Sunday, April 28, 2013

Hello everyone! 

It's been a little while since I updated the site, so I thought I would give everyone an update.

First of all, I've been working really hard lately to update the jocofire.com website.  I've worked on the history page, getting some photos added, etc. and also have been working on the appearance of the site.  Here are a few of the most significant changes:

- I have changed to a new site for photos.  I am now using Flickr and everything after April 1st, 2013 is now on Flickr.  At some point, I hope to go back and move all photos over.  Flickr is so much easier to use. 

-  I have added photos to the history page.  This is a work in progress and I am in BIG need of Johnston County Fire Department historical photos.  This can be of incidents, apparatus, personnel or stations. 

-  I have created a jocofire.com Facebook page.  This has proven to be really popular.  You should be able to get to it, but if not I will gladly send you an invite.

-  I have created a Youtube page so I can post videos.  This page is "JOCOFIRENEWS" and can be found at the following link:  www.youtube.com/jocofirenews.  It is a work in progress but I hope to add many videos to the site for you.

As some of you may have noticed I am responding to more scenes than usual.  I have recently incorporated my own business, "Thompson Media Group, LLC" because I do sell my photos from time to time.  A couple of local media outlets have expressed interest in my photos and I am thrilled to be able to help them out.  From an emergency responder prospective, I can't contribute any photos to the media when I am working, and I am avoiding anything related to Town of Clayton business as well.  If you see me on scene, please act natural and continue your good work.  I am not there to get in the way; and I will check in with command to let them know I am there and find a good place for me to set up.  Anything that goes to the media from me is from a "public" point of view and will be from behind the scene tape.  Anything I take inside the tape and "up close and personal" is for YOU the responder.  I want each of you to be able to use these photos for training or personal use.  My intent is that you have a photographic history of your journey in emergency services that you can be really proud of one day when you look back.  Having worked on both sides of the scene tape through the years, I understand the importance and integrity of not releasing some photos and will not post anything that even remotely crosses that line. 

Please check out all of the new updated sites, and be safe out there!!