Brunacini makes the observation that fire departments more closely resemble cults or severely dysfunctional families than a regular workforce. He brings the reader into the closed world of fire station life and the wide range of personalities that a fire station houses.

A first responder’s harrowing account of 9/11—the inspirational true story of an American hero who gave nearly everything for others during one of New York City’s darkest hours. On September 11, 2001, FDNY Battalion Chief Richard “Pitch” Picciotto answered the call heard around the world. In minutes, he was at Ground Zero of the worst terrorist attack on American soil, as the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center began to burn—and then to buckle. A veteran of the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, Picciotto was eerily familiar with the inside of the North Tower. And it was there that he concentrated his rescue efforts. It was in its smoky stairwells where he heard and felt the South Tower collapse. He made the call for firemen and rescue workers to evacuate, while he stayed behind with a skeleton team of men to help evacuate a group of disabled and infirm civilians. And it was in the rubble of the North Tower where Picciotto found himself buried—for more than four hours after the building’s collapse.

After twenty-six years in public safety, David Westbrook was at the top of his game. Married with four children, a former police officer, paramedic, firefighter and Lieutenant for the Baltimore County Fire Department, he was "living the dream". What he didn't know was that after years of repeated exposure to trauma such as children dying in his arms, an entire family being burned to death in a house fire, a police officer suicide and even a line of duty death within his own department, his dream would soon become a nightmare. Left untreated, David's undiagnosed PTSD began to change him, as his life began to spiral out of control. It wasn't until after hitting rock bottom, he realized he had a problem. The silent beast living inside him had stolen his happiness, confidence and his will to live. Lost, lonely and a broken shell of a man, David began to pick up the pieces and put his life back together. All of his self-destruction could have been avoided had he simply admitted there was a problem and not been afraid to ask for help. His pride along with the stigma associated with seeking mental health treatment within the fire service prevented him from asking for the help he so desperately needed, which nearly cost him his life. In this MUST-READ memoir, David gives a firsthand account of the damages that remaining silent caused him, and his family to endure. Intertwined with real life comedic experiences from his time on the job, it is sure to have you laughing as you learn a thing or two about mental health among firefighters and paramedics and the trauma they face from day to day. It's time to erase the stigma.

Brunacini vividly chronicles his 30-year fire-service career in the sun-baked city of Phoenix. He describes his municipal playground and its inhabitants with the aching tenderness and bitter repugnance usually reserved for long-lost lovers.

ALSC Notable Children's Book • Kirkus Reviews Best Book FOUR STARRED REVIEWS! ★ Booklist ★ Kirkus ★ PW ★ SLJ Perfect for fans of firefighters and fire trucks, this energetic rhyming picture book shows how a fire chief and her crew keep their community safe. . . . lights begin flashing, and—CLANG!—the bells blast. They leap into action— they need to move FAST! If a puppy is in danger or a café is on fire, Fire Chief Fran is ready to help! Featuring a strong female role model, a huge fire truck, and an action-packed story, this read-aloud is a dynamic introduction to a day in the life of a firefighter. Follow along as Fire Chief Fran and her team respond not only to fires, but also to injuries, blocked roads, and more. With an irresistible rhyming text, acclaimed author Linda Ashman celebrates the many ways that firefighters help their communities. The book concludes with an author’s note that is packed with further fascinating information about firefighters, their equipment, their fire trucks, their training, and more.

He helped save people every day—but he had no idea how to save himself. Jason Sautel had it all. Confident in his abilities and trusted by his fellow firefighters, he was making a name for himself on the streets of Oakland, California. His adrenaline-fueled job even helped him forget the pain of his childhood—until the day he looked into the eyes of a jumper on the Bay Bridge and came face to face with a darkness he knew would take him down as well. In the following months, a series of traumatic emergency calls—some successful, others impossible-to-forget failures—drove Jason deeper into depression. Even as he continued his lifesaving work, he realized he could never rescue everyone, and he had no idea how to save himself. In the end, Jason was forced to confront the truth: only the relentless power of love could pull him back from his own deadly fall. Action-packed, spiritually honest, and surprisingly romantic, The Rescuer transports readers inside the pulse-pounding world of firefighting and into the heart of a man who needed to be broken before he could finally be made whole.

This “terrifying, grimly funny” memoir about fighting forest fires in Alaska offers “an affectionate portrait of a fraternity of daredevils” (The New Yorker). A Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year Fighting fires since 1965, legendary smokejumper Murry A. Taylor finally hung up his chute after the summer of 2000—the worst fire season in more than fifty years. In Jumping Fire, Taylor recounts in thrilling detail one summer of parachuting out of planes to battle blazes in the vast, rugged wilderness of Alaska, with tales of training, digging fire lines, run-ins with bears, and the heroics of fellow jumpers who fell in the line of duty. This unique memoir, filled with humor, fear, tragedy, joy, and countless stories of man versus nature at its most furious, is a “tale of love and loss, life and death, and sheer hard work, set in an unforgiving and unforgettable landscape” (Publishers Weekly). “Filled with adventure, danger and tragedy.” —The New York Times Book Review “A beautifully crafted, wise yet thrilling book.” —Los Angeles Times