May 20, 2005
Book Review: Report from Engine Co. 82
Report from Engine Co. 82
by Dennis Smith
215 pages
The gist:
Most authors come up with an idea and have to track down a publisher who will agree to print and distribute the book. But for firefighter Dennis Smith, publishers came seeking him after he wrote a letter to the New York Times Book Review about William Butler Yeats. One thing led to another and Smith wrote Report from Engine Co. 82, which went on to become a classic work on firefighting. The book's new introduction says that Report has been translated into a dozen languages in five editions. My copy is copy No. 2,000,000+ (approximately).
Smith was a firefighter in the Bronx in the 1960s and '70s when the borough was burning. In one typical day, he saw more action than many firefighters see in months. His book is a riveting read that captures the essence of that era in New York and the essence of the firefighting.
One of Smith's themes in Report is whether or not the dangers of the job are too high. But special men (and now women) have a calling to save others' lives. The last, tear-jerking page of the book captures why Smith and his colleagues faced the dangers.
My take:
Even though Smith wrote Report before I was born, firefighting in New York City has changed little since then. Sure, the so-called fire load is not as high. Safety gear has improved significantly. More units respond to fires now. And firefighters don't ride on the steps of engines or ladder trucks anymore.
But the men are still cut from the same cloth. They love to "catch a job" (a real fire). They love to bust each other's chops (tease each other unmercifully). They love to initiate probies. The engine men still love to be on the nob (run the nozzle). The truck men still like to vent buildings. And the engine men and truckies still have a good-natured rivalry.
This was a book that I could harldy put down, having followed the Fire Department of New York closely for two years in Brooklyn. That background made the book all the more interesting to me. I've been in firehouses and seen these men work. Nonetheless, Smith doesn't leave out those who lack the FDNY background. His well-written, fast-paced narrative includes interludes where he explains many of the nuances of the FDNY.
Report from Engine Co. 82 was the start of a career in publishing for Smith, who's written nine other books and published one of the foremost firefighting magazines in America. Too bad that Firehouse Magazine isn't of the same high-caliber as the writing in Report from Engine Co. 82. Earlier I'd read Smith's most recent book, Report from Ground Zero, and decided I needed to read the book which started it all. Report from Ground Zero is on my informal list of books to re-read. When I do that, I'll be sure to review it here.
Caveat reader: (Let the reader beware.)
Similar to the life of a soldier, the life of a firefighter is peppered with four-letter words. Part of Smith's punch comes from the occasional gritty language of the firehouse or on the streets of the Bronx. The rough talk, which can be heard just about anywhere these days, is never Smith's focus and can be overlooked fairly easily.
Previous book reviews:
Wartime