About Black Smoke Sticker Co

Black Smoke Sticker Co was born in August of 2020 during the pandemic. I was working as a firefighter paramedic at a very toxic, busy, and stressful department. Morale was at an all time low, and most guys didn't even want to show up for shifts, let alone run calls.

Then one day a coworker of mine came into work with a Notorious Big and Tupac stickers wearing firefighter helmets and it all gave us a little spark back. I had messed around with photoshop before and had an app on my phone that I could do a few things with; so I started making my own stickers and posting on social media. 

The logo of the Joker comes from the scene in the Dark Knight (Batman movie) where Heath Ledger is hanging out the window of a police car with the wind in his hair. We had a busy rotation, busier than normal and ran 56 calls in 48 hours with two ambulances.  We were responding to a call and police officers were following us and I was so slap happy i rolled the window down and just started laughing. Obviously I felt uncomfortable using the Heath Ledger Joker make up for my logo, but then I watched the Joaquin Phoenix version and resonated even more with that character. 

I started printing sticker in my basement on a 30 dollar Epson Ink Jet printer, learned how to print them, the right sizes, how to laminate, how to cut etc. I would be down in my basement for hours hand printing, hand cutting, and hand laminating, but it was always worth it. 

Then I saw a line of duty death post on social media, and wanted to help out in some way. So I made some memorial stickers, sold them, and then donated the money to the fallen firefighters Go Fund Me page. Ive kept the same core values ever since day one, to build morale, to give back to the job, protect the men, and remember the fallen. Below I am going to paste the FOOLS ethos/philosophy, as its identical to what Black Smoke Sticker Co stands for. (Side note, I am a proud member of the Metro Atlanta FOOLS)

 

“For the Men- Protect the Brothers” FTM-PTB

“FOR THE MEN… PROTECT THE BROTHERS”

A “Mutt” is someone or thing that will abuse and mistreat a Firefighter. This can be the City, the Mayor, the Chief in Charge, the habitual caller, or the homeless Person who starts a fire and leaves.

These are people that have never crawled down a hall or made the last room in an effort to do their job. If they can’t get the job done today well maybe next week will do.

If we don’t get the job done people might die and our brother and sister might also die. So we always lay it on the line and leave a little behind at every fire. I say that in a dark smoky hallway I can’t tell the race, creed or sex of my fellow firefighter, I just know that they are with me. I don’t care who or what you are as long as you are a firefighter and want to protect your brothers and sisters.

Leather forever. Stay low and let it blow!
FTM-PTB
Captain Mike Dugan, Ladder Co. 123, FDNY (ret.)

EGH

“Everybody Goes Home”

-omnis vadit in domum suam-

Although ‘Everybody Goes Home’ is not always possible, it is part of what we strive for. It is why we train; it is why we read; it is why we interact with each other. We need to share the knowledge. The more we share, the more we pass on what we have learned, the safer we will be. The fewer funerals we will have to go to, the more of our Brothers and Sisters will go home. Because it is all about protecting each other.
-Author unknown, possibly Old Gallagher

RFB

“REMEMBER FALLEN BROTHERS”

-memento fratribus lapsus-

Lieutenant Michael Ciampo, FDNY

“The Fire service, as a whole, is collectively still trying to recover from the effects of Sept. 11. The 343 members of the FDNY who made the supreme sacrifice that day will always be in our hearts and forever on our minds. As part of our FOOL’s “signature”, R-F- B, “Remember Fallen Brothers”, these heroes should never and will never be forgotten. This should also include ALL of our fallen Brothers, no matter where they were from, or the matter in which they died. Their names have been added to long list of those that have laid down their lives so that others may live.”– (Pressler, 2002)

KTF

“KEEP THE FAITH”

-servare fidem-

Captain James L. Jester, Ocean City, NJ

“Keep the Faith. With all that has happened we must believe. We must have faith in ourselves and in the others that think like us. They can transfer us, they can make you cut your mustache, the can tell you what you can’t wear on your helmet, but never let them break your spirit!” (Pressler, 2002)

DTRT

“Do The Right Thing”

-facere ius rei-

“With everything going on in our lives, both personnel and professional, this may be sometimes hard to do. We are always pulled in several directions when there are tough decisions to be made. Even after weighting all the possibilities or options, decisions are sometimes still very hard to make. But, under closer examination, there usually is a “right thing”. It may take personnel sacrifice, it may not be what you really would want to do, but it is the correct thing to do.”

–Lieutenant Bob Pressler, FDNY, Retired