Both Sides of the Fire Line: Memoir of a Transgender Firefighter

by Bobbie Scopa

Bobbie Scopa spent close to five decades working through nearly every challenge a firefighter can face.

Scopa was a strike team leader for the Dude Fire in 1990, where six firefighters were tragically killed, and she served at Ground Zero immediately after 9/11. She’s worked mountain rescues, city fires, mega-wildfires, and everything in between.

While battling conditions and harsh flames on the outside, she also found herself waging a tougher battle on the inside. Scopa was torn between how to maintain the façade everyone expected of her and whether to live as her true self. “A hero firefighter can’t possibly be transgender, right?” she thought.

Both Sides of the Fire Line is Bobbie Scopa’s uplifting memoir of bravely facing the heat of fierce challenges, professionally and personally.

Genres: Memoir, LGBT, Nonfiction, Biography, Queer, Transgender

272 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2022

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love memoirs and this one shows the strength and courage of Bobbie navigating her way through life, struggling to be the person they were born as on the outside. I also thought it was interesting to get a glimpse into firefighting. It was also interesting to see the difference in how Bobbie felt and was treated in the firefighting job before and after her transition.

[Susan Henn · Rating 4 out of 5]

10/2022 A friend of mine worked in the Forest Service fighting fires alongside the author, Bobbie Scopa, and recommended this book. The author presents an honest and emotional description of her journey through life both as a firefighter and as a transgender person. Her experiences fighting fires, first as a man and then as a woman were scary and amazing. Her journey to finally transition to being fully female after trying to present as a man for 44 years was deeply moving. She experienced sexual harassment first as a petite feminine male, then as a female. Bobbie's story made me sad for people who are born outside what society labels as typical or normal and the tough roads they must walk through life.

[alexander shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed to see how thin this book was; I had expected something closer in size to other memoirs I've seen. Reading through this book was admittedly painful. It felt either like a transcribed interview or like a badly edited timeline; so much was repeated over and over, either from paragraph to paragraph if not line to line, or between chapters. The same thing is stated multiple times, sometimes in different ways but not always. There's a metaphor Scopa uses about feeling hidden by fabric and how it tears over time, and I felt beaten over the head with it. The repetition of things also made the timeline overall confusing; I wasn't sure what order things happened in and in what year--some things are brought up that happened prior to the current event being detailed, some are brought up that occur after, and some are mentioned more than once, and with all the moving around Scopa did it was impossible to follow.

That said, I'm still thrilled this book exists. I want more books like it. As Scopa says, firefighting is a rather male dominated field, and being able to not only get a peak inside that world, but through the lens of someone who isn't exactly part of the "in crowd" and someone who has tons of experience and moved through many ranks and locations, was interesting. I just wish it had been organized a little better and more of the details were drawn out. Dialogue and true scenes in this book were very rare.

[Bailey Kinsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish that Bobbie’s heroism could have been seen by others as her true self instead of in the constant fear of hiding and then being shunned later on. This was beautifully written and sad. It takes courage in the fire field on so many levels and even more so for oppressed individuals who have to prove themselves worthy of being there. Thank you for sharing your story and breaking down barriers in the fire world.

[MacQuaid Hiller]

I really enjoyed this book. Scopa's experience navigating being a trans woman in the '70s-'90s is just so wildly different from mine as a nonbinnery person in the '20s and it's fascinating to see how she dealt with the challenges presented by coworkers, family, and friends. It's also kinda heartening to see both that she came to be accepted by many of her manly man firefighter coworkers and that things have improved a bit in the intervening decades, although she levels some pretty biting criticism at the US Forest Service for prioritizing diversity in high-level appointments while women, queer people, and people of color are forced out of entry-level jobs. All the firefighting stuff is really interesting too, because wildland firefighting is sick as hell and the people who do it are really cool.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

First and foremost, I am a sucker for a good firefighter story, especially in nonfiction. So this book hooked me in the very first chapter.

Memoirs are also a sweet spot for me and I think Scopa did a great job of balancing the facts and perspective of a wonderful life lived. The beauty of memoir is the reader gets a glimpse into another person's experience so thank you Bobbie for sharing yours.

Thanks to Edelweiss+ for the DRC of this title.

[Etta Daines · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am super grateful to Bobbie Scopa for all she did to get to the point of offering this book to the world! As a mainly cis-woman, I’d say it was enlightening and yet so relatable. It was fun, adventurous, and nostalgic to read, having worked briefly as a wildland firefighter, AND well-articulated for folks who don’t have experience working in fire! May we all find our own way and be supported!

[Ginger Denney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both thrilling and incredibly moving.

[Randee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been so excited to read this book and it did not disappoint. Bobbie gives a beautiful, moving, and emotional look into her life, both professionally and personally. It’s a story that makes you think and reflect on the relationships you have in your life, and also to know that you don’t know what so many people are going though. I have a transgender brother, and I believe this book gave me insight to some feelings he’s had since he was a child. The journey from feeling different, to gender dysphoria, to transitioning, to thriving.

This book is for anyone who has someone in the LGBTQIA+ community, looking to understand that person, or is looking for inspiration of true strength and tenacity. It discusses leadership, diversity, loss, and so much more. I learned a lot — I have a greater appreciation for firefighters and have a deeper understanding and empathy towards people working in this setting. I definitely shed a few tears in this book. Thank you for sharing your story, Bobbie! You are spreading such a great message.

[Anya Katharina · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting life but not very interesting writing. I learned more about firefighting, which I enjoyed, but I didn't find Bobbie as captivating as I was hoping. So many great lessons on why we should never be assuming anything about anyone based off of outward appearances. How hard it must feel to never feel like you fit in, no matter how much you try. It was disheartening, although not surprising, to read about how abundant toxic masculinity and sexism still is in the field of firefighting.

[Christy Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book is so important for everyone to read. Bobbie writes of the struggles that transgender people face. This has been hidden for so long that unless you've gone through it, you have no idea. I think most people are simply uninformed. This book clearly describes what Bobbie has gone through and continues to go through in a society that is ignorant. Well done Bobbie!!! Thank you for sharing your story so that we all can understand and find ways to support this community.

[Ayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really lovely memoir that explores a lot of interesting gender dynamics in firefighting. I really enjoyed reading Bobbie’s experiences. I think her experience is pretty unique and privileged because she passes as a cisgender woman pretty much immediately when she starts presenting femininely. She still had a lot of very insightful things to say about gender identity and gender dynamics and I’m glad this book was recommended to me.

[Capitola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both Sides of the Fire Line is a story of strength, courage, and perseverance as a woman, born as a man, achieves self-actualization. 👏👏👏
Bobbie Scopa shares her life-changing experiences as a well-trained firefighter who struggles to maintain her outward male identity while knowing her true self as a woman.

[Lane Wake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two remarkable stories in one book

This book tells two extraordinary stories, at times separate and often merged, about lives most of us know little about, the life of a firefighter and the life of a transgender woman. It is especially illuminating about the emotional, psychological and social challenges faced by a transgender woman. The book is fascinating.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing and timely book follows the personal traumas and life-struggles of a transgender firefighter. Not only does the book focus on the transgender experience with understanding and hopefulness, it also illuminates the courage and complexity of modern day firefighting. A compelling and riveting read.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very moving account of a sometimes sad, but hopeful journey. Thank you for writing such a person account so many can learn from your experiences.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! A short read, under 200 pages. Great book!

[Cindy Bellomy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting, yet sad story.
It was not well-written. There was far too much repetition.

[Margaret Mechinus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a compelling book to read (although not very well written.) Living as a male for 44 years- a married, father, firefighter - as a cover to hide the fact that he was a woman in a man’s body. Unexpected was that her Christian faith remained an important part of her life. And friends supported her as her family turned away.