Firefighter Calendar

Today's "blog" is a bit of an ad, but it is for a great cause. Would you feel good about spending 20.00 if it might help save the lives of countless firefighters? Well, here is your chance. The literature I received recently says, "Do your part to help firefighters." I am not going to use that approach. You, the public, and my friends and family owe me absolutely nothing. I am a firefighter because I love the job. I love helping people and making a difference. Dang, I know that sounds so cliche, but it's true, and it is true for almost 100% of firefighters. We took this job, although the pay isn't great and the danger is, because we wanted to help others. So now, if you would indeed like a chance to give a little back, this is your opportunity. You don't owe this to anyone. But I can't begin to tell you how much we as firefighters appreciate your help.

Every year in the United States over 100 firefighters die. It costs over 800.00 to send each firefighter to a yearly seminar that could potentially save hundreds of lives. At these seminars there is safety equipment introduced, there are safety and rescue techniques taught that could help firefighters come home safely to their families at the end of a shift. This same equipment could save the lives of the public. One such item that was introduced to firefighters at this symposium was the "thermal imager." This heat sensor shows hot spots in rooms and has been used countless hundreds of times in fires to save firefighters, citizens, and even pets that may otherwise have died. The symposium has exposed many hidden dangers of which we, the fire service might have been unaware. But we would not have been able to attend this seminar and to learn about these dangers and the ways of avoiding them if it weren't for fundraisers we have put on ourselves, such as the selling of firefighter calendars.

And of course this isn't a simple donation, either. You actually get something in return, in this case a collection of fine photographs taken by a professional photographer and showing firefighters in...uh...shall we say "half dress" just having fun and sometimes in the act of doing what firefighters do--although admittedly dressed a little more..."warmly."

There is another side to this, and this is a personal and sort of selfish plea just for me and my teensy ego. When I tried out for and made this calendar it was with the huge challenge to outsell the other guys in the calendar, all but one of whom are younger than I. At forty-four years old I knew the contest I was going into with guys sometimes half my age. I believe I am up to the challenge. I was photographed at 9 percent body fat after a year-long odyssey to lose the 12 percent that finally melted away. I threw my all into that work, and I can't say it was easy. But I do heartily aver that it was worth it.

Now to meet the challenge and sell more calendars than anyone else in the state. I am going to need a lot of help to do this, and for this reason I'm asking all of you to send the link to this blog on to anyone you know who may want a calendar, or calendars, as Christmas gifts, or who simply wants to help out firefighters as an occupation and simply give back something for the sacrifice those in this profession have made of their lives. Again, I can't begin to tell you how much your help means to me. There are 3000 of these calendars, and it is going to be a long road to sell them all. Please help all that you can. Any calendars ordered directly from me will be autographed by me if so desired, and they need to be ordered soon before some other department gets them all.

By the way, the photos shown are not the ones that ended up in the calendar, but I don't have a scan of the real photo, so these will have to do for now.

You can order by sending a check for 15.00 plus 4.00 shipping and handling (add another 15.00 and only 1.00 more for each additional calendar) to Kirby Jonas P.O. Box 1045 Pocatello ID 83204. If you want your calendar personalized, please include the name.

You can also order by using Paypal and sending your payment to kirby@kirbyjonas.com . Either way, make sure to specify if you want your calendar autographed and if you want it to anyone in particular. Thank you so much for your help, and please pass this blog along.

Your servant,

Kirby Jonas

www.kirbyjonas.com