Notes from the Fireground: Memoir of a New York Firefighter

In a 33-year career with the New York City Fire Department, Tom Dunne fought hundreds of fires, survived near death incidents, crawled down burning hallways, met unforgettable characters, and witnessed the 9/11 terrorist attack. From working in glittering mid-Manhattan high-rises to squalid ghetto tenements, he saw how people in crisis lived and survived and how the firefighters who served them worked and bonded. Exploring both the positive and controversial aspects of being a firefighter, this no-holds barred memoir provides an honest account of an unusual occupation that outsiders seldom get to see.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Acknowledgments deleteix Author’s Note deletex Preface The Smoke House Seeing the Elephant This Guy’s Light The 15/16ths Jewel The Scuttle The Wrapper The Guys (and Gals) What’s Behind Door Number 2? Celebrity Steam Leaks Going Down Hey Lieu! Buffs What If? A Discourse on Dirt A Brush with Mortality Lost in Translation Letters in the Attic A Jane Doe Commanding Stress Thinking Like an Incident Commander On the Circuit The Lie Zen and the Art of Firefighting The Write Stuff A Midnight Clear And Now, Live on Scene… The Day After We’re Only Human The Papers Mentors and Maniacs My Two Worlds Let It Burn Leaving the Tribe Why Me? Final Thoughts Index

About the Author :
Thomas Dunne is a retired deputy chief and 33 year veteran of the New York City Fire Department. He has published numerous articles for fire service publications and is currently lecturing about his experiences in the FDNY through his Third Alarm Fire Training presentations. Visit his website at www.chieftomdunne.com.

Review :
“A must in any firefighters library... [Dunne] provides opinion, advice and tactical considerations well worth all our reading.”—Fire Fighters Close Calls “Exploring both the positive and controversial aspects of being a firefighter, this no-holds barred memoir provides an honest account of an unusual occupation that outsiders seldom get to see. ...While there are many memorable incidents in his career a few stand out and are intimately described”—International Fire Fighter “This book should be required reading for anyone who maintains a desire to learn about firefighting, or to put on the fireman’s uniform. Tom Dunne rose through the ranks of Fireman, Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief and Deputy Chief. In Notes from the Fireground you learn what to expect from each. He not only knows how to talk the talk, but he shares the walks with you. You can trust him. He merges the intellectual with the street-smart to convince the reader of the fearlessness and the satisfactions that are found in the firefighter’s heart, and in the love of the job. It will become a classic.”—Dennis Smith, author of Report From Engine Company 82 “Tom had an exemplary career in the FDNY and is able to tell a story of interest to all. FDNY members as well as non-members will be at times enlightened, amused and touched as he recounts, from his vast personal experience, life within the world’s greatest fire department. Our Department has been blessed throughout our history to have attracted men and women like Tom Dunne. I thank him for telling our story in such a personal way.”—Dan Nigro, Fire Commissioner, New York City Fire Department “The stories Tom presents from his years in the FDNY can be applied to many current fireground operations. More importantly, he reminds us what the true spirit of what being ‘on the job’ is all about—helping the citizens whenever needed.”—Peter Matthews, Editor-in-Chief of Firehouse Magazine.