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B-Shifter: A Firefighter's Memoir
Most firefighter memoirs are painfully idealized and should come equipped with a bag-pipe soundtrack. If thatʼs the kind of book youʼre looking for, my advice is to move on because B-Shifter will most likely disappoint you. The first 3 chapters of B-Shifter are about family. Brunacini devotes the first chapter of the book to chronicling his fatherʼs (Alan Brunacini) 48-year career with the Phoenix, AZ Fire Department. Alan is world renown as one of the fathers of the modern fire service and a pioneer for firefighter safety. Nick connects his fatherʼs zeal for improved firefighting safety procedures by vividly describing a diner fire where his father died for a few minutes. The next two chapters are devoted to Nick and his brother and sister growing up in a family where the only logical end was joining the fire service fraternity. Nick makes the observation that fire departments more closely resemble cults (or severely dysfunctional families) than a regular workforce. The reader is brought into the closed world of fire station life and the wide range of personalities that a fire station houses. Firefighters describe B-Shifterʼs portrayal of the workforce as "dead on". The remaining 10 chapters of B-Shifter give the reader a "ride along" on a collection of the most exciting, twisted, heart breaking and adrenaline filled calls over a 25-year period in the city of Phoenix. Whether itʼs pulling an attack line up a rapidly vaporizing staircase, a airplane crash into the center of a family's Memorial Day backyard picnic or standing by the side of a slime filled pool frantically trying to rescue a pair of young brothers, the reader is immersed in the firefighterʼs world. B-Shifter is as much about how firefighters perform, handle and decompress from responding to life and death situations. The Phoenix Fire Department was long held to be the cutting edge fire department by most of the worldʼs fire service. B-Shifter shows the world that the PFD is as human as any other department. Despite the graphic nature of the book most readers describe it as absolutely hilarious.
152 pages, Paperback
First published March 31, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 17, 2016
Brunacini begins this book with a description of the 1960’s fire that almost killed his father, a captain at the time, working a diner fire. They were making an interior attack and making good progress. The roof had been ventilated, the windows smashed to move the heat out, when the Battalion commander arrived. He loved to direct traffic so after ordering the arriving ladder trucks to pour water (8 tons a minute) on the fire from above, and without waiting to find out where the truck and engine companies were he went off to direct traffic.
As we all know, heat rises and all that water forced the heat and smoke back down into the building and on to the firemen working below. In those days, breathing apparatus consisted of filters over the nose and mouth that would routinely get clogged with soot and debris which would then get wiped off and a modicum of breath could then be taken in. His partner pulled him out technically dead, no pulse. Fortunately an ambulance was on scene (this was one of the changes the almost dead fire captain made when he became chief -- have the fire department take on EMS responsibilities.) They stuck in an airway and got him revived on the way to the hospital. Nick’s father, Alan, became one of the best respected fire chiefs in the country making many changes. He was one of the first to study fire science and brought about numerous safety changes, this in a profession that was resistant to any kind of change. (Giving up horses to pull the wagons was a battle and for years captains insisted on washing the fire engines’ wheel before backing into the station as they formerly had been covered in manure.)
Firefighter have always been deeply conservative and resistant to change. In fact, the old saying goes that George Washington was head of a fire company and when he left to go somewhere told his deputy not to change anything. George then died before he returned and they refused to change anything since. There’s real competition to be the first on the nozzle since putting water on a fire is a real rush. Most calls are medical ones, often to the same lonely people with morphing ailments, so the firefighters often long for a good structure fire. “Firefighters will search out and fight over a nozzle much like Bulls sniff out and fight over cows in heat. Bulls do it because their biology programs it into them ; firefighters exhibit these behaviors because at the very core, we are self-destructive adolescents”
It’s an often humorous book but he often writes beautifully about the job. Each fire has its own personality. Most structure fires are hot and smoky with little to no visibility. You generally don't see much flame. If the immediate fire area is vertically ventilated before you actually find and extinguish the blaze, the smoke and heat rise up and away. This makes for a very beautiful fire. Sometimes you can see all the solid fuel vaporize into gas. Sofas, chairs, wallpaper, children's toys and everything else in the fire area retain their basic shapes, but their surfaces radiate an aura of transparent energy finished with a blue shy blush of flame. Nature is one serious bitch. Especially when the water pressure from the hose disintegrates a burned body.
Very enjoyable read. 4.5 rounded up to 5
As we all know, heat rises and all that water forced the heat and smoke back down into the building and on to the firemen working below. In those days, breathing apparatus consisted of filters over the nose and mouth that would routinely get clogged with soot and debris which would then get wiped off and a modicum of breath could then be taken in. His partner pulled him out technically dead, no pulse. Fortunately an ambulance was on scene (this was one of the changes the almost dead fire captain made when he became chief -- have the fire department take on EMS responsibilities.) They stuck in an airway and got him revived on the way to the hospital. Nick’s father, Alan, became one of the best respected fire chiefs in the country making many changes. He was one of the first to study fire science and brought about numerous safety changes, this in a profession that was resistant to any kind of change. (Giving up horses to pull the wagons was a battle and for years captains insisted on washing the fire engines’ wheel before backing into the station as they formerly had been covered in manure.)
Firefighter have always been deeply conservative and resistant to change. In fact, the old saying goes that George Washington was head of a fire company and when he left to go somewhere told his deputy not to change anything. George then died before he returned and they refused to change anything since. There’s real competition to be the first on the nozzle since putting water on a fire is a real rush. Most calls are medical ones, often to the same lonely people with morphing ailments, so the firefighters often long for a good structure fire. “Firefighters will search out and fight over a nozzle much like Bulls sniff out and fight over cows in heat. Bulls do it because their biology programs it into them ; firefighters exhibit these behaviors because at the very core, we are self-destructive adolescents”
It’s an often humorous book but he often writes beautifully about the job. Each fire has its own personality. Most structure fires are hot and smoky with little to no visibility. You generally don't see much flame. If the immediate fire area is vertically ventilated before you actually find and extinguish the blaze, the smoke and heat rise up and away. This makes for a very beautiful fire. Sometimes you can see all the solid fuel vaporize into gas. Sofas, chairs, wallpaper, children's toys and everything else in the fire area retain their basic shapes, but their surfaces radiate an aura of transparent energy finished with a blue shy blush of flame. Nature is one serious bitch. Especially when the water pressure from the hose disintegrates a burned body.
Very enjoyable read. 4.5 rounded up to 5
June 19, 2022
Conclusion: This is a book of old-boy tales as told by an good old-boy, as such they are funny and as politically incorrect as expected.
The author has the best non-linear responses to the most morbid situations. It is a quality I think I would find grounding to work beside, a great reminder keep all situations in perspective. The dry sense of humor had me laughing out loud repeatedly. I would not however, recommend it to anyone outside the EMS/Fire world, unless they had an equally dark sense of humor, as I think the general public might find it nothing short of gruesome. The author is unapologetically unremorseful, bordering on proud, of how insensitive he was. While it is probably for the best – the only thing worse than an unchanged man is one of fake contriteness – it is often abrasive and doesn’t always sit well. All I can say in his defense is that he picks on all groups with equally disrespectful brush strokes, if that’s a defense at all.
Still, this is the history of the fire service, and I appreciate the book for what it was able to share in that regard. He might not be the most empathetic, but the generational change from the bigots of the cohort before him shines clearly through the story. Maybe that’s all we can hope for, each generation becoming more secure with themselves so that they can hold more space for others.
Favorite quote, a female firefighter speaking to a crew member hassling her: “I showed up today to work, not take any of your lame shit”
Fun tidbit: I was given it five years before reading it, happened to read it while outside of Phoenix, fun to recognize landmarks.
The author has the best non-linear responses to the most morbid situations. It is a quality I think I would find grounding to work beside, a great reminder keep all situations in perspective. The dry sense of humor had me laughing out loud repeatedly. I would not however, recommend it to anyone outside the EMS/Fire world, unless they had an equally dark sense of humor, as I think the general public might find it nothing short of gruesome. The author is unapologetically unremorseful, bordering on proud, of how insensitive he was. While it is probably for the best – the only thing worse than an unchanged man is one of fake contriteness – it is often abrasive and doesn’t always sit well. All I can say in his defense is that he picks on all groups with equally disrespectful brush strokes, if that’s a defense at all.
Still, this is the history of the fire service, and I appreciate the book for what it was able to share in that regard. He might not be the most empathetic, but the generational change from the bigots of the cohort before him shines clearly through the story. Maybe that’s all we can hope for, each generation becoming more secure with themselves so that they can hold more space for others.
Favorite quote, a female firefighter speaking to a crew member hassling her: “I showed up today to work, not take any of your lame shit”
Fun tidbit: I was given it five years before reading it, happened to read it while outside of Phoenix, fun to recognize landmarks.
May 11, 2022
If I was to put this in baseball parlance, Nick Brunacini hit a triple.
This book was heart warming at times, stressful at times, masochistic at times and even funny at times. Brunacini puts us in the heart of the fire station or at the scene during his career from 1980 to 2006. The stories he tells are great... and true (or mostly true, anyway).
Unfortunately, it jumps around quite a bit. He does not write this in a chronological sequence. Therefore, he'll tell you one story about when he was a battalion chief and then next thing you know he's back to being a probie and occasionally stopping at captain. The stories are great but it is the sequencing that is off. It's not that big of a deal, really, though the jumping around took some getting used to.
Also, it's quite brief. It's an easy read with only 13 short chapters. For someone who wrote about 26 years of a career in the fire service, he could have given us a decent sized write up of one incident in each year of his career to talk about and the book would have been double the size. He has a knack for good storytelling, and it's the stories that draw us to this book.
He came close to hitting a home run with this book but the jumping around the timeline, and its brevity, he had to settle for a triple.
This book was heart warming at times, stressful at times, masochistic at times and even funny at times. Brunacini puts us in the heart of the fire station or at the scene during his career from 1980 to 2006. The stories he tells are great... and true (or mostly true, anyway).
Unfortunately, it jumps around quite a bit. He does not write this in a chronological sequence. Therefore, he'll tell you one story about when he was a battalion chief and then next thing you know he's back to being a probie and occasionally stopping at captain. The stories are great but it is the sequencing that is off. It's not that big of a deal, really, though the jumping around took some getting used to.
Also, it's quite brief. It's an easy read with only 13 short chapters. For someone who wrote about 26 years of a career in the fire service, he could have given us a decent sized write up of one incident in each year of his career to talk about and the book would have been double the size. He has a knack for good storytelling, and it's the stories that draw us to this book.
He came close to hitting a home run with this book but the jumping around the timeline, and its brevity, he had to settle for a triple.
August 25, 2021
This was great book regarding the fire service. Nick's career spanned a pivotal time in the fire service of breaking a lot of very old traditions to bring it into the modern era. His take on this transition and runs along the way is very entertaining and worth reading.
February 26, 2020
Great read with terrific humor and insight into the fire service.
May 23, 2025
So many hilarious parts
April 4, 2010
Once I started to read this book I really got into it... I have met Chief Brunacini and he is a very cool guy. I have read some of his works dealing with the fire service and found it very informative. he way Nick opens the book was fantastic, I really liked the rear cover with the front end of an L Model Mack looking you right in the eyes...
July 26, 2012
May be more appealing to me as my husband is a career firefighter and we are both volunteers, but this quick read had me crying with laughter at firehouse pranks and "you can't make this $#*% up" tales from the job. A good insider's glimpse of life on the job.
October 9, 2010
Very good read, Well written and stays on the topic well. I will read this again if the chance arises.
February 11, 2013
No need to explain. If you want to know how firemen live their lives.....then read up.
December 6, 2013
Hands down one of the funniest books I have ever read. Truly captures the sardonic humor that is as much a job requirement as the ability to drag a hose or climb a ladder.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews