Firefighting book

[RobertN]

I just finished "Capitol City Fireman" by Jake Rixner on my Kindle.
Book Review – Capitol City Fireman by Jake Rixner | The Fire Critic

Interesting book about busy city firehouses(Richmond, Va). It was amazing to read the number of fires this guy went to, some pretty big. Seems he was on a fire every shift by the reading.

Interesting to see very busy firehouse, with lots of staffing. It took years(decades?) before our district started staffing with three on 1st out paid staff engines.

Anyone else have any intersting firefighting related books?

 

[kenmac]

Haven't read any fire fighting books. My son is a paramedic here. I hear all the stories 1 st hand Here, Medics also fight fires, run Medical calls ,Rescue & Transport

 

[grnspot110]

We were lucky to have three on DUTY at a time! Let alone three on a pumper.

29 years of paid fire department in small town Midwest. ~~ grnspot

 

[RobertN]

All of our recent full-time paid guys are Paramedi/Firefighter. That started a few years ago. All of the other local fire districts are the same; they no longer take EMT-B.

But... 85% or so of calls are medical.

Haven't read any fire fighting books. My son is a paramedic here. I hear all the stories 1 st hand Here, Medics also fight fires, run Medical calls ,Rescue & Transport

 

[BRB Hand]

If you can find it I highly reccomend 20,000 Alarms by RIchard Hamilton. He was at the time the most decorated FDNY member...... Dated but the best FD book I have come across.

 

[kenmac]

All of our recent full-time paid guys are Paramedi/Firefighter. That started a few years ago. All of the other local fire districts are the same; they no longer take EMT-B.

But... 85% or so of calls are medical.

The medic/rescue trucks here are rescue & transport instead of calling in an ambulance. You can't get on with the FD here if you aren't a paramedic. EMT-B = EMT-Basic ? Yep, most of their calls are medical and then they transport them to the HP.In my younger years I always wanted to be a medic. I grew up watching Emergency on TV . Those were some of ( if not the 1st ) Medics.( not the guys on the show) Went to school & got EMT Basic But, ended up in HVAC & Plumbing somehow & never made it to Paramedic

 

[RobertN]

Most of our engines have at least one Paramedic. And, the medic units are part of our program, instead of an outside agency. We do not have engines capable of transporting a patient.

My sister lives about 1.5 hours away. Some of the engines in her area are set up to transport too. They did that when my nephew got kicked by a horse.

.....

LA had one of the first Paramedic programs. It was really in it's infancy when "Emergency" came on TV. The show was really beneficial, because it exposed the public to the benefits of the program, as well other fire agencies that were not in the program yet.

I did not know till recently, that Bobby Troup was an accomplished jazz pianist, and Julie London was an accomplished jazz singer(and they were married).

I think it was Kevin Mantooth, that lived for a number of years here locally. One of the apparatus from the show found it's way to the Folsom FD.

The medic/rescue trucks here are rescue & transport instead of calling in an ambulance. You can't get on with the FD here if you aren't a paramedic. EMT-B = EMT-Basic ? Yep, most of their calls are medical and then they transport them to the HP.In my younger years I always wanted to be a medic. I grew up watching Emergency on TV . Those were some of ( if not the 1st ) Medics.( not the guys on the show) Went to school & got EMT Basic But, ended up in HVAC & Plumbing somehow & never made it to Paramedic

 

[Branchchipper]

Try these!

1. Thirty Years On The Line by Leo D. Stapleton
2. Commish, also by Stapleton

(he was the Commisioner/Chief of Boston for many years- quite a character- I met him in '93, after he'd retired)

And, for something completely different;

3. Fire Lookouts of the Northwest by Ray Kresek

Ray is a former lookout, as well as a retired Spokane FD Battalion Chief, and probably the country's foremost expert on fire lookouts and the "smokechasing" that accompanied their use. Really entertaining and informative book!
(he has a non-profit foundation for lookout preservation, as well as a one-of-a-kind lookout museum in Spokane, WA)

 

[charliepff]

The books from Leo Stapelton are very good. If you can, find a copy of "Report from engine company 82". It is also a very good read. There is also a retired guy from Harrisburg, PA that has three books out. His name is Dave Houseal. His books are good too. For those that like ems check out "Into the Breach" by J.A. Karam. He rode with Jersey City paramedics for a while. It is amazing the stuff he writes on.

I have Cap'n by Leo Stapleton. I liked it but it is hard getting some of his older books to read the rest of the series.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

I did not know till recently, that Bobby Troup was an accomplished jazz pianist, and Julie London was an accomplished jazz singer(and they were married).

She was also married to Jack Webb at one point.

One of the apparatus from the show found it's way to the Folsom FD.

Which one would that be?

 

[CompactTractorFan]

The books from Leo Stapelton are very good. If you can, find a copy of "Report from engine company 82". It is also a very good read. There is also a retired guy from Harrisburg, PA that has three books out. His name is Dave Houseal. His books are good too. For those that like ems check out "Into the Breach" by J.A. Karam. He rode with Jersey City paramedics for a while. It is amazing the stuff he writes on.

I have Cap'n by Leo Stapleton. I liked it but it is hard getting some of his older books to read the rest of the series.

I'll have to check out Houseal's books. Engine 82 is a good read along with some of Dennis Smith's other books.

 

[RobertN]

Yes, and it was interesting that Webb had both her and Bobby Troup on the show...

I believe it was a squad, that got painted white when it came up here(8 hours from LA). That was in the late 70's though. Mantooth or Tighe were living up here then too.

She was also married to Jack Webb at one point.

Which one would that be?

 

[Branchchipper]

Two more great fire books I forgot to list:

Working Fire by Zac Unger

very well-told west coast urban Fire/EMS stories (Oakland, CA)


Jumping Fire by Murry A. Taylor

great accounts of life as a smokejumper; some real "holy @#$!" moments!

(I know, you can begin to see my bias- my experience is west coast urban and wildland)