Hook and Irons
Be Safe Out There January 30 2017, 5 Comments
One of the great benefits Hook & Irons has afforded me has been the chance to travel and meet firefighters from all over the country. I've enjoyed tremendous hospitality and unrivaled brotherhood. I've met firefighters that work on farms all day and volunteer on their days off to firefighters that work multiple fires a day. I've learned that one is not necessarily a better firefighter than the other. I've expanded my view and gained a new appreciation for my own department. I've discussed methods, problems and tactics with firefighters from all over the world. There are some differences, but largely we share more similarities than anything else.
What has been most striking though, is the universal parting phrase of firefighters everywhere I go.
"Be safe out there."
It doesn't matter where you go.
"Be safe out there."
The phrase accompanies the handshake, from California to New York and everywhere in between.
I've thought about the phrase for some time now and wondered why it's so pervasive. Shouldn't it go without saying, 'be safe.' Isn't it the most obvious thing? Hey Tom, "Eat some food today. And while you're at it, drink some water too." It seems so anyway.
But it's not.
We are reminded daily by LODD's, a barrage of youtube videos, and the actions of our own members that a lapse of vigilance, a pause in awareness, the temptation of short cuts and laziness can have dire consequences.
"Be safe out there," is a quiet, friendly reminder to stay vigilant--to keep your eyes open and not let your guard down.
"Be safe out there," is an acknowledgement of the unknowable danger that lies in wait--a danger that takes good men and women even when they have done everything to the best of their ability.
"Be safe out there," is the hope that your awareness will protect you.
"Be safe out there," is the only way we, who can not be with you in your time of trial, hope that the words resonate with you in your time of need.
Heroism and heroic acts subvert safety for the benefit of others particularly those who cannot help themselves. Can you be brave or act in a heroic way without some risk? The answer most certainly is, 'no.' Can you take a risk without setting aside your own safety, even in the most moderate degree? The answer again is, 'no.' Firefighters, police officers and members of the military understand and accept this fact. Ultimately we are guided by our training, our experience and our team when making a decision to act. Those decisions make heroes, cowards or fools out of us all.
I know that there is nothing I can do for you or you can do for me when we are called to act at that decisive moment--the moment where your training and your experience will guide your decisions. All we can say as your friend, your peer and your brother is, "Be safe out there."
Brooklyn Engine Co. 17 July 30 2016, 0 Comments
Last year, I had the honor of donating to the NYC Fire Museum in the name of Dennis Smith (author of 'Report From Engine Co. 82). At that time, after meeting with some of the staff, we decided to make a NYC Fire Museum tee based on their archives and designed by Hook & Irons. The result of our first effort is Brooklyn Engine Co. 17.
The design is based on a banner that is displayed in the museum. It shows the active roll of all the members of Engine 17. The banner is beautifully drawn. We wanted to take elements of the banner and use them to capture the spirt of the company and its story. Below is a picture of the main part of the banner.
After reading more about the history of the company, we decided to focus on the engine's logo--a grasshopper.
The grasshopper was unique and the story behind the 'hopper club' was very interesting to me.
In 1849, Engine Co. 17 purchased a Philadelphia patterned 'piano box' style engine which quickly earned the name 'haywagon' because of its long and flat appearance. The brake and the pump levers were located on top of the engine and the men who climbed up and down it so skillfully were said to look like grasshoppers. Even after they purchased a newer engine the name stuck. 'The Hoppers' kept their name for the rest of the company's existence. At its high point, Engine Co. 17 boasted 75 members and their firehouse was regarded as one of the most beautiful in the country.
The resulting design is our best effort to create a station logo and design as if the company were still operating today. We wanted everything to be hand-drawn and we wanted to bring the story of the 'hoppers' back to life.
It has been an amazing experience to be able to access the museum. If you're visiting the city, you should stop by and support them. You can even pick up a Hook and Irons shirt in their gift shop, our first retail location.
If you'd like to purchase Brooklyn Engine Co. 17, you can click here.
You can read more about the history of the Brooklyn Fire Department by following this link.
Tools Of The Trade - Birth of 'The Hook' November 25 2014, 2 Comments
Earlier this year while visiting a neighboring firehouse, I saw that they had displayed a very cool shadow box with all of the different knots used in our fire department. I really liked the idea and all of the other 'knot boards' I've seen. I thought that it would be nice to see a board with many of the different types of hooks used in the fire service around the country laid out in a 'knot board' style so the viewer would be able to see all the different variations next to each other. As far as I knew, I had never seen anything like this before.
The first problem was finding the right designer who would be willing to research and sketch the different hook variations and lay them out in an interesting manner. I chose Adam Weaver for this project because not only is he a very talented hand-letterer, he is also extremely talented at creating authentic and original illustrations. The only problem was that Adam is not a firefighter. He did not know how important this tool is to us or it's many uses. How could he feel as passionately as I do about our tools and our history?
Fortunately, I've learned that Adam is a life-long student of many subjects and after the Keys To The City project, I know that he relishes learning the finer details of a subject rather than the broad strokes.
First, we set out choosing which hooks to use. I tried to pick not only the most popular hooks, but ones that are unique to certain parts of the country. After we settled on the subjects, Adam got to sketching. We tried to never stray too far from the 'knot board' feel. I wanted the design to be educational as well as visually interesting.
In the end, I feel Adam created a design that is truly original and unique--a design that I hope most firefighters would be proud to own.
I want to thank Adam for being so patient and taking the time over these past months to learn so much about our world. We have become fast friends and I hope Hook and Irons can tempt him into creating more designs for us in the future.
As for me. . . Well I hope you guys dig all the care, dedication and time that went into this one. And, as I always say, 'Wear it with pride.' And this time, since we're offering a limited edition print, you can 'display it with pride' as well.
Firewire 8/22-8/29 August 22 2013, 0 Comments
A mostly fire related, semi-occasional, mining of web type stuff.
This week we released 'The Bronx is Burning' tee and so far it seems as if you guys like the shirt as much as we do. If you're interested in learning more about The War Years in the Bronx, here are all four parts of the BBC documentary Man on Fire. Each part is about 12 minutes long and give a true perspective of the time period.
Doing all the research for 'The Bronx is Burning' tee, I've found so many great videos and pictures from the time period. Here are a few more that didn't make the cut from the original blog.
George Steinbrenner, left, gives manager Billy Martin a bearhug and congratulations after the Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals to take the 1977 AL championship
And the last New York thing I found (I promise) is a very cool before and after comparison to places in NYC.
This is a very interesting photo essay. You can see more by clicking here.
Collab with Ryan Brown from Pursuit of NY
Our new Bronx is Burning tee was designed by Pursuit of NY. They are, about the coolest indie label I've seen in a while. Check em out.
Cool Stuff, you'll Probably Never Need
A homemade adjustable wrench for all you doomsday preppers who are always preparing.
Parting Thought That Pertains To My Frame of Mind During Most EMS Calls
Enjoy your Thursday.