A Good Job: Stories of the FDNY

Yes. Thank you, Steve.

Camera speed. David, you good?

Full speed.

OK. We're good.

Hi, Charlie. Hi, Steve.

How are you doing?

Good. Have a seat.

Thank you.

Thanks for coming.

Thank you for having me.

Appreciate it.

Have a seat, you old so and so.

Heh heh.

Oh, sorry.

I keep banging into the camera.

How's my hair?

Perfect.

Great.

I had this urge to just turn around

and go the other way, just leave, you know?

It was weird,

and uh--but, you know, you can't do that.

No. I had the exact same experience.

The captain said, "OK, Stevie, we're going in."

And when he said, "We're going in,"

I thought he was crazy.

I was like why would we go in there?

That was the first thing I thought.

I thought, "No. we should be going out."

All these people that we see die,

it wasn't in their plan for that morning.

People woke up, they take their shower,

they have their coffee, right, just like we do every day,

and then something tragic happens,

whether it's a fire or an accident, and you're dead,

or somebody who's really important to them is killed.

You know, one day, that's gonna be our morning.

We're gonna all get up one day,

and it's gonna be our last day,

and we have no idea.

We need the fire department

at 515 Rockaway Boulevard.

What happened, ma'am?

Seems to be a very thick fire

and flooding by 115th.

We'll have someone one the way.

Oh, good.

It's rising. The water's still rising.

I was a New York City firefighter

for only about 4 years back in the 1980s.

What I didn't realize then was how much the job

would stay with me and be a part of my life.

Even today when big events happen

like Hurricane Sandy,

when so many people lost their homes,

including a lot of firefighters,

we all come back together.

It's like a family.

How are you and your guys holding up?

Uh, we're doing-- we're hanging in there.

We'll all bounce back.

They will, they will bounce back.

Good thing the shack is there though,

it didn't get washed away.

All right, man. Have a good Thanksgiving, brother,

I'll see you later on.

We'll see you.

I'll never forget, right after 9/11,

looking over-- you were by yourself,

and you were digging, and you had that

old scraffy helmet on and an old jacket,

and I said, "Man, that looks like that guy from Con Air,"

I think it was. Right?

Was "Con Air" out?

And somebody goes, "That is.

He was a fireman at 55 Engine."

I said, "Get the fuck out of here."

I had no idea.

Hey, you guys. Hi.

There he is! Oh, you brought dessert?

Oh.

What's up, buddy? How you doing?

How you doing?

Good. Hey, Ken.

How you doing, Steve?

How are you? Good to see you.

I'm not hugging you.

I know. He'll stick his tongue in your ear.

You got to watch him!

I see him on the street.

I'm sorry, Joe.

Listen. I see him on the street,

I go to hug him, he gives me a kiss.

Yeah, you got to get over it.

What we deal with now.

You regret your decision not coming back, Steve?

I don't know. I'm still thinking about it.

You get all the medical benefits!

BUSCEMI, VOICE-OVER: I had no designs on being a firefighter.

I had some vague idea about becoming an actor.

It just, uh, you know--I was sort of directionless.

Same way, I was the same, way Steve.

I remember saying to my dad,

"Oh, I never thought about being a firefighter,"

and he said, "Oh, it's a good job.

He said, "You should take the test," so...

In my family, I have 3 brothers.

Whatever civil service test came up when we turned 18,

we just had to take it,

and I was lucky that for me it was the fire department.

All firemen are appointed and promoted

under civil service.

Applicants are required to pass a written examination,

strenuous physical agility tests,

and are subject to close medical scrutiny

before acceptance.

It all begins at the probie school.

The probie, more dignifiedly known as a probation fireman.

Here the probie is introduced to all phases

of his chosen career.

Uncover.

Let's go. Sometime today, men.

Chin up.

Yes, sir.

What is wrong with this picture right here, son?

I forgot to secure my gear, sir.

You forgot to secure your gear.

Yes, sir. And why is that?

I didn't double-check, sir.

You didn't double-check.

No, sir.

I'll deal with you later, son.

Yes, sir!

Aye, sir!

Yes, sir!

So what was it about the fire department

that made you want to join?

I'm like the little kid who said he wanted

to be a fireman but actually meant it.

I've always wanted to be a firefighter.

Uh, my school was right down the block

from the firehouse that I'm working in right now.

Get down!

Get down. Heads up, heads up.

Heads up!

We are a team.

We are only as strong as our weakest individual.

Down! One!

Down!

MAN, VOICE-OVER: I was on the police department list,

and I was the corrections list, and the fire department,

and I just thought about it.

I go like, "I'm not really a gun person."

MAN, VOICE-OVER: I had seen a couple of fires

when I was a youngster, and I was impressed,

impressed because I'm standing

across the street and looking at this volume of fire,

and then I said, "Wow! They put all that fire out,

saved lives."

Very dramatic.

As a young, red-blooded Brooklyn kid, I said to myself,

"Wow! That's pretty exciting."

F-D-N-Y, strength, honor, courage!

MAN, VOICE-OVER: Well, my interest

in the fire department is in my blood.

My father was a firefighter,

my father in-law was a firefighter,

my godfather was a firefighter,

and I do think probably half my cousins are firefighters.

I was encouraged to be a firefighter myself,

but I'm not that brave.

I think it's in our blood.

The itch is there.

I think my father kind of planted a seed you know.

Two of his older brothers were firefighters,

and they kind of led him into being a fireman.

It's in my blood. Heh heh.

My grandfather was a firefighter

and then my father.

I don't know if I had a choice.

My brother Tommy had already been a firefighter,

and my brother Timmy and I had

actually taken the test together.

My father sent the application

into the fire service.

I took the test, one of the first tests

I ever passed.

But he made us-- you know, not forced us

to take the test, he recommended me

"You should take this written test.

Just in case, use it as backup."

And I thank God that my father steered me

in that direction because I really had no idea

what the job was about and what I was getting into.

Second alarm.

Second alarm. We have a...

Do you remember your first job?

I was terrified.

They say your knees knock.

physically, my knees were knocking.