"Cry Fire" [Paperback]

Andrew Ashurst (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 2003

In Cry Fire, are true stories of a Fire Company located in Williamsburg Brooklyn New York City, during the time of unrest and racial strife of the late Sixties and Early Seventies. At that time Firefighting companies responded to a staggering increase in alarms. These alarms included structural fires, false alarms, minor fires and emergencies. During these times Firefighters were subject to buildings being booby trapped, and firefighters being ambushed, where their means of exiting streets were cutoff with debris and missiles thrown off roofs at them, which included Molotov Cocktales. They also had bricks and stones thrown at them as they responded to fires. The old time respect for firefighters in certain areas disappeared, It was if we were working in a different country, not the same country that most of us new in days gone by. Now we were the enemy, not the men that saved lives and property.To some it didn't matter that we were the men who would risk our lives to save possibly people of their own families. Most people in these areas were decent and law abiding people, but then there were the others.This book has been long in coming. But the story had to be told. If anything, for those Brothers who lost their lives trying to help others. This book is dedicated to them and their families. God Bless them all.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Andrew Ashurst became a New York City Firefighter in the 1967. After Probationary School he was sent to Engine Company 216 located in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York.During the Sixties and Seventies, which were considered the War Years neighborhoods like Williamsburg, South Bronx, Bedford Stuyvesant and the Brownsville areas of New York had a dramatic increase in structural fires, mostly because of arson. There was an increase in riots and crime throughout the City because of racial unrest and turmoil.Engine 216 became one of the busiest fire companies in the City. In 1970 they responded to 4960 alarms and 2689 working fires for that year.This book is dedicated to firefighters everywhere, be it professional or volunteer, and to those men with Engine 216, 108 Trucks, 35th Battalion and the 11th Division that I had the honor to work with and to all my brothers of the New City Fire Department who lost their lives in the performance of their duties especially to the Brothers who lost their lives at the World Trades Center September 11, 2001.This book is also dedicated to all the families of firefighters and emergency response teams everywhere, and especially to those who lost their loved ones in the performance of their duties.A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be contributed to The New York City Firefighters Burn UnitThese stories are true accounts.Some of the names of the fire fighters and response areas have been changed.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (April 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1410719294
• ISBN-13: 978-1410719294
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,157,268 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)