Becoming a Firefighter

By Jeff Wilser

A revealing guide to a career as a firefighter written by acclaimed author Jeff Wilser and based on the real-life experiences of the heroes of the St. Louis fire department—required reading for anyone considering a path to this profession.

Becoming a Firefighter takes you behind the scenes to find out what it’s really like, and what it really takes, to become a firefighter. Author Jeff Wilser imbeds with one of the oldest departments in the country, the St. Louis Fire Department, to show how this high-stakes profession becomes a reality. Discover what it’s like to fight a three-alarm blaze; attend fire academy; prepare for routine calls; and rigorously train for worst-case scenarios. Gain professional wisdom from the beloved fire chief as well as a decorated 25-year veteran field commander. Firefighting is a calling, and those who choose this path are devoted to their work—here is how this life-saving job is actually performed by the best in the field.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Release date: Mar 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781982139865

Jeff Wilser

A former USMC Reserves squad leader and the author of The Maxims of Manhood, Jeff Wilser is a regular columnist on dating, sex, nightlife, and pop culture who has contributed to GQ, MTV, and VH1.

Book preview

���0abook_preview_excerpt.html�Zے�6���>��=�ʲF-�m���$;��u�#�D�"
��T~�?����K��L�R-)&—.y9y2��ͣ7�n����?^�����<�F��/~q����aor4�T�oksl������]�w���L��dl8��/�{��`R����x�ggZ��G�o�K��C4ut�ܞZ7lLn��������n0���}����y�K��S��������`��1�L���=]�W�Ι·1cg��cţ�?8Я����6��'�bB�b�)B2���N���q�9��ن����u���Ӈ75��!��&�B�(<.�p����/͛8b�W����z;�΅l��p���_㴮{q;���3~gNq4�8��K�U|�1ġ���j�8Bo�s�p�jh�h�_S���d8�(��uI��h��ڑ��Xq�ak�c:�RP[�Q=�i�jk޺���'��8TM���w������]뜤D�H,���
�
U����`�=hʠ������Сh�L�s2�����J�@W�O�=}��%l���J��G�W�=�F�f��.R{H�g����i r(�<�D�N4*�x�����7���A�ގ. #�)ra�m��/P�b���C��@�@�)�ϷA�]v�� ��GE�^s��Y�b�:�"� �s�S#���*rs�L��Jg>�����b� �%۾L��S�0PP��}A"I�m�R��[<�=[��g!�eqy��� �h.$���-`1m�r�_�������O9�̺Q`��S*i�����
��W�,�9GOW#��:�B�f�� �o��u�*��dT���n��}'Mԛ�|z8�t�l
1$�FFzc�}�x$pp�hL'��}Z D�)��c�عVX�����S1F�-��"b��,��Q{rL��8i�X����9t�ė*"GX�!J���!�vITU�J�$�*zp�Q{����\�1�Ƀ+m�a}6E�P'y�����w��"�]l���8F�`�-�bR�!Q]�x!D�W��٦�꟡dG;v�?�-,�K˔GO� �����sN�\��bv3����1E��0|:W5�p��T>��$O�h��x"3�C�)�Ҍ�C9��1�6 �&(�jq�v��)>I'v�vL������ɼqv?��hb$뻞YB��™K�������P�L'K���T��G%a#��� ʋ���B�a9����d#�_�s9>#�*��@��T����E����ȹY�V�4���I>�Q6�g�X��󡄺��z��IN�a]�Rs^����Y�~���������_?!�2�>���<|�Ū�T;�m/5�m��)-&����n�1�#CZk[Gv)�U[b��e���. �p�0�S�w�!�� �RJ�D������;_�� �\��_(���ڊ&�A,b�
��m`;Q fo��=�L7+�i '4����Fj7Vğ��·�O�����*,c����� ���?�������8d)1�5)�' g=�j�*�Ei'̷(DyTl[5�t�Z�S"���?k��;���6Z
�VM��V��Hdg�bmʫ­?0����;ib��X��A@�)�g�q"}pǭ�����,�3�=��JV{�0۾S���F8���l���l��9<����*K,�`��QP,)M�����=��b�-�x��v��I���u��D�*�.,�wP�He�/�P!a����}5�T•c/���8����~�K�d�K�rex�4�´Ѽ����i�b�����`��i��֊!o|
�o���!8Ԧ+����H�+���í;"~(���(|�*�,3�a~`��}v��F��W�KQB�j�E�0���W�
iJ����sU_�uA�W��s;�� �m[��u�oN���t%�>7�ݐ`�Ko�]oS���2zQ����Ix{��H��-��tJ�4��S�LʛR��c�ǩY�v|���߷qt�2�͋��CP?��`�7��۫������y�Ҍo(��3r��?-�_gM��zB�jY���V�H�Y���wW����%�i�!���<'�+y)]���� Wx����>���cy�A�"?��US��4������n��/��P"���4�΂hRLA�N��7�*�&,�P�$�x� ��.�y�
t?K=C��=@��I�/� ��?����"�gs8Uk��"�`i��B �6�OJ`��^X�Fw����b��7��Dm|ʾ�8צ� �f[R�X�<9�t�#o��z�n/��q���”\ �y=�rJ�Ce���6P�wLhr3�I)ُ
����-S����}��z�Zx"��-)]�k�������c�[�.ŧn�����`�&��r��y �lso�[���}���[Qy�dnR�����x��i��iN��X� � ����Y�k^@�Sq8����4h3w���-���d=c7� Nz݁s�;UX�a��r�o)��^� GCJZH�y��M�@i.������&�ʋיl��7�:�xJ�1��'^e���I�׊*g�'��.�u���g�J2�p_Tf�G>�Aq���"ZiK"��RY+�vn�� +�b����IbX����#Tw8�~��Cz݃6�ϡd��D¾Tbi�a;����7��y�Ά��oY\�R���J�/�>�9^aa�K�wJX����T�RDє��,K-׸��8b�ٲa��������j��E�U�X)�ԝ��}��Cއ�0��"� �H�0$�=y��UU�țԥ���i#6�H���r+W�Y��`���sz�};�BK��>ϼz���\ |����ځ�q�od�j��VH�ľ71!��]��U�@�WMMvc���0�@J��/W�%�>ϯ8�Y9� ��!�a nq���8�c�E���&�ֈa�U�_���_�pAbhZ(?��̎U�ً��A{�6��+o0j��a:���N`'��+�0Y7�.��܌�f3��&9g�%��_Y�_�ju�k�^������
S���-*U� l�[�O��3���oΦk�����|�#h.�' �iw�x`���u@a,�c{x��c������k��`58?���j�gv 2b`�{|I�
�Ҳ���SX�GJ�o F�!�;��Ohd���붃={��A�9E&���� ���<1�M' K q�P����R������R�;���:*� n].�.�=]bw�����)9t;�b�O
�@�F5������Nl�H��ŝ�V�S'�GdA$�L+,��[Y��9.�����������a���t�y7��AI��hۤ��V1�-�h}oE'P�x��|�+����ߑL��/"#�[��c7C>G�;��pYbBV?��R�tq.Җ�<@a��F�4? ����a ��np���cpj�a��e�xғ�3���h�
��I����e��"D�E�ڤm�&Ӵi0��K��I��w@��Ҭ�[f���S��3sC*W���9����s*��fu\�ѐ{fz�r�y������r5�bm��;u��-��T��]�P��:�b8�<�fR��h�N.�农�[Ph3�q RH>wƃТ���݊���_x4ɬA��E�~[�E��Ȱ��y� �.�k�?�P�L ������َv�Qk0�|٤�Pap�Nj��r����B�p�u�1�}��>���Dn����������ڴÅ��E5���9B,7L��k��mr���3�B�ܣk��|��ry}V�����7���=��' �^j��E���x}�D-߹����c��fu)��&ڃgo� Θ�D��N㓒 �%�/�`��/9t ��L�C3����w��w�5*Db��y���z�L���ɨB����D�O�:W�t_�o�)