Below is an outline of the Fire Station Buddies marketing plan. While I am working on getting the merchandise sold in area stores, right now everything is sold from this web site.
As orders come in I do need people who would like to sew Buddies. I want to have everything made in the US by caring people who would like to work at home and help support the fire fighters.
If you would like to sew, please send me an email and we can discuss what you can do to help our organization. firebuddies@att.net.
Mission Statement
1 Million Volunteer Fire Buddies by 2011.
I want to have 1 Million supporters of the Fire Station Buddies by the end of 2011. The Buddies will be teaching kids about safety, science, problem solving and emergency management. The training materials put out by the Fire Buddies over the next few years will teach kids from 5 to 17 and they will have a lot of fun learning
Marketing Plan
The Fire Station Buddies (FSB) are now planning a major marketing event to sell their products and raise money for Volunteer Fire Departments all over the US through the sale of any Buddy merchandies. Fire Departments will now be able to ask for funds to finance equipment and training.
2010 Goal
To have 3 to 4 books, 13 buddies and miscellaneous items for sale by June 2010. Promotions will include radio, TV, articles in newspapers and magazines. Work on contracts for retail stores and book signings with the firefighters, police, and other emergency responders will also be set up.
About the Company
The Fire Station Buddies, Inc is an S Corp and will have a non-profit fund in the future. The books and all the Buddies are made/printed in the US. The Buddies are made my moms, grandmas, high school and college students. FSB has less than 10 full time employees and lots of part-time employees.
The idea is that you can come and work around your family and life. Employment opportunities can be found on the website, www.firestationbuddies.com. Right now the only site to work at is in Idaho Springs, CO. Other sites will be established if needed due to the demand.
Ten Children’s Books
The Legend – The Legend is about who the Buddies are and what they now do at the fire station. No one but the firefighters knew who they were until one day they accidentally went out on a call because they were taking a nap on the back of Engine 2. After that call, Chief Mark realized that the Buddies could help the kids at the scene and now they go out on all the trucks and are in training. Learn what assignments Inferno, Hydra, Chinook, Tundra, Scout & Flash now have.
The Incident Command System – The Buddies now need to start their training and the first thing they need to learn is the Incident Command System (ICS). This system is used by all emergency responders, on any hazard, large or small. How are the Fire Buddies going to clean up all the oranges all over the highway? Go out on the call with them and find out.
Stealth Team 2 – Book three is about the Fire Buddies cousins, Chameleon, Blade, Midnight, Blizzard and Sahara. They are part of the Mountain Search & Rescue Team but they think they are invisible and they also help kids to not be afraid of the dark. In this training exercise the Buddies and their cousins go for a hike in the mountains and have to find Sahara. Learn how emergency responders find people who are lost.
Animal Control 22 – Animal Control 22 goes out and finds lost animals. South Paw and Feathers are the Buddies that ride with the Animal Control Officer. Lily (dog) and Belle (cat) help to find homes for the animals at the shelter and Savannah (bird) flies around looking for missing pets. Find out how this group finds a neighbors missing dog, Pepper.
Inferno & Engine 2 – Inferno has now been assigned to Engine 2, so he will have to learn what the truck is used for and what equipment it carries.
Hydra & Tender 2 – Living in the mountains means that there are only fire hydrants in town, but what if there is a fire outside of town? Hydra will explain why she loves to be in charge of Tender 2 the water tanker.
Scout & SCAT 2 – SCAT and brush trucks are used for wildfire events. Scout will explain why the equipment, tools and gear are different than what you see on Engine 2.
Flash & Rescue 2 – Rescue to is set up for a little of everything and it doesn’t carry any water. Find out what kind of calls that Flash and Rescue 2 will be involved in.
Chinook & Ambulance 2 – If you are hurt you will get a ride in the Ambulance to the hospital. Learn about the Ambulance and ride with Chinook as he takes some kids to the hospital.
Tundra & Rescue 21 – In the Town of Glacier Creek there is a large lake and a stream with class 5 rapids. Rescue 21 is ready to go out on the lake in the winter, to rescue any one who may have fallen through the ice, or respond if someone falls out of a raft in the summer.
Chapter Books
The Secret - Come join the gang, Jordan, Katie, Annie, Will, Ryan and Mitch, as they wander through an old abandoned fire station that will shortly be torn down. While wandering around one of the kids finds a station patch on the floor with a lot of symbols on it that don’t make sense. They get the locker open and find all kinds of items and a very old station logbook.
The logbook tells the tale of how the firefighters worked with a team of animals to protect the town. How the animals were able to communicate with the firefighters and how they trained and worked together.
The kids start reading the logbook and decide to see if they can find these fire fighting animals known as the Fire Station Buddies. The kids start their own secret Fire Station Buddies team, start wearing the station patch and the bandanas they found in the locker, and begin their research.
The elite team of animals that are the real Fire Station Buddies will start working behind the scenes to help the kids find what they are looking for. Eventually the kids and the animals will meet and form a new team of “firefighters in training”. The animals will start training the kids to become firefighters and show them how to protect the town.Safety & Operations Manual
This will be a three ring binder that will go in-depth about safety, fire, equipment, trucks, emergencymanagement, public health, and more and is intended for older children.
This book will also explain how to prepare and participate in an all hazard event.
Two all hazard events are: stay in place for 7 days, evacuate for 7 days. There will also be sections on Incident Command and how to crash.
The sections of this manual will be available for download and printing at the web site. This manual will not be available at retail stores.
Situations Workbook
This workbook will be filled with examples of car crashes, wildfires, structure fires, and other all hazard events. Teenagers will have to solve or “run” these events and see if they can control and then put the fire out for example.
A Video Game could be developed from the Situations Workbook. Stories could be made into cartoons for younger children.
Training Exercises
Have an all day training session where kids/parents could come and participate in an event put on by the FSB and emergency personnel.
Quarterly Newsletter
What the Fire Buddies are doing?
Upcoming releases of books and gear
Fantasy Hockey team
Recipes of snacks for kids and meals for parents
Buddies
The original six – Inferno, Flash, Tundra, Hydra, Scout, Chinook
Animal Control – South Paw
Stealth Team – Blade, Chameleon, Sahara, Blizzard & Midnight
Police/Sheriff/State Patrol – Under development
Cousins – Buddies that are at fire stations that do different things – Airport, Harbor, etc
Misc
Web Page – www.firestationbuddies.com
Buddy Blog – Talk to a Buddy www.firestationbuddies.blogspot.com
Fire Shelter for the Buddies
Fire shelter sleeping bag for kids
Shirts – Glacier Creek Fire Dept, Each buddy on a shirt
Bunker Gear – Sweat suit that looks like fire bunker gear
Backpacks, Hats
Coloring Book
Videos on each fire truck
Cartoons
Video Games