On the Line

Most people have never met a woman firefighter, yet women have been fighting fires and providing emergency service for hundreds of years. This book tells the history of women in the fire service, and profiles more than 35 women who serve as firefighters in the United States and Canada, from career members of the largest fire departments to volunteers with organizations of only a dozen members. The women in this book share their best stories: responding to the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 9/11, handling emergency medical calls that may range from the tragic to the ridiculous, living in the fire station, overcoming obstacles. The women featured are as diverse as the job itself, but all share one thing-- their love and commitment to a life of service as a firefighter.