The author was a City of Milwaukee firefighter. He writes with candour, depth, spice and emotional insight. The memoir lays out the tumultuous events that led him as a youth into the profession, and the wealth of eye-opening experiences along the way. He plumbs the character of the firefighters and paramedics who answer the call for rescue--but also the character of those who make the call, the rescuer and the rescued.

The author keeps the reader close with vivid details of fighting fire and dealing with the anguish of loss and destruction. He pulls no punches; he also describes the promotion process, the politics, teaching the young ones, and the heavy price of dedication. The book fully displays the humanity of members of the fire service and the flavour of fire service tradition.