Dennis Smith was a New York City firefighter and author whose bestselling books included “Report from Ground Zero.”
- Died: January 21, 2022 (Who else died on January 21?)
- Details of death: Died in Venice, Florida of complications of COVID-19 at the age of 81.
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Telling firefighters’ stories
Smith joined the New York City Fire Department in 1963 after serving in the U.S. Air Force. He received his first book deal after writing a thoughtful letter to the New York Times Book Review in response to statements by author Joyce Carol Oates about poet William Butler Yeats. His first book, 1972’s “Report from Engine Co. 82,” was a memoir of his early years as a firefighter that sold millions of copies and inspired readers to join their own fire departments. Smith went on to write more than a dozen books, including “History of Firefighting in America” and “San Francisco Is Burning: The Untold Story of the 1906 Earthquake and Fires.” He also wrote the children’s books “The Little Fire Engine that Saved the City” and “Brassy the Fire Engine” and founded Firehouse magazine. After retiring from FDNY in 1981, Smith returned as a volunteer in 2001 to help with cleanup and recovery efforts after the 9/11 attacks. His experiences there were told in his bestseller “Report from Ground Zero: The Story of the Rescue Efforts at the World Trade Center.”
Notable quote
“There’s satisfaction in knowing that you’re doing something for somebody, you’re doing something that’s important. That’s the basic line in both jobs. You’re doing something important. That’s what all firefighters feel about themselves: they feel important. I’ve done other jobs where I’ve made more money, but I never felt any sense of worth.” —from Smith’s “Firefighters: Their Lives in Their Own Words”
Tributes to Dennis Smith
Full obituary: The New York Times
