[ A BUFF: Is One who is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about a given subject.]
Well the members who wanted to start our group are real fire buffs, Al being a Burbank Fireman, Ross being a working news-shooter for the Burbank Leader Newspaper, Kenji, free-lancing as a working Newspaper photographer, and Bill who enjoyed looking at the fire coming from the bottom of Space Shuttles - all qualified to start a California or Los Angeles [Metro] chapter of the organization. Back when we were thinking of this group photographers made pictures and had to know what an f-stop was and how to zone-focus. It was also before you had to choose between 5 or 6 film companies and types of film. It was a time when you'd go to a fire, race around, shoot a roll or two, get them processed and compare about what you saw and did. Now-a-days you have auto-focus cameras, auto exposure cameras, auto setting TTL Strobes the only thing that's not auto is our modes of transportation, our ways of getting to the fires (besides faster freeways,) and short-cuts, mapping programs what's next? Back in the beginning we wanted to start a radio association so we could keep a radio on late at night and be notified by someone listening of greater alarms, and sizable events. Nowadays we have fierce competition, between members' photographic abilities and how they'll get notified of a fire or notable event, we have rules and regulations, by-laws etc,etc,etc. If you take time to ask any of the founding members what they think of the original idea I think they'll all agree it's not what they had in mind. BUT things change, times change and personalities change.