False Alarm: Humor in the Old Firehouse

The firehouse was a special place with a certain mystique. An outsider could peer into the station but was never invited into the inner sanctum. Now, William Prather shares the odyssey of serving as a fireman, and the humor, fun, and camaraderie that made it worthwhile.

Hazing rookies, pulling pranks, and cracking jokes were a way of life. Few things were sacred or off limits. You had to have thick skin, and the man who was the butt of the joke was expected to laugh the loudest. But all this good-natured ribbing served a purpose: if you could bear it, you were one of the team.

Some will not believe some of the tales in this book. But they all happened. It was, as Prather says, “the best job I ever had!”