E-Man: Life in the NYPD Emergency Service Unit

by Al Sheppard, Jerry Schmetterer

¿Al Sheppard was on the front lines of the most difficult job in police work. E-Men risk their lives every day in many different ways. They are great cops, and Al¿s memoir is right on the mark.¿ ¿Detective Sgt. Joseph Coffey, NYPD, Ret., Author of The Coffey Files ¿Sheppard served in the NYPD during the ¿urban warfare¿ years and received his ¿Baptism of Fire¿ at the ¿Williamsburg Siege.¿ He was a decorated hero of the NYPD and member of the elite Emergency Service Unit (ESU). In his book E-Man, Al takes the reader on a non-stop roller coaster ride of emotions as he reveals life on the streets through the eyes of a combatant during the turbulent times and the work of the Emergency Service Unit¿the same unit that the police call when they need help.¿ ¿Detective Lt. Vern Gelbreth, NYPD, Homicide Commander ¿Al Sheppard is the REAL DEAL, and E-Man chronicles his years in the NYPD¿s Emergency Service Unit with heart-pounding excitement. Sheppard was on the front lines during the era of Vietnam, Black Power, and the Urban Drug Wars, and he survived it all to tell the tale in a book rich with insider¿s detail and a wry sense of humor. E-Man is the best New York cop book to come down the pike since The French Connection.¿ ¿T.J. English, Author of Paddy Whacked and The Westies E-Man is the breathtaking and sometimes heartbreaking memoir of one of New York¿s legendary emergency service cops. For 10 years Al Sheppard sped through the crowded New York streets to come to the aid of civilians and other police officers, always putting their needs ahead of his. E-Man is a story of adventure, courage and love.

Genres: Crime

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2006

Reviews

[Jordan Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the reclusive realm of the world’s most famous police department, there are a select few men and women who are tasked with the most important job on the force: protecting civilians and their brothers and sisters in blue when extreme situations go beyond the capabilities of the average patrol unit. Enter the NYPD’s renowned Emergency Service Unit (ESU), the Big Apple’s elite Urban Commandos who are jacks of many trades within the department from: serving high-risk warrants, dealing with barricaded suspects, resolving tense hostage situations, Hazardous Material incidents, Technical Rescue Operations, medical emergencies and auto accidents. They are the quintessential A-Team for New York’s Finest living up to the motto, “When people need help, they call the police; when the police need help, they call Emergency Service.”

In his 2009 Memoir “E-Man: Life in the NYPD Emergency Service Unit,” former NYPD Detective Al Sheppard takes a trip back in time recounting his more than two decades as one of New York’s Finest. The most defining tenure of his career spent with the elite ESU assigned to various specialized units or “Trucks” throughout the five boroughs of New York for ten exciting and emotionally charged years. Co-authored with the support of New York Daily News Journalist Jerry Schmetterer, “E-Man” is a gripping, unbiased and honest portrait of life on the beat and in the line of fire as one of New York’s top cops. Exploring the rigorous training and selection process to join the elite fraternity of ESU, to responding to a myriad of harrowing and sometimes humorous emergencies, to the humbling and frightening prospect of confronting the grim reality of losing brave men in blue to violence, or witnessing the tragic deaths of an unlucky crew of firefighters in a building collapse; this is the life of a true blue E-Man. If you’re a fan of the classic TV series “True Blue” or “Third Watch” this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the unsung heroes of the NYPD. This memoir would make a great movie or definitely a great documentary!

[Glenn W Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

NYPD special Services veteran al shepard memoirs

Good story but was disappointed as it contains more rescue than swat type work. If out are looking for a good story on rescue in NYC, check this out. While not as good as 20,000 alarms by the former Lt of Rescue 1 FDNY, it gives you the overall action ESU performs in the Big Apple.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not very well written, but the content I found extremely interesting.