Firefighting Gone Wild

After having written three books and a novella about firefighters, I finally feel comfortable writing about structure fires and life at the firehouse. Not so comfortable that I don't consult with a professional, of course. I've mentioned my "fire guru" before (thank you, Rick!!)

But now, for my next fireman book, I'm off on a whole new tangent -- wildfires.  

Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado

One of the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel is about to volunteer to help battle a massive wildfire threatening his hometown in Nevada. And that means I have to learn about a whole new kind of firefighting. I've seen so many news stories about forest fires, wilderness fires, brushfires -- you probably have too. It was a particularly brutal summer in Colorado, Utah and Arizona. You may even have had a close call with one. When I lived in LA, brushfire season brought some scary times. I remember ash particles coating my car, apocalyptic skies, twenty-four hour news coverage.

Battling the Trinity Ridge Fire in Boise National Forest

In recent years, wildfires have gotten bigger and more dangerous. One firefighter told me that fires are behaving in new ways -- the rate of spread isn't predictable anymore. Hotter temperatures and drier hillsides mean that fires will simply leap over the firefighters to the next hill. I'm learning about smoke-jumpers, hotshot crews, pilots and heli-rapellers. Wildland firefighting is fascinating, dangerous, and a source of endless storylines. But boy, do I have a lot to learn! These days, I'm all about the research.

Have you had a close encounter with a wildfire? I'd love to hear about it!

Have a great week -

Jennifer

Things I Didn't Know about Firemen

When I first started writing about firemen, I didn't know a lot about their daily lives on the job. I've done lots of research since then and learned quite a few things. I've used almost all of these items in my books and love how they add some real fireman flavor. So here goes ...

10 Things I've Learned about Firemen 

1. When a fireman does something for the first time (for instance, breaks down an oxygen tank during inventory), he owes the rest of the crew ice cream. Rookies end up buying a lot of ice cream.

2. Speaking of rookies, it’s their job to make the coffee in the morning.

3. You can’t gamble in a firehouse. Instead the firefighters bet each other sodas. 

4. The shift starts with something called “lineup,” when everyone gathers in the kitchen and they go over the next nine days of scheduling, etcetera.

5. A certain number of firefighters are adrenaline junkies. When they’re off-shift, you might them on a motorcycle, a snowboard, or a fast car.

6. When a firefighter arrives at the station, the first thing he (or she) does is take the previous shiftmember’s gear out of the engine and replace it with his (or her) own jacket. That way if a fire breaks out in the next minute, he’s ready.

7. Firefighters love nicknames. My fire advisor’s nickname is Captain Go-Go. Another fireman is called Psycho, though no one’s sure why.

8. Most firefighters are also trained paramedics; they respond to quite a few medical calls.

           

9. Firefighters love to play pranks on each other. It’s a way to relieve the tension and also the tedium of waiting for a call. Go on any firefighter online forum and you’ll hear some great stories.

10.  On September 11, firehouses across the country honor the 343 firemen and paramedics who lost their lives in the Twin Towers attacks.

I also learned that firefighters have a great sense of humor that helps them cope with the terrible risks they take. It’s in that spirit that I made my Bachelor Firemen books light-hearted, sexy and romantic.

Do any of these items surprise you? I, for one, didn't know the extent of how much 9/11 is still with our firefighting forces. You'll be hearing more about that in Book 3, SEX AND THE SINGLE FIREMAN! 

Yes, I'm almost finished!

My Fire Guru

While I write about firemen, I am not one. Nor am I married to or related to one. This could pose a problem when I'm trying to evoke a firehouse or describe a structure fire -- if not for my secret weapon: A very generous Captain from the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Whenever I have a technical question or anything related to fire station operations, I email him or we talk on the phone. I've never met him in person, but in my imagination he looks something like this:

I'm sure he'd be chuckling over that. He has a great sense of humor, but he takes his job very seriously and wants to help get the details right. While I appreciate this greatly, it can be inconvenient. I had to rewrite one hero's entire storyline because he informed me that fire captains don't make lateral moves from one department to another. The hero of my third book, Captain Roman, is now a Battalion Chief-level Training Officer transferring from New York, which actually makes him even more interesting.

What dumb mistake might someone make at a hazmat scene? He can tell me. What exactly happens during "lineup," the gathering of firefighters at the start of a shift? He knows. How many feet high does an "aerial" go? Sometimes I wonder why I'm writing the books, not him, but I know the answer to that. His book would be a very fact-based non-fiction account of firefighting procedures, while my books are light-hearted, fun, sexy rides in which a major theme is how darn hot firemen are.

No matter what my Fire Guru looks like, I know he's hot -- because he's such a good guy. He never gets impatient with my questions, he's always gracious and good-humored, he's extremely knowledgeable. Best of all, he's very excited for the books to come out.

I, on the other hand, am very nervous for him to read them! No matter how carefully he vetted certain details and passages, I'm sure some errors slipped through. In my dedication, I made sure to say that any mistakes are mine, not his. Completely true.

I hope my Fire Guru can enjoy the books for what they are: love letters to a profession I admire deeply (and think is hot.)