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A fire buff is a person with considerable interest (a fan) in fire fighting and emergency services, while not being an active member. Fire buffs may collect or promote information about the local emergency services, raise money for them, or attend emergencies as bystanders. In the latter case, active service members may consider a fire buff a nuisance or even a danger to operations. Many fire buffs are organized in associations, some of which are integrated into auxiliary services for their local fire stations. The term 'fire buff' is said to go back to the beginning of the 20th century, when early fire buffs attended emergencies during winter time wearing fur coats, thus coming to be called "buffalos". Buffs have been variously defined as "sidewalk superintendents of fires," as "fire-engine chasers who think they're the guys for whom the bell tolls," as "frustrated firemen," and as "smoked hams who are never quite cured." Irreverent as these definitions are, buffs have been called nastier names by some firemen and chiefs. Traditionally, most professional fire-fighters look down on buffs, without good reason. The best-behaved spectators at fires are usually the buffs. It is a principle of good buff behavior never to interfere or offer unsolicited suggestions, but to stand ready to perform any task requested. As buffs watch fires they resemble baseball fans watching home games. They cheer the direct hits and scoring plays, they groan at mishaps, and sometimes they tell each other the trouble started back when the second alarm was turned In too late. They may even criticize the chief for not bringing up the water tower to pinch hit for the deck pipe, but they'll say it quietly. Buffs are great rooters for the hometown fire team, and they only wish they could be in there pitching. Fire photography is the act of taking photographs of firefighting operations. People who practice this form of photography are called fire photographers. Since fire photography involves being close to dangerous situations, fire photographers must have special skills and knowledge about emergency incident scenes, operations, health, and safety. Fire photographers are often required to wear firefighter protective equipment. If you're not a buff you can't know what a buff is. Those not infected with the desire to "chase fires" can't understand the buffs' deep inner urge to be on the spot when a blaze is in progress. One prominent buff explained his attitude this way, and it corresponds so closely to the attitude of the fire chief, it's worth noting: "I don't want anybody's house to burn down. But if yours does, God forbid, I want to be there to see it."