The Last Alarm: The History and Tradition of Supreme Sacrifice in the Fire Departments of New York City, Micheal L. Boucher, Gary R. Urbanowicz, Frederick B. Melahn, Jr., 2007
Since the inception of the FDNY in 1798, volunteer and paid memebers of the Department have made the supreme sacrifice. Unfortunately, official records of their deaths only began in 1865.
The Last Alarm attempts to record not only the names, but the stories behind each line of duty death in the fire departments of New York City, including the FDNY, the Brooklyn Fire Department and the many volunteer fire companies that have served the five boroughs.
While the subject of The Last Alarm in inherently sad, it serves three important purposes. First, the book provides vital information on the tragic circumstances of each death. Second, it documents many of the traditions of the FDNY that have endured for nearly 150 years. These traditions serve as tributes to the contribution FDNY members have made to protect lives and property throughout the city. Third, and most important, the book ensures that we will not forget the sacrifices of FDNY's fallen members.
Despite the phenomenal strides that have been made in recent years to keep firefighters out of harms way, one hundred twenty firefighters, on average, lose their lives in the line of duty every year in the United States.
In the end, this book is but a snapshot in time of the sacrifices of New York City's Bravest. The uniqueness of this book is that it is not only a compilation of names - it attaches a photo and story to each deceased firefighter. They are not just a number, they are fathers, mothers, parents, who all shared one thing - they made the supreme sacrifice.
Two dollars of each book sale benefits the FDNY Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation whose mission is to support the critical life-saving work of the Fire Department of New York and to provide the vital messsage of fire safety and prevention to all New Yorkers.
9 1/2" x 11", 296 pages, hardcover, hundreds of mostly B&W photos, ISBN: 1-932439-59-5, BL3445 / $39.95
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