Contrary to general public opinion that the average Buff is a "small boy who never grew up," we take great pride in numbering among our compatriots, the following whose motives or sanity has never been questioned:

George Washington, U. S. Grant, Justice and Mrs. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Fiorello LaGuardia, Dr. Arthur Fiedler-Conductor of the Boston "Pops" Orchestra, Dr. Harry Archer - Famous New York physician, who, at 82 estimated that he had attended some 20,000 fires; John Patton Marshall-Boston University, School of Music; Lester Watson - Boston Broker, and the Hon. Sir Winston Churchill, to name but a few of the many famous personalities who shared our enthusiasm.

PURPOSE

The purpose of a Fire Buff or Fire Fan organization in any community should be the banding together of a group of individuals sincerely interested in one or more of the following activities:

1. To promote the general welfare of the Fire Service and allied emergency services in their particular area.

2. To advance and promote among members the exchange of ideas and experiences, the discussion of subjects and cultivation of friendly social relations among those interested in the science of Fire Fighting, Fire Prevention and related emergency functions.

3. To act as a citizens' public relations group for the Fire Department and combat unjust criticism or ridicule.

4. To furnish, maintain and/or operate a Canteen Service for the Fire Department and allied emergency services at fires or other disasters.

5. To act as a nucleus or advanced training group for officers of the Civil Defense or volunteer Fire Fighting Forces.

6. To render such aid and assistance at fires or disasters, other than actual fire fighting, or to include fire fighting if so desired, that may be required or requested by the Fire Department Officer in charge. Fire Buffing has in many respects the same connotations as sport fans supporting their local teams whether it be baseball, basketball, football or hockey.

A great deal of time could be consumed explaining why any individual has some specific interest or hobby. In our case, it perhaps would be more constructive to accept a logical interest in Fire Department functions.

Watching your department control and extinguish a fire under a difficult situation certainly can only bring admiration and confidence that the Fire Department has again met the challenge of man's greatest friend and enemy.

It finally can be said that an interested and enlightened citizenry becomes the strongest bulwark against unfair criticism of any municipal service department, whether paid or volunteer.

ORGANIZATION

It is a most fortunate Buff Organization that, In its formative stage, has the approval and sanction of the local Fire Department and its top officials. Most groups in existence today have had to earn, over a period of years, whatever measure of approval they now enjoy.

Generally, Buff or Fan Groups are the result of the work of individuals who are sincerely interested in and respond to Fire Service activities on their own volition. These individuals see the same faces at each successive incident and as is only natural, a spirit of camaraderie begins to form. This is the possible beginning of a formal organization.

The experience of most organized Fire Buff Groups is that it takes a number of informal meetings to determine if there is enough common interest among the prospective members to sustain a formal or working organization.

At this point, it Is advisable to determine which of the many fields of Buffing that the prospective organization is interested in pursuing. The group can select one or more of the following activities in which it wishes to engage.

TYPE OF ORGANIZATION

There is no set pattern or field of action for the operation of a Fire Buff Group. Much depends upon the conditions in the locality in which the group plans to function. Fields of operation which are permitted by a Fire Department in one city or locality may very well be forbidden to Fire Buffs in other cities.

It remains for each prospective or active group to determine which of the following activities it wishes, or will be permitted, to pursue. Generally, there are but two broad classifications of Fire Buff Activities; Social and Service.

It is not the purpose of this brochure to define what Social Activities a group could or should follow. Service Activities, however, can be enumerated and all groups should endeavor to engage in one or more of the following, depending upon local conditions and departmental approval.

A. Operate a Canteen Service.

B. Operate a First Aid and/or Ambulance Service.

C. Assist the Fire Department in actual fire fighting operations (if this is the desire of the Department and/or City Officials).

D. To render such aid and assistance, other than actual fire fighting, that may be required or requested by the Fire Department Officer in charge.

E. Assist in Fire Department public relations.

F. Fire Prevention Activities.

G. Act as a nucleus and advance training cadre for the Civil Defense Fire Fighting Force.

H. Collect items for and maintain a museum of Fire Department memorabilia.

I. Render aid and assistance to families and survivors of Fire Department members injured or killed in the line of duty.

J. Act as Fire Police in maintaining fire lines at a conflagration.

K. Work with the Red Cross or other such agencies to account for occupants of buildings involved in the fire or other disaster and furnish temporary aid to any such victims.

L. Promote legislation for bettering the Fire service.

MEMBERSHIP

The organization should at all times be nonpolitical and nonsectarian.

The screening of individuals for active membership cannot be too greatly emphasized. Only those individuals who are genuinely interested in the principles and purposes for which the group is to be organized should be considered for membership. Every effort should be made to attract responsible prospective members from all strata of the community and to exclude from membership what might be termed the "unqualified individuals" in order to maintain a well balanced democratic service organization.

Serious consideration should be given, however, before granting membership in the group to any individual who might seek to use the organization, or information available through it, for personal gain. Many Buff Organizations go so far as to bar, from all classes of membership, any individual who might through his membership in the group obtain information or data which might give him unfair advantage when doing business with the Fire Department, the City, or the public in general. Some member groups of the international have found it necessary, due to local conditions, to bar from membership in their organization individuals who by virtue of their occupation, or business association, might use their club affiliation to further their business interests to the embarrassment of the Local Group and/or the Fire Department and the l.F.B.A.

Some Clubs and Organizations have found it advantageous to limit membership and active operation of a Buff or Fan Group to individuals who are not members of the Fire Department in order to minimize possible compromise or embarrassment to either the Fire Department or the Group.

A number of our member groups have found it expedient to establish Associate and/or Honorary Memberships, without voting powers, for members of the Fire Department and those others upon whom the Group may decide to confer such class of membership at the time of their acceptance in the organization.

The desirable number of members in any Fire Fan Group would depend entirely upon the individual group and upon the type of service in which the group wishes to engage. Member Groups of the I.F.B.A. vary in membership from 15 to 250.

In the east, a number of our member groups have found it advantageous to follow a practice common to Volunteer Fire Companies, i.e.; the formation of "Ladies Auxiliaries" for interested wives, daughters, and mothers of members. The ladies besides sharing their menfolk's interest, assist in fund raising activities, arrange social functions and have been known to staff canteen rigs in emergencies when male members were not available for such service.

GENERAL

The routine conduct of business and operation of a Buff or Fan Group in most other respects should be similar to a well run social club or service organization. Officers should be elected and definite meeting dates and place should be arranged.

If it is at all possible and not contrary to Fire Department or City regulations, it might be advantageous and desirable to secure some unused space in a Fire Department building for use as a meeting place and storage of whatever special equipment the group might accumulate. This is done in a number of locations, while other groups which are financially able, maintain their own private quarters.

As a general rule, Buff Groups should not endeavor to operate Fire Department or City owned equipment such as, apparatus, ambulances, canteen rigs, light units, etc., unless such service and/or operation has been specifically requested of the Group by the Fire Department and approved by the appropriate City Officials.

Also, those Groups contemplating the operation of a canteen rig or service should make it a cardinal rule that upon arriving on the scene of the emergency to report to the Chief Officer in charge and not "open for service" until such time as approval is received from the Fire Department Officer in charge.

If the members of the group desire, or are expected to respond to multiple alarms or working fires, arrangements should be made to notify the members of the emergency. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, but the most satisfactory and currently the easiest and most popular method appears to be with a "pager" system, i.e., a Fire Department Dispatcher calls the local pager service with the alarm information and all members are notified at once.

In order to expedite response, each member should make known the hours he will be available for response. In the event that a member, for one reason or another, will not be available during the hours indicated he should be required to report "out of service".

Many fire buffs acquire radio receivers or scanners which are kept tuned to the Fire Department frequency and thereby are in contact with the Fire Department at all times. This, however, does not obviate the need for a good system of notification.

The foregoing, we believe, covers the most important factors in the organization and operation of a good Fire Buff or Fan Group. It will be appreciated that it would be impossible and impractical for the International Fire Buff Associates, Inc., even if it so desired, to attempt to set a definite pattern or rules under which Fire Fan Groups, or our own Member Groups are expected to operate, since each group had different objectives and each Fire Department has its own requirements.

The International Association will, upon request, furnish whatever additional data and assistance is required by individuals or Fire Department Officials interested in forming a Fire Buff Group in their localities.

The Association will be most happy to consider an application for membership in the International Fire Buff Associates, Inc., from any new or established Fire Fan or Buff Group in any part of the world.

INTERNATIONAL FIRE BUFF ASSOCIATES, INC.
Executive Office
7509 Chesapeake Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21219