num_pages: 296
description: Since the inception of the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) in 1798, volunteer and paid members 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 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 is 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 Last Alarm ensures that we will not forget the sacrifice 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.
language: English
title: The Last Alarm: The History and Tradition of Supreme Sacrifice in the Fire Departments of New York City
titlecomplete: The Last Alarm: The History and Tradition of Supreme Sacrifice in the Fire Departments of New York City
publisher: M.T. Publishing Company, Inc.