As Firehouse Sees It: The Power of One

They say good things happen for a reason, and the creation of Firehouse Magazine is no exception.

Dennis Smith was a firefighter during New York City’s “War Years.” He was assigned to Station 82, located on Interval Avenue and 169^th Street in the South Bronx. At the time, Engine Co. 82 was the busiest engine in the United States and quite possibly the world, responding to 9,111 calls in a single year. False alarms were plentiful, but so too were working fires.

Four years into his career as a New York City firefighter, Dennis wrote a letter to The New York Times that took issue with a book review written by accomplished novelist Joyce Carol Oates. The review in question had nothing to do with firefighting but rather the concept of “ethnic identification” in today’s world. The letter was signed, “Dennis E. Smith, Fireman, Engine Company 82, New York City Fire Department.”

Not long after his letter was published, Susan Sheehan, a staff writer for The New Yorker, contacted Dennis for an interview from which she eventually wrote an article titled “Fireman Smith.” Following this article, a publishing company contacted Dennis and asked if he’d be interested in writing a book about being a firefighter.

Shortly thereafter, Dennis wrote Report from Engine Co. 82, which captivated readers young and old, firefighters and civilians alike. The success of this book opened the door for Dennis, and four years later, in 1976, he founded Firehouse Magazine. 

It’s been 40 years since Dennis founded this publication, and since then, countless firefighters of all ranks have read the tens of thousands of pages that have been published under this now iconic title.

With Report from Engine Co. 82, Dennis demonstrated the remarkable power of a story and its unique ability to captivate and influence an audience. His goal with Firehouse was simply to create a magazine for firefighters, a medium in which they too could tell their story and share in their own words what it was like to be a firefighter.

I recently pulled out my worn and weathered copy of Report from Engine Co. 82. As I began flipping through the fragile pages now yellowed by the passage of time, I noticed a paragraph that had been circled during a previous read: “I hope that the young men joining the fire departments around the country are doing so out of some sense of commitment to the profession and to the people, not because of the excitement of the sounds of sirens and bells. Firefighting is a brutalizing business. The community will take you for granted, they will not say ‘thank you’ often, if at all, and they are rarely on your side when the time comes to negotiate salary and benefits. Romantic visions of courage and heroism are the stuff from which novels are constructed, but the reality of courage and heroism to a firefighter is in hard dirty work. There are rewards, but they are intangible. Each fireman must seek them in his own way.”

I can’t pinpoint when I first read these words, nor can I recall when I circled this paragraph as a personal reminder of the advice being shared. It’s sage advice—advice that as a firefighter, chief officer and now a messenger to the American fire service I believe stands as true today as the day it was written. It’s a simple, yet ageless message like this that has the power to influence hearts and minds.

As we celebrate the 40^th anniversary of Firehouse Magazine, I ask each of you to step back and consider the stories we’ve shared and the articles we’ve published, and ask yourself what article, what individual or what incident inspired you or influenced you to do what you do? Was it a courageous rescue first reported in the pages of Firehouse, a message of leadership, a close call or simple words of advice from a street-hardened firefighter that encouraged you press on?

Looking back, it’s clear that Firehouse was created for one reason and one reason only—to serve America’s Bravest. The power of one individual, one story and one magazine to shape and influence a career is immeasurable. We’re honored to have shared the stories and contributions of thousands, and we look forward to the opportunity to share many more in our next 40 years.