SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. – Social media is a staple in our daily lives, and one local firefighter is using it to give a unique perspective on what it means to be a firefighter without having to wear all the gear.
Robert Gray, a firefighter with Spokane County Fire District 9, helps with the district’s social media presence. Gray shared, “Our job is so hard to capture…so just trying to find unique shots to show the public what we do.”
Gray, who has no formal training in social media management, describes himself as a self-taught, avid user. “I’ve never been any formal schooling or got a degree in social media management. I’m just an avid user and I’m…learn self learn,” he said.
His content ranges from humorous takes, like using the old MTV Cribs show format to bring people into open firehouses, to more serious footage, such as car fire rescues. Gray stated, “It I wouldn’t say it’s tough at all. I actually really enjoy it…me knowing exactly what the firefighters are going to do, anticipating their movement, I can get in position for that shot, opposed to somebody who’s never been in the fire service, might miss an opportunity.”
One of his innovative techniques is the “nozzle cam,” which provides a view of extinguishing a fire from the hose’s perspective. In these videos, viewers can see the transformation of yellow flames into white smoke within seconds.
Gray’s passion for capturing and sharing these moments began when he joined the army. “I started obviously when I joined the army, the iPhone, I just came out and started using that to record a lot of stuff and I just like recording the footage and showing people what we do,” he said.
He has produced numerous short videos, showcasing firefighters’ workouts and what they can accomplish in 30 seconds. Gray mentioned, “We’re actually in the planning of working something out for that and trying to capture that a typical day in the life. It definitely varies with the time of the year, which times busy year of the year for us what we’re doing.”
In July alone, the content Gray has posted on Facebook has garnered over 800,000 views, compared to the usual 200,000 views the Spokane County Fire District 9’s Facebook page receives monthly.
