and laid upon the grave.

I set about having a banner created to honor him and all veterans. Without hesitation, Trace George, president of VSP Graphics graciously donated the beautiful banner that will now hang from the rafters in our firehouse. Senior Designer Mike Nachtrieb exceeded our expectations for the design.

Someone else maintained the grave site and placed the flags and fire department memorial marker that now properly identify the tomb as that of one of our own. Dan Guest from the Angola Pennysaver generously featured our pre-march announcement with a full-color photo of the commemorative banner in the Saturday edition just prior to the parade. President Geordie Sinclair and Captain Mike Relosky made sure that everyone was available to march and that our apparatus was inspection ready.

It was a tremendous team effort. The results were an even greater success.

American Flags and a fire department marker flank the grave of Evans Center Firefighter Richard L. Kester who was killed in Vietnam in 1970.

Following the traditional town-wide Memorial service in Forest Lawn Cemetery, we all hung back as everyone else proceeded back to where the annual parade started. A ten minute remembrance ceremony allowed us to pay respects to our fallen hero the way they should have been paid for the last 40 years. As a very special treat for everyone, Dickey’s mom Ruth and brother Roger were there with us. That meant a lot.

After we all laid our red and white carnations on the tombstone, I went to greet Mrs. Kester. As I walked up and just started to say “Hi Mrs. Kester. My name is…” — she interrupted me by saying “I know who you are, Tiger Schmittendorf!” We had never met, at least to my recollection, but it turns out that she was good friends with my mother. As my mother passed away when I was 13 years old and thus I few strong memories of her, this special ceremony quickly became a very special personal moment for me.

She related how one day she had sent Dickey to our house to check on my Mom as she had been in labor for three days — at home! (Could you imagine?) I smiled at the story and instantly felt a strong connection to this lovely woman, and thus to my past. She couldn’t recall which of us eight Schmittendorfs were being born at the time. I’ll have to ask my Aunt Me-me if she remembers.

Melissa Green and Heather Shean took beautiful photos for us and my wife Laurie filmed the entire ceremony on video. They captured memories that will be part of our fire company’s history and Richard Kester’s legacy for years to come. I thank them for helping us keep his story alive.

Just as important as remembering our fallen hero, we paused and took the time to acknowledge our living heros who were with us for the parade and ceremony. Firefighters Robert Corsi Jr., Bruce Green Sr., Ken Hontz and John P. Weil wore white carnations signifying their service to our country. We were glad to have them with us and pleased to give them their much appreciated and much deserved recognition.

You see, Memorial Day isn’t just about remembering those who fought and were lost, but also an opportunity to recognize those who have served and survived, many of whom still carry the horror and trauma of their service with them every day. Remembering is one of the greatest forms of brotherhood that we can ever display.

• Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tigerschmittendorf/sets/72157624052241095/
• Video: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tigerschmittendorf/4657826583/in/set-72157624052241095/
• Article: Evans Center Firefighters March In Memory of Fallen Hero

PART 2: A Veteran of Many Things

My father Earl Sr. earned Purple Heart medals in two different wars.

Memorial Day is a mixed bag of emotions of happiness and somberness for me, but regardless, it’s always special for me as it gives me a chance to remember a veteran who influenced my life tremendously. My father served in both World War II and the Korean War earning two Purple Hearts and several other medals. I wore a miniature replica of one of his medals on my fire department uniform in this year’s Memorial Day Parade and carried one of his Sergeant chevron patches in my pocket to help me remember that although he passed away five years ago, he is with me every day of my life.

I just finished writing a letter to my son Alex at the request of his English teacher wrapping up a project titled “Coming of Age” in which the students had to create a portfolio for themselves detailing significant events in their lives. In that letter, I made strong references to the influence my father made in my life and his. I reminded my son of my father’s frequent support at all of his sporting events and encouraged him to give back for the privileges and blessings he’s received by following in his grandfather’s footsteps of being recognized as a “stand-up guy.”

To keep my father’s legacy alive, I offer you this link to the article I wrote about my Dad for last year’s Veterans Day remembrance: http://tigerschmittendorf.com/2009/11/11/a-veteran-of-many-things/. Let me know if you can relate.

PART 3: Reinventing Memorial Day

I found this series of articles to be very relevant as I’ve written very recently about my admiration for our nation’s military men and women. Fast Company is one of the few magazines I receive each month that I truly read cover-to-cover. There has not been a single edition in which I didn’t find something of relevance that I could apply to my personal and/or fire service life.

Although somewhat lengthy, these articles provide tremendous insight into how Americans have lost sight of what this special day, Memorial Day, is all about. But more importantly, the articles offer ideas as to what we can do to solve that dilemma. Interestingly enough, the author suggests we use social media as part of the solution.

These are a must read for anyone who agrees that we’ve lost touch with the true purpose of this special occasion.

• Reinventing Memorial Day – Three part series: http://www.fastcompany.com/tag/reinventing-memorial-day
  • Reinventing Memorial Day - Beyond the Mattress Blowout Sale: http://www.fastcompany.com/1650707/thinking-beyond-the-mattress-blowout-sale-reinventing-memorial-day
  • Reinventing Memorial Day – Creating Inconvenience and Relevance: http://www.fastcompany.com/1650725/reinventing-memorial-day-creating-inconvenience-and-relevance
  • Reinventing Memorial Day - Solutions for Silence and Sacrifice: http://www.fastcompany.com/1653648/reinventing-memorial-day-solutions-for-silence-and-sacrifice

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So how do these three parts make up the sum of my point for this article? They all raise a flag that we should be lowering our flags in remembrance and recognition of those who have served, those who are serving and of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in serving and protecting our country and the freedoms we enjoy.

There are plenty of opportunities to remember or recognize without physically or literally lowering our flag. Like many important changes we can make in our lives, it doesn’t take a lot of time or a lot of money. It can be as simple as a personal pause and a more frequent thought; adding a flag to your house, your car or your desk; or one of the most effective ways to remember and recognize those who serve: When you see a veteran — Thank a veteran.

I’ll say it first. Follow my lead:

Thank you to all who serve.

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