Sad news in the world of fire management, as Fire Chief magazine has been shut down by its parent company, Penton Media.
The 57-year-old magazine for fire officers has been a rare constant in the world of journalism. Editor Janet Wilmoth had been with the magazine since 1986, but the magazine had been bought and sold several times in the past decade and a half, a sign of the changing times.
It’s not all bad news, however, as the assets of Fire Chief have been purchased by Praetorian Group, which runs FireRescue1, a well-edited and maintained news and information portal for firefighters.
“FireRescue1’s acquisiton of Fire Chief’s assets is great news for Fire Chief readers,” Wilmoth said in a statement released by Praetorian. “I’m very pleased that the Fire Chief legacy will be maintained and continue to be a valuable resource to emergency services nationally and internationally.”
FireRescue1 is giving all of its members access to FireChief.com and a new eNewsletter for chiefs, which is coming later in February. FireChief.com will remain up, “powered by” FireRescue1.
“With our investment in the Fire Chief brand, we’re preserving a venerable property that has an incredible reputation within the firefighting community, and we are very proud to welcome its readers into the FireRescue1 network,” said Alex Ford, CEO of Praetorian Group, in a statement. “This acquisition clearly reinforces our commitment to providing great content and services to all levels of the fire service, from new recruits to seasoned officers. We look forward to not only carrying on but advancing the legacy of the Fire Chief brand, enabling fire chiefs and chief officers to better protect the communities they serve and help their agencies operate more safely and effectively.”
Nationally, we are seeing a contraction in the print, magazine forms of these types of “industry insider” magazines or “trade publications” as advertisers shift their revenue online. It is another example of the need to refocus public information services beyond just the newspapers and magazines, to include the blogs, online magazines, social media discussion groups, and others.
