A Fireman's View of The World from The Back Step

By Salvatore Ferlise and Nancy Seibert

A Fireman's View of the World From The Back Step is a captivating memoir that takes you behind the scenes of a firefighter's life. Sal's story is a tribute to the heroes who run toward danger, driven by an unwavering sense of duty. Join him on the back step of Engine #1 and feel the heat, hear the roar, and witness the bravery that defines the l

• Language: English
• Publisher: Salvatore Ferlise
• Release date: Dec 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798868961168

Book preview

A FIREMAN’S VIEW OF THE WORLD FROM THE BACK STEP

SALVATORE FERLISE

NANCY SEIBERT

The Paper House

Copyright © 2023 by Salvatore Ferlise and Nancy Seibert

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

1. My Firefighting Career Begins

2. Lodi St, in Hackensack

3. My Fire Fighting Education

4. Getting involved

5. A Much-Needed Vacation

6. The Ford Fire

7. The Jaws of Life

8. The Projects Fire

9. Good Times with My Fellow Firefighters

10. The Red Lion Inn Fire

11. The Fire at 75 Bridge Street

12. The 48 State Street Fire

13. The 301 Beech Street Fire

14. On The Job Injury

15. Promotion Time

16. My Family

17. Summer 1964

18. Remembering 9-11

19. My Life After Firefighting

20. My Life with Irene

21. Honor Flight of Southern New Jersey

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Afterword

This book is dedicated to my five brother firefighters who lost their lives at the Ford Dealership fire on:

July 1, 1988, in Hackensack, New Jersey.

Captain Richard L. Williams (Engine Co. No.304)

Lieutenant Richard Reinhagen (Engine Co. No. 302)

Firefighter William Krejsa (Engine Co. No. 301)

Firefighter Leonard Radumski (Engine Co. No. 302)

Firefighter Stephen Ennis (Engine Co. No. 308)

PREFACE

I have found great comfort in authoring this book. It has brought back many memories, both being good and bad emotions. In all, it was an awakening recounting my life.

After losing 2,977 souls, which included 343 firefighters and 72 emergency workers at the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, it reminded me of the five firefighters we lost at the Fords fire in Hackensack, New Jersey. I often ask myself how I ever walked away from it.

One day, I was watching television, and there was a commercial for a project named Tunnels to Towers. It is a foundation created in memory of firefighter Stephen Gerard Siller, who sacrificed his life to save others on September 11. It is a worthy foundation that strives to support the heroes who have risked their lives in the line of duty and homeless veterans. It is my hope that I will be able to make a substantial contribution to this worthy cause with the publication of this book. I was spared during my career of injury, and I would like to honor all firefighters and the military through this foundation who were not so lucky.

Proceeds from the sale of the book will go towards various firefighters and military foundations.

INTRODUCTION

It was December 9, 1945, at approximately 11 a.m., my mother, Stella, sister, Gloria, and I were waiting for the 165 public service bus to pick us up on Hudson Street to take us to the movies when we saw my aunt Pep smacking her face with both hands and pointing to the house at 17 Lodi Street. The three of us walked over to her and saw smoke coming out of the eve of our home. The local Engine Company Number One (now Company #301) quickly responded and put out the fire using its ¾ booster line and Headquarters Companies laid a two-and-a-half line from the hydrant to extinguish the fire in the kitchen. I remember the fire engine was a 1937 Ahrens Fox 1 st Line Engine and we nicknamed it Snow White. No, it was not a red engine. It was white.

I remember the excitement and anguish of the day. Our apartment had extensive smoke damage throughout. Having a metal ceiling helped to contain the fire. We ended up staying in the other apartment next door, which luckily was unrented. My grandparents would spend the insurance money to pay off their mortgage and slowly repair the apartment.

Because of these fine memories as a child and how Engine Number One saved our home, I knew being a firefighter was what I would want to do with my life someday. Ironically, my first duty station would be that same Engine Company One.

1 MY FIREFIGHTING CAREER BEGINS

I finally found the courage to begin authoring this book on July 1, 2021, more than 30 years since the Ford fire on July 1, 1988. Every word is a painful memory. You live, eat, and sleep with these men, and losing even one of us is an open wound that never heals. I would like to give you my story of what it was like for me as a firefighter from the back step. The back step is the rear platform on the fire engine where I stood for 25 years and had amazing and harrowing experiences.

At the age of twenty-four and after working numerous jobs as a drafter for Bendix Corporation Teterboro, New Jersey, I became a bus driver for Public Service for four years, driving the 166 routes from Dumont, NJ to the New York City Port Authority. One memorable trip was an all-expense paid three-day trip to Montreal, Canada. After dropping off my guests at their hotel, I checked in to my hotel. I met a friend from the New Jersey National Guard there and decided to go out for dinner. Not knowing the restaurants in the area, we chose one with a bar. As we sat at the bar eating dinner, dancers started dancing in the bar! We were quite surprised and found out this was not unusual. After dinner, I returned to my room and had a great night's sleep.

Driving a bus was a respectable job for me. We were able to buy our first home at 137 Poplar Avenue in Hackensack, New Jersey, but my uncle Bill Daisy would soon get on my case to decide on a career. He