The challenges were what attracted Benjamin O’Brien to the job. It combined public service with a job that fully tested his abilities. O’Brien was not just a firefighter. He served as one in New York City, the nation’s largest force, the big leagues of firefighting. He recounts his career as a firefighter in this moving and insightful memoir.
After an opening chapter in which he relates his first high-rise fire as a pumper truck driver, he turns to his cadet days, describing the rigors of New York City’s training academy. From there, he presents his career, starting as a rookie. As he gained experience through daily life in the fire station, O’Brien balanced his career with his responsibilities as a husband and a father.
It is a representative story of life as a big city firefighter. The author cycled through multiple fire stations over the years. Some were busy, others slow. He also relates the multiple activities a firefighter faces. One day he is fighting a house fire. The next a high-rise blaze. O’Brien describes responding to motor vehicle collisions, health emergencies, and even water rescues. He describes impromptu service as a goodwill ambassador, showing civilian visitors the fire station, especially when children dropped in.
O’Brien is frank about the mistakes he’s made. In one water rescue practice session, he almost ran over a fellow firefighter through inept boat handling. During his first high rise-fire he became overly focused on establishing a water connection. As a result, he ignored a civilian who informed him the fire was on a different floor than the firefighters inside had been sent. In these cases, no harm was done, and he learned from his errors.
Strong Belief
He also reveals the difficulties of reconciling his job with his Catholic faith. O’Brien, who did not care for the sexual banter shared among his male counterparts, would stand aloof when they shared girlie pictures on their phones or hung pinups in the workplace. Even though he did not object to others’ behavior, by absenting himself when the talk turns crude, the author found himself pegged as a prig and not a team player. Despite that, he held fast to his beliefs. His coworkers eventually accepted him for who he was.
More difficult was being true to himself when he found himself in opposition to positions held by both his employer and his union. O’Brien didn’t judge others on the basis of their sexuality and willingly worked with anyone, regardless of their beliefs, positions, or sexual orientation. Yet he was not extended the same courtesy. One example was during Gay Pride Week. He was pressured to go beyond tolerance to active endorsement of a lifestyle he opposed on moral grounds. He describes how he steered through that challenge.
He also stood fast against the COVID-19 vaccination on both religious and health grounds. He felt he could not use something that incorporated the product of abortions. He was also aware of a number of his friends and acquaintances who had adverse reactions to the various COVID-19 shots—sometimes severe reactions. When the Fire Department of New York failed to accommodate him and his union failed to support him, he stood his ground, accepting suspension rather than violating his conscience and common sense.
This book is less about Catholicism than it is about the challenges faced when an individual’s personal conscience is challenged by the world in which they live. “Do the right thing” is easy to say when everyone gets along and agrees. It is more difficult when doing so could cost a job.
Those signing the Declaration of Independence pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Some ultimately sacrificed their lives or fortunes to maintain their honor. O’Brien demonstrates the same steadfast conviction in this book, even if at a smaller scale.
This is a fascinating look at the life of a firefighter and the challenges posed by the job. It is also a study of a man staying tuned to his moral compass, while overcoming his weaknesses and shortcomings.
