Fire Service Remembers Firefighter, Author Dennis Smith

 We actually met Dennis in the early days when he was still working in The Bronx, and we would go up there from Long Island, “buffing" in the late 70's. He was a living legend to us and as friendly then as he remained decades later.

There are many, many Dennis Smith stories, but one really embodies who he was and how he loved firefighters.

Many people don't know that he was the first chair of the IAFC's Near Miss Task Force, focused on preventing firefighter injury and death. Dennis devoted many years focused on near-miss and close call events so that firefighters could learn from one another. So, while Dennis is known for his writing, artwork, roles and responsibilities, he told us many times how he was most proud when he could “help firefighters stay firefighters” as long as possible.

Years later, Dennis was in the audience when I was doing a presentation for the IAFC, and what he did and gave me (see picture) after was something I really treasure. But the best gift was that Dennis was a friend and someone who was fun and unique to be around. Teri and I remained friends with Dennis until his passing … and will remember that every chat, call or email with Dennis was always a joy and often an adventure!

Thanks for all you’ve done for everyone who is, was and will be a firefighter.

Rest in Peace, Brother Dennis

- Billy Goldfeder, Deputy Chief, Loveland Symmes, OH, Fire Department and Firehouse's Close Calls columnist 

The Innovator

"It is with heavy heart that I heard of the passing of Dennis Smith. He was an innovator in the American fire service. After publishing his book,  “Report from Engine Co. 82,” he created Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse Expo. These venues opened doors for many of us to the national fire service

Rest In Peace Dennis!

- James P. Smith, Deputy Chief (ret.), Philadelphia Fire Department and Firehouse's Fire Studies columnist. Jim was inducted into the Firehouse Hall of Fame in 2016 with Dennis Smith.

A Benchmark

I did not start as an enthusiastic reader or writer as a kid. Truth be known, I wouldn't say I liked the idea of taking time to focus on anything unless it involved the firehouse while I was growing up.

In the early 70s, though, I met Dennis Smith. Of course, I am not implying that I met him personally, but I encountered his love and respect for the fire service through storytelling in his book, "Report from Engine Co. 82." My copy was bent, torn and lived in my pockets through every Midwest season for a long time (it still is on my shelf). I read, re-read, and referred to it for many years while growing up. The vivid details he shared about the neighborhoods and deprivation resonated with me as a kid growing up outside of East St. Louis, where the societal challenges were genuine and relatable. So were the fires. I paid attention to the ever-so-slight details in his writing. I listened to the noises, the cries, feeling the excitement and fears, all while absorbing the emotions in preparation for my future career. Smith shined a light on the gap between the glory and reality that most of us don't figure out until we're on the job for a few years. Some people never recover from their realization of reality; Smith helped prepare us.

In 1976, Dennis founded our magazine, Firehouse Magazine. He was our first editor and established the primary literary foundation for what we are today. In the inaugural issue's "As Firehouse Sees It" column, he told us to communicate "freely and regularly." The promise he made in 1976 was a lofty goal, considering the politics of the time and the highly emotional topics firefighters were facing. But, even with controversies we met in the 1970s, like women in the fire service, EMS, downsizing budgets and the fight for safer building codes, he assured us that our Firehouse will "tell it like it is." Firehouse was the contemporary forum for discussion, sharing ideas and science, learning other perspectives, and discovering the truth of a brotherhood and sisterhood that connects us so tightly today.

Firehouse appears much different today than it did in that first September-October edition in 1976. Then, the cost for an issue was only $1.50, and amidst the corporations supplying the fire service were also advertisers that made whiskey, cigarettes and oil. Today, we have Firehouse.com, conferences and a truly global reach. So much has changed around us in 45 years, but everything is still the same.

I have that first edition in front of me as I write this note. I can't help but take notice of the youth in Dennis' glare in his first column shot. I imagine the feeling of uncertainty, pride, vulnerability and a massive fear of failing. All of those emotions are what we face in this profession daily. When failures occur in the streets, though, we can die as quickly as the people we are sworn to serve. That's the gap. It's reality.

Editors of our magazine have come and gone over the years. Every leader in the position has contributed something that has improved the magazine, and in turn, they moved the needle just a little more for the fire service. Dennis' contribution, however, is a benchmark. He took the risk. He set the standard for the literature product and boldly put challenging topics on the forefront of society (and disappointingly, we are still struggling with many of those same subjects). He was the origin of the legacy that is our magazine, Firehouse.

In sum, we must all realize we are mortal. We have less than 100 years (if we're lucky) on this planet. It is a finite amount of time. So, reflect on Dennis' contribution and ask yourself, what will your legacy be to the fire service that gave you so much? Honor Dennis by taking a risk.

- Brian Schaeffer, Fire Chief, Spokane, WA, Fire Department and Firehouse Editorial Advisory Board Member 

A Firefighter's Firefighter

I am not sure if it's just a coincidence or there was a shift in the force, but this morning I was about to write an email to Dennis Smith to check and see how he was doing and share my new experiences with drones when I heard the sad news from BillyG over Firefighter Close Calls that Dennis had passed.

I had read his first book, “Report from Engine Co. 82” and was captivated by his experiences in the Bronx. 

I first met Dennis as a firefighter in 1979 (I think) when he spoke at Local 2363’s Annual Awards Banquet. He was kind, supportive and humorous. He was a firefighter’s firefighter for sure! He shared some chilling and heartwarming stories. I still have his autograph from that event (see attached). 

Later in my career as I became involved with Firehouse Magazine, Dennis and I corresponded often and shared ideas. Then in 2011, a team from Charlottesville traveled to NYC to pickup the 9/11 Memorial Steel that is now suspended from the atrium at Charlottesville, VA, Fire Station 10 to ensure that we, “NEVER FORGET!” During this trip, I had a wonderful dinner with our team and FDNY Firefighter (ret.) Lee Ielpi and Dennis Smith. At dinner, Dennis had a new idea,  to create a new online magazine Homeland Voice. I started collecting articles from fire chiefs for a section within Homeland Voice called “Chief to Chief” with the idea of sharing experiences between fire chiefs. Many fire chiefs who were from all across the country were glad to support Dennis and submitted their stories. Unfortunately, this endeavor didn’t catch on. 

Prior to dinner on Jan. 25, 2011, I had reached out to BillyG to invite him to join us. Billy’s reply was, “Sorry, I can’t make it, but tell Dennis I said, "'Hello,' and, by the way, he jested, 'Dennis loves my wife.'

Dennis then also wrote and asked me to write an article about the need for fire codes in third-world countries, as there had just been a terrible fire in the Philippines, where Dennis was living at the time. I did as Dennis asked, and he was very appreciative   

We talked fairly regularly while working on Homeland Voice, and he was always upbeat and funny. It was an honor and true pleasure to have Dennis as a friend. He will be missed, but his legacy lives on through his works and causes that he supported. RIP dear friend. You made this world a better place, and we will miss you!!!

- Charles Werner, Fire Chief (ret.), Charlottesville, VA, Fire Department and Firehouse's Fire Technology columnist    

Undeniable Love for the Job

Some of my earliest childhood memories were waiting for my older brother Bobby’s subscription of Firehouse Magazine to arrive.

At the time, not having any idea who created this important publication or the impact this person would have in the fire service.

Later on, of course, I, like so many others, knew about Dennis, largely through his firsthand accounts in articles and books.

Dennis had an undeniable love of and for the job. He served the FDNY during some of the busiest days of the department in the busiest area of the city. His impact on the FDNY and the larger national fire service is immeasurable , just in the impact of recruiting others to become firefighters and love the job.

Although no longer an active firefighter, Dennis, along with many others, responded on 9/11. Like so many of his generation, he epitomized and cemented what it means to be a member of the FDNY family.

A job well done. May he rest in eternal peace

- Frank Leeb, Chief of Training, FDNY

My First Editor

I had read "Report from Engine Co. 82" prior to Dennis founding Firehouse Magazine. It was a very inspirational book to me, and I enjoyed reading it very much.

When a friend had showed me a copy of Firehouse, I was very interested in the magazine and, particularly, the Expo in Baltimore.

Dennis was the editor when I submitted my first article in 1987. He published it and encouraged me to write additional articles. I had submitted and had articles published in Fire Chief and Fire Engineering. Following the encouragement from Dennis, I decided to commit to writing just for Firehouse.

- Robert Burke, Firehouse Contributing Editor 

The Renaissance Firefighter

If ever there was a "renaissance firefighter," Dennis Smith was it. I was a young firefighter in Phoenix, AZ when he published "Report From Engine Co. 82" and was inspired by the stories he told and his writing style. He shared the realities of firefighting like no other person I had known.

Dennis and I became friends in the 1970s and remained pals through the years. He was a multitalented entrepreneur who was always engaged and excited when we had opportunities to talk about Firehouse and discuss our latest thoughts and ideas. Dennis encouraged me to write, instruct and appreciate the fire service through a lens of traditional and nontraditional views.

He was one of a kind, and I will miss him. Rest easy, My Friend!

- Dennis Compton, Fire Chief (ret.), Mesa, AZ, Fire Department 

The First Article

In 1980, Harvey Eisner walked into the office of Bronx Division 7 one night and introduced himself. I knew who he was—Harvey was a well-known fire photographer in the Bronx. He gave me a photo of me he had taken at a fire and told me that Dennis Smith, publisher and editor-in-chief of Firehouse Magazine, would like me to write the "Fire Studies" column in the magazine. I’d be paid $200 for an article every other month. I told him I would, and my first article in Firehouse was published in September 1981. The title was “Predicting Building Collapse,” which I said you cannot do. My last article in Firehouse was published 38 years later, in 2019. 

The 1980s were the golden age of magazines; the internet had not yet arrived. Dennis Smith used the proceeds and movie rights from his best-selling book, “Report from Engine Co. 82,” to build a business empire called Firehouse Inc. The magazine, which was founded in 1976, had its headquarters in an elegant office off 53rd Street and Madison Avenue. Elevators trimmed with polished brass, wood panels and mirrors brought you up to a large,  five-room office with "Firehouse Magazine" written in gold on the door. There was a receptionist who would announce you, executive editor John D. Peige, associate editor Elena Serocki and a personal secretary for Dennis.

The Wall Street Journal said the mission of Dennis Smith’s Firehouse Inc. was to educate, entertain and equip the firefighters of America. He was doing just that. Firehouse Inc. had the largest fire magazine circulation in America, greater than Fire Engineering; it produced firefighting training videos; had a Firehouse Expo seminar in Baltimore; even had a joint venture with designer Calvin Klein to sell look-alike turnout coats at Bloomingdale’s that included a warning label: “Caution: Not approved for firefighting.” 

It was bewildering to leave my gritty South Bronx firehouse after a night tour and meet Dennis in the fashionable Madison Avenue neighborhood and be taken to lunch in a four-star restaurant. I enjoyed the lunches, and Dennis enjoyed hearing about fires in the South Bronx, where he had worked years before.

 - Vincent Dunn, Deputy Chief (ret.), FDNY, and longtime Firehouse contributing editor 

The Talented Writer

I recall being a young firefighter in North Providence, finding a well-worn copy of "Report from Engine Co. 82" sitting on a firehouse table. Perhaps 18 at the time, when I should have been studying organic chemistry and physiology, Dennis’ writing drew me in. I could not put the book down. He had the ability to capture in words what drew me, and perhaps all of us, to be firefighters. Dennis understood the very essence of the job and was able to convey that to the masses.

Two of the highlights of my life involved first getting to meet Dennis and later having the opportunity to represent him. He was indeed as brilliant, energetic, insightful and, at times, cantankerous as anyone I have ever met. He could have done many things with his life. He chose to be a firefighter.

- J. Curtis Varone, Deputy Assistant Chief (ret.), Providence, RI, Fire Department and Firehouse's Fire Law columnist

His Work Shaped a Career

As a firefighter, the skills and services we offer today have been improved or developed by past generations that we may have never met.

As a young man growing up in the fire service, my exposure to the fire service was through my father at the volunteer fire station and reading Firehouse Magazine. I would often imagine what it would be like to be those firefighters I viewed through the pages and stories of Firehouse Magazine.

I never dreamed that I would one day become a firefighter.

As a firefighter approaching my 31st year of service and 24 years as a career firefighter, I can truly say that my future was shaped by the tremendous work of Dennis Smith and all those who contributed to Firehouse Magazine. The fire service owes a tremendous debt that it can never repay to individuals such as Dennis Smith.

However, I would like to think that our daily acts of service, training and investing in the future of the fire service would cause him to look down and smile upon us all from heaven.

- Andrew Starnes, Battalion Chief, Charlotte, NC, Fire Department and Firehouse author/speaker

He Provided Inspiration 

The passing of Dennis Smith has rocked our fire service. Dennis was a great fireman, an incredible writer, and an exceptionally successful magazine editor. My first impression of Dennis was that he seemed to be a bit stoic, perhaps leaning towards being aloof. However, once you got to know Dennis Smith on a personal level, he was a genuinely warm and welcoming person. I am proud to say that we would become good friends many years ago. Our initial meeting was by telephone. I mailed in my first Firehouse Magazine article that would be published in the November 1982 edition. Soon after this piece hit the fire station dinner tables, Dennis Smith called. That call was to thank me for the work and to urge me to keep writing. Those few words of encouragement had a positive effect. I contributed about 100 articles to the magazine during the time that Dennis was the Editor-in-Chief. Dennis would add my name to the Firehouse Magazine’s masthead and it would remain there until 2014, such a personal honor. I would like to share a story that speaks volumes about Dennis Smith’s character and his unwavering commitment to the fire service.

In 2006, The Atlanta Fire Department was preparing to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the Winecoff Hotel Fire which occurred on December 7, 1946. This devastating hotel fire claimed 119 lives and caught the interest of the world by becoming the deadliest hotel fire in America. In the aftermath of this disaster, the Winecoff fire survivors, family members, and friends assemble on milestone dates. This gathering is to remember and to reflect on the lives of the people that were lost on that day. As well as to recognize the exceptionally brave efforts of the Atlanta Fire Department. It was mentioned that a keynote fire service speaker would be needed to describe the Fire Department’s work at a fire of this scope.

A call was placed to Dennis Smith and without hesitation, he replied that he would not miss this opportunity. Dennis went on to say that he had studied the Winecoff Hotel disaster and that he has the perfect passage that he would read at this ceremony. Several Georgia fire associations had authorized the cost to bring a person to town to share their insight. Dennis Smith was offered travel expenses and an honorarium. Dennis refused payment and traveled to Atlanta at his own expense. Dennis Smith’s Winecoff Hotel fire reading was powerful and moving. For fifteen minutes the blended audience of several hundred hung onto every word. That was a great day for the AFD and most importantly the survivors (among the attendees were one person was in the hotel as an infant and one Atlanta fireman that was six months on the job), families and friends of the fire victims.

Thanks for an amazing fire service career and a life well lived, Dennis Smith. You have inspired a nation of firefighters while helping others to understand what happens inside of the walls of an American Firehouse. May God bless and keep you in His Kingdom! Please say hello to Bruno and Harvey for all of us. Dennis Smith will be forever missed and remembered. Rest easy Brother, we have your watch.

- Dennis Rubin, Fire Chief (ret.), Washington, D.C., Fire and EMS and Firehouse author

White-Collar Writer, Blue-Collar Firefighter

In the 1972, the American fire service captured the country’s consciousness from coast to coast. In Los Angeles, NBC took the emerging trend of firefighter/paramedics from the field into our living rooms every Saturday night on a show called "Emergency!" Back east, the Bronx was burning, and a firefighter named Dennis Smith took us with him down the long,  snotty halls of roach-infested tenements between the covers of a book titled "Report from Engine Co. 82."

His portrayal of the brothers in La Casa Grande was comfortably realistic, and I am sure that other tailboard riders of the time found comparisons to similar characters on their own engine room floors. Every firehouse had a Knipps or McCartty or Billy ‘O or someone much the same, and even civilian readers could get a taste of what the brotherhood was truly about. His words were that of a white-collar author in a blue-collar job and helped recruit thousands of young men and women first responders. While I was already on the job, he most certainly inspired me to be a better writer.

I first met Dennis 10 years later when I began contributing to the magazine and encountered him on a few occasions thereafter. While no longer an active firefighter, he remained passionate about his causes, spending countless time and energy on charitable and legislative endeavors that helped the fire service. After 9/11, he, like many other retirees, worked the pile at Ground Zero, because, more than anything, he never forgot where he came from. Dennis left the job. The job never left Dennis. He will be missed.

- Barry Furey, Firehouse contributing editor. Barry was inducted into the Firehouse Hall of Fame in 2017.

Driving Factor in a Career

This has been a very emotional and nostalgic week for me. I am often asked why I became a fireman, or firefighter more recently. I did not have a relative who had been in the fire service and the closest thing was a cousin who was a NYPD Officer in the 41st precinct (AKA- Fort Apache) during the "War Years."

As a native of the Bronx, Engine 82/Ladder 31 was about two and a half miles from my Parkchester roots.

The two biggest factors that led to me becoming a firefighter was the debut of the TV show Emergency, which just celebrated their 50th Anniversary and the book "Report From Engine Co. 82."

Within a few years I had become a junior firefighter in a volunteer fire department and shortly after that I received my first issue of Firehouse Magazine which debuted in 1976. I still have that first issue as well as every single issue ever printed since. I unfortunately never met Dennis but feel as though I knew him and will be forever grateful for his numerous fire service related books that always captivated and hit home.

Thank you Dennis for your contributions and visionary influence on the American Fire Service and more personally, my career.

- Daniel DeYear, Deputy Chief of Training, Dallas Fire Rescue

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