Dear Friends of FireRescue1, EMS1 and FIRE CHIEF,
It’s no secret that the fire service is steeped in tradition, so when FIRE CHIEF Magazine announced it was closing its doors last November, many were saddened by the loss of a media institution that had done so much over the past 57 years to promote positive leadership among the fire service’s top ranks.
When we heard the news, we were also disappointed, but we immediately saw it as a unique opportunity: the chance to save a revered brand while improving FireRescue1’s ability to serve the fire service leadership segment. And candidly, we felt we were the most qualified to revitalize FIRE CHIEF by applying the digital strategies that have been successful in making FireRescue1 a leading provider of online content and training for the fire service as well as a successful media business.
I’m very happy to announce that Praetorian and FireRescue1 have acquired the FIRE CHIEF brand, including its trademark, web domain and mailing lists. We will continue to operate FIRE CHIEF as a digital-only brand, with a new site launch coming in late February and the debut of a FIRE CHIEF eNewsletter, featuring a selection of leadership-oriented content and product information. We’ll be focused on covering the issues that matter most to fire service leaders within both the FIRE CHIEF and FireRescue1 member ranks – from departmental diversity to weathering an era of shrinking budgets to achieving the 16 Life Safety Initiatives and plenty more.
So what does this mean for FireRescue1 and FIRE CHIEF going forward? A few key things:
- For readers of FIRE CHIEF, you’ll immediately become part of the FireRescue1 community, with access to all of our award-winning content and our network of specialty microsites, including FireGrantsHelp.com – a site dedicated to helping fire departments across the nation secure grant funding. You will still be able to enjoy many of the great features from FIRE CHIEF, including Station Style and Twitter Town Hall Q&A’s with top fire service leaders.
- For our FireRescue1 members, you’ll have access to a wider range of top-quality firefighting leadership content on FIRECHIEF.com and via the new FIRE CHIEF eNewsletter.
- For fire service marketers, we’ll be greatly expanding our universe of readers, and we’ll be opening up new advertising opportunities to help you forge a conversation with high-level decision makers across the fire service – first in the FIRE CHIEF eNewsletter, and soon in the form of targeted chief-segment emails and FIRECHIEF.com ad units. We now have arguably the best capabilities of any firefighting media company to deliver quality content and product information to fire chiefs and officers.
You can read more details about the acquisition in our official press release, or check out our “Frequently Asked Questions” page for further background.
We are proud to accept the responsibility that comes with inheriting such a respected brand, and we’re excited to use FIRE CHIEF and FireRescue1 in combination to enable fire chiefs and chief officers to better protect the communities they serve and help their agencies operate more safely and effectively – an important part of our company mission and tradition here at Praetorian for 15 years, and one which is near and dear to my heart.
Regards,
Alex Ford
CEO and Founder, The Praetorian Group, FireRescue1 and EMS1