New Site: Firehouse

Cable channel FX and little-known online video-sharing site Grouper have teamed up to publicize the new season of FX’s “Rescue Me” with a new promotional site. They’re not streaming the episodes online. They’re not holding a video contest. There’s no exclusive webisodes. This one’s a little different.

If you’re not familiar with the show, it stars Denis Leary, who, as a New York City fireman, fights extraordinary fires and seems to seek out personal drama at the same time. So this new site, Firehouse, is a user-generated video-sharing site where firemen can upload their videos and share their story, with actual firefighting footage or simply remembering old adventures from the nonflammable safety of a metal stool.

There’s a mix of professional and user-generated videos on the site, both of which look pretty good upon launch. The site takes a genuine interest a niche audience that hasn’t yet been tapped out by online media outlets, so I hope it does well.