Firehouse.com

Aug. 1, 2001
Firehouse.com founders Dave J. Iannone and Christopher Hebert review the evolution of Firehouse® Magazine’s online home since its founding in 1998.
Since launching on Christmas Day 1998, Firehouse® Magazine’s online home at Firehouse.com has become the Internet leader in delivering industry news, content, community and commerce to the fire, rescue and emergency medical service community.

Firehouse.com has grown vastly of the past 2.5 years, expanding the Firehouse brand to be a matched trio of properties serving those on the front lines via the print publication, two leading trade shows and conferences and now online.

Firehouse.com’s staff of more than a dozen full-time employees include current and former firefighters, emergency medical workers and first responders. This group of web, news and sales/marketing professionals has the primary goal to give those on the front lines the information, resources and tools they need online to serve their communities.

By providing up-to-the-minute reports on the latest breaking news in the fire, rescue and EMS industry, Firehouse.com’s daily traffic has grown from about 2,500 visitors that first day to more than 30,000 visitors every day and more than 300,000 unique visitors each month.

Firehouse.com has grown into the web’s home for firefighters, emergency medical technicians, engineers, and their families, as well as anyone interested in what the fire, rescue and EMS service is all about.

Firehouse.com has been on the scene and given the most dedicated coverage to our fallen heroes, most recently at the Father’s Day tragedy in New York, the Washington State wildfire that claimed four firefighters and the Worcester Warehouse fire in 1999. With on-scene reports, comprehensive constantly updated coverage, combined with emotional condolences and messages of support sent in by thousands of Firehouse.com users, we’ve been able to be at the forefront of bringing together the world’s bravest at the times its most needed.

Firehouse.com has also provided the most comprehensive coverage of any Website or publication on the groundbreaking FIRE Act, which is providing $100 million in Federal matching grants to America’s fire departments. Firehouse.com has provided total coverage of the grant project, including regular updates of the incoming applications.

Recently, Firehouse.com opened a new segment called Health and Fitness, led by firefighting fitness expert Mike Stefano, author of the Firefighters Workout Book.

Plus, we’ve expanded our University of Extrication, moderated by vehicle rescue expert Ron Moore, with complete series archives, interactive forums and incident reviews and most recently a comprehensive special report on hybrid vehicles complemented coverage in Firehouse® Magazine.

EMS Responder Launched

In July at the Firehouse Expo in Baltimore, Firehouse.com launched an ambitious new project to serve the Emergency Medical Services community called EMS Responder at Firehouse. We’ll be building an entire segment of the site dedicated to first responders, EMTs and Paramedics that will eventually be as comprehensive as any site online, combining content, commerce and community.

EMS Responder will include these exciting features over the coming months as we grow:

  • The EMS Wire, offering daily coverage of breaking stories and industry issues that effect EMS professionals.

  • Firehouse.com has entered a unique partnership with JEMS, the leading industry EMS publication to grow the uniqueness of the EMS Responder segment.

  • An exciting partnership with a major player in EMS publishing, offering weekly articles and commentary, to be announced soon! Comprehensive stories and article archives of EMS related content from Firehouse® Magazine and sister publication Public Safety Product News.

  • A comprehensive Industry Buyer’s Guide and Product Directory.

  • EMS Forums: We’ll be expanding our EMS Forums to meet the growing needs EMS.

  • EMS industry’s most comprehensive, growing Job Database Service.

  • A total Web Directory for EMS with hundreds of links, building off the existing Firehouse.com EMS Web Directory, but specifically designed with more comprehensive categories for user input.

  • ShopEMS: Find just about everything you could possibly imagine for EMS from the latest training manuals and guide books to stethoscopes, cots and ambulances for auction! With e-commerce partners like Amazon, EMSBooks, Galls and more ... find what you need at EMS Responder at Firehouse.com.

  • Custom E-Mail. Get your own personalized e-mail with an EMSResponder.com address!

And much, much more.

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