40th Anniversary: “Let Us Keep Our Eye on the Ball”

It is incumbent upon me to point out that we are on the doorstep of an historic moment in the life of Firehouse Magazine. We are now in the midst of our 40^th year of presenting knowledge to the fire service. As such, I would like to make a few comments on what I have been privileged to witness and be a part of over the past four decades. Let us now return to the days of yesteryear and take a peek at the past.

In my early days as a fireman (that’s what they called firefighters back then) in Newark, N.J., I recall buying a book that had been written by a fellow named Dennis Smith. It was a riveting story that covered the actions of a very busy engine company in the Bronx section of New York City. I loved it. To those of us working in a big city fire department like Newark, the stories were all spot on. We were living a similar life, just not at the same hectic operational level that Dennis was.

Back in those days, there were a number of fire service magazines that I read to stay abreast of the issues in the fire service. Some of them are still around, while many others are not. As a man who served as both a career firefighter in Newark and a volunteer in Adelphia, I worked to broaden my knowledge of all aspects of the fire service. It was for these reasons that I read not only the requisite texts, but also the magazines that covered the day-to-day operations of the fire service. Then as now there were many lessons that could be learned by reviewing the major fires that were covered in the magazines.

In addition, I also liked to attend fire department wet-downs and get-togethers. Many times my wife went along, but more often it was her father (a long-time Adelphia fireman) who went along for the ride. One of the events I attended each summer was the Fairchester Haul Haulers of the Hudson Valley, which was held in Valhalla, N.Y., You could go up there and see all sorts of fire equipment from the newest to the oldest. I can recall seeing a lineup of Ahrens Fox pumpers all operating at a draft by the Kensico Dam in Valhalla.

You could also take your pick of a wide variety of fire service tools, as well as novelties. My father-in-law and I would go from table to table inspecting the wares that the vendors had for sale. It was at this event that I actually met Dennis Smith for the first time. I can recall him operating from a card table that held advertisements for a new publication that he was planning to roll out entitled Firehouse Magazine.

I was interested in this project, and it was my good fortune to be able to discuss this project at length. As I recall, he wanted to create a magazine that would combine fire service knowledge with the basic love of fire service lore that many of us soaked up like the young sponges we were. It was then that I decided that I would sign up for a subscription as soon as they were available. That is a decision that I have never regretted. I have copies of this fine magazine in my office, my attic and my garage. For some reason, I have lost the first two years of Firehouse, but I have all the rest.

Let us jump ahead a few years. Through a number of my sidekicks in Hudson County, I was able to make the acquaintance of the late Harvey Eisner. He was gaining traction as a fire photographer, volunteer firefighter and buff of big city firefighting. During the early 1980s, I was fortunate enough to have a few of my articles published in Firehouse. Harvey was a solid supporter of my work and we became good friends.

I guess that it was in 1988 that Harvey caused something to happen that altered the course of my life as a writer. He arranged for me to go out to lunch with Dennis. I can recall that our meeting was at an Italian restaurant on Irving Place just up the bock from where the Firehouse offices were located back in those days. I sure wish I could recall the words that we shared that afternoon, but sadly, I cannot. About all I do recall is that I had some really tasty veal made just the way Dennis liked it.

Anyway, I must have made an impression on Dennis, because not long after this, I was asked to create a series of articles for Harvey, which I prepared with great care. Not too long after these articles were published, I was approached to become a contributing editor—a position I have held since October 1990. In addition, it has been my good fortune to speak at the Firehouse Expo for many years now. I go back to the early days in Baltimore. I then traveled with the gang out to St. Louis, then on to Philadelphia, and back to Baltimore. I have lost count of the number of editors and publishers under whom I have served. But they all have had one thing in common—a commitment to knowledge and excellence.

As we pause to celebrate 40 years of dedication and hard work, let us keep our eye on the ball. As Shakespeare is famously remembered for saying, “what’s past is prologue.” We are where we are by dint of hard work, dedication and commitment. If we want to continue on our journey into the future, we cannot sit back and rest on our laurels.

We need to keep tilling the soil of the fire service fields in order to turn up the latest new thoughts and ideas. This is just what Tim Sendelbach and the entire team are doing for Firehouse. My friend, I look forward to an array of new people sharing their experience and perspectives with us. I look forward to the Firehouse Expo move to Nashville in October. Exciting times lie ahead, and I am happy to be able to play a part as a team member in such a fine organization. Take care and stay safe.