Special New Year's Day feature: Hidden camera shows plot to shut down STATter911.com.
Previous STATter911.com animations
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being so supportive of STATter911.com. We have had a nice increase in web traffic for 2010. With all of your tips and input you make the job of running this blog quite enjoyable. I always appreciate the dialogue in the comments section. Even when you disagree with me. Maybe especially when you disagree with me. It keeps me on my toes.
It was a very interesting year for me transitioning out of TV news and into the world of consulting. As I’ve pointed out, one of my latest projects is working a bit with Chief Glenn Usdin on FireTruckBlog.com. I hope you are finding it a valuable site to keep you informed of what’s new (and even old) in the world of fire apparatus. If you haven’t done so already, check it out.
We have also enjoyed the partnership with our fellow fire and EMS writers at FireEMSBlogs.com. There is a lot of interesting stuff going on there.
We should also thank our friends Bill Schumm and Mike Ward at Firegeezer for again being the fire service site sending the most traffic to STATter911.com. Bill, like Billy Goldfeder at FirefighterCloseCalls.com, and some guy in Roanoke whose name and blog escape me right now, were among the earliest to reach out to me when this rag started almost four years ago.
And a special thanks to all of the photographers who alert us and provide many of the fire and EMS videos and pictures posted on this site.
Despite all of those good things, I have some distressing news about something that apparently began toward the end of 2010. The news arrived this morning in the form of the video above. It was sent my way by someone who has done work for STATter911.com. It proves there has been a plot against me by some of my employees and another blogger. I figured something was up after those disastrous Thanksgiving and Christmas broadcasts. I just had no clue how deep this thing went. It apparently is the work of a very small, but diabolical mind.
It turns out that even my recent problems with the phones at STATter911.com’s World Headquarters building were part of this plot (see note below about Verizon FIOS issue). It seems those who are trying to do me harm were after the Internet service to keep me from blogging, but messed up the phones instead.
Before you start thinking Dave is paranoid and really lost it because he believes the world is against him, check out the video. It’s all there.
Above, you will find a picture of the main suspect in this case (on the left), courtesy of Captain Willie Wines of IronFiremen.com. There is also a picture of me as I went undercover trying to infiltrate this ring.
So, now that this video has fallen into my lap I will be spending New Year’s Day pondering my next move. While I am doing that, let me extend a sincere wish from Hillary (Mrs. STATter911.com), Sam (STATter911.com Jr.) and me that you have a safe, healthy and happy 2011.
NOTE: Thanks to all who have shared in our misery after our complaint about customer service for Verizon FIOS. The very next morning a technician was at my door and there are now people who I can reach directly if the problem persists. Readers from all over the country with connections to Verizon really went out of their way for me. It is greatly appreciated.
