Fire Men: Stories from Three Generations of a Firefighting Family

by Gary R. Ryman

Having served over thirty years in fire departments across three states, Gary R. Ryman brings a unique perspective to the firefighting experience. The son and father of firefighters, Ryman ignites the fire, smoke, blood and fear spanning three generations of the "family business." He recounts his early days in upstate New York learning from his father, the department fire chief. He describes the blazes he battled with a career and volunteer crew in the crowded suburbs of Washington, D.C. He examines the mentoring relationship established with his son as they respond to the calls of a volunteer department in rural Pennsylvania. Overall, Ryman shares both the personal and professional turning points that define a firefighting career.

281 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 20, 2011

About the author

Gary R. Ryman is the second of three generations of firefighters. He has a bachelor’s degree in Fire Science from the University of Maryland and has been employed as a fire protection engineer for over twenty-five years. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in American History. Ryman is married with two children. His oldest son makes up the third generation of firefighters in his family, which makes him feel both old and young at the same time.

Email: gary@tribute-books.com

Reviews

[Beverly McClure · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sirens blare as the fire truck races down the street. Firefighters on their way to another fire or accident, we think, and are thankful our house is safe or our family or someone we know aren’t injured. But do we ever stop to think what being a fireman is really like. Sure, they visit schools and teach fire safety. They answer alarms for drownings, auto accidents, fires, and other things we can’t even imagine. Well, if you’ve ever wondered about or thought of becoming a firefighter there is a book out that will give you an inside look at what it’s like. You may be surprised.

Author Gary R. Ryman has written a book about three generations of firemen in his family: his father Richard Ryman, himself, and his son Mike. From battling house fires to administering aid at auto accidents, to saving babies’ lives the author takes the reader along with him and his fellow firemen. The scenes are so vivid that sometimes I could almost smell the smoke and feel the heat of a roaring blaze. The author also talks about trust among firefighters. For example, you don’t leave your partner alone in a fire. He mentions, too, that being a firefighter is a “thankless job” at times. So why does he do it? Why do others do it? For Gary Ryman it’s “the satisfaction of doing something only a small percentage of people can do--entering buildings being consumed by fire and having the skill to save lives.” Some of the calls are funny, but I’ll let you enjoy reading about those yourself. Others are sad and make you appreciate the bravery and dedications of the firefighters.

FIRE MEN, STORIES FROM THREE GENERATIONS OF A FIREFIGHTING FAMILY tells a great story about the joys and the sadness of the job. Of course, fire departments in different towns, large and small, would be a bit different. But they all have one thing in common: saving lives and property. As the wife of a retired firefighter, I recommend this book for a close look at the brave men and women who we take for granted, but who we want to be there when duty calls.
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E-Book Courtesy of Tribute Books

[Lenore Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family is a wonderful thing to have for support. Weather it be to help one get through the day, a home to return to or just the pat on the back for each other in a rough patch. It seems that often families follow in each other footsteps. Weather it be mother to daughter learning how cook the family recipes or father to son tweaking the carburetor on the truck. We learn from our family. And that is were the strongest bonds come from. So it is not at all a surprise when we continue on in the same business as our family. That is how it was for Gary R. Ryman who followed in the footsteps of being a fire fighter. I just finished reading 'Firemen: Stories from Three Generations of a Firefighting Family'. I have to say it was as intense as I expected. Stories of unbelievable blazes, rescues just in the nick of time and just how a father leads a son and the pride of seeing who he becomes.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written book about a three-generation firefighting family. (I used to work with author).