Felons, Flames and Ambulance Rides: Stories By and About America's Public Safety Heroes

In 1995, New York State Police Captain Roger Fulton had an idea. He knew from personal experience that police officers really liked telling stories. He also knew that a lot of civilians really liked writing about what police officers did. So, why not get them together? The result was the Police Writers Club that included both officers and writers and offered an annual conference and writing competition.

Five years later, a group of the club’s members published CopTales 2000, an anthology that included the works of contest winners and submissions by other members. Soon, the club began to attract not just police officers but aspiring writers from a wide variety of public safety affiliations, as well as civilians who wrote in a wide variety of genres.

In 2007, to better reflect the composition of its membership, the club changed its name to the Public Safety Writers Association (PSWA), and is now a national organization providing its membership with an annual writing conference, a writing competition and multiple opportunities to collaborate, creating the stories all love to tell. Felons, Flames & Ambulance Rides: Stories by and about America’s Public Safety Heroes is an anthology containing the works of members of PSWA.

For more information about the Public Safety Writers Association, visit www.policewriter.com

Table of Contents

Commentary Tear Down these Walls Ron Leonard

Tears on the Wall Joseph B. Haggerty, Sr.

Wolf Warriors Bob Haig

Crime/Mystery Bullfrog Lake John M. Wills

Deceived Dave Cropp

Johnny Walker Thonie Hevron

Loved to Death Jackie Taylor Zortman

Missing on the Beach Joseph B. Haggerty, Sr.

One Foot in the Black Kurt Kamm

Quake Prince Steve Scarborough

The Confessor Lonni Lees

The Detective Ken Decker

The Divorce Bob Doerr

The Donation Wendy Gager

The Guns of Pierre Joseph B. Haggerty, Sr.

The Heavy Silver Star John H. Morgan

The Perfect Crime Jack Miller

The Runaway Volitta Fritsche

Thug’s Brew Quintin Peterson

Seattle Mourn Lisa Swenson

We Hardly Knew Ye Emily Simerly

Humor A Hobo Buys a Hospital H. M. Trebor

Beeler’s Fog Monster Bob Haig

Close Encounters of the Cop Kind Ron Corbin

Dinner Service Murder Duane Preimsberger

Scuba King Duane Preimsberger

Sheriff’s Sergeant Grandpa Herb Duane Preimsberger

Should Have Kept the Front Door Locked H. M. Trebor

Space Aliens Duane Preimsberger

Murphy’s Law Volitta Fritsche

Waldo the Talking Duck Duane Preimsberger

Life on the Job Divine Intervention Joseph B. Haggerty, Sr.

Gray Mail John Bray

Life on Two Tracks Michael Black

Making Tracks Honora Finkelstein and Susan Smily

Not from Around Here Is Heaven in Cyberspace? Keith Bettinger

Tiger Stadium Fire Bob Haig

The Journey Home Marti Colvin

With a Little Help from my Friend Barbara Hodges

Personality Profile Burning Desire Gavin Keenan

Dying with Honor Volitta Fritsche

It’s Another Day that God Cried Joseph B. Haggerty, Sr.

It’s Nice to Come Home Ron Leonard

Memoriam Jackie Taylor Zortman

Nightlights Gavin Keenan

Scars of the Heart Keith Bettinger

Shoes J.L. Greger

Sick Kids and Carson Cops Duane Preimsberger

Something Shiny Mysti Berry

Thank you, Teresa Bob Cohen

The Last Run of Psychodog Tim Dees

The Majestic Ballroom Ellen Kirschman

The Nightstand John M. Wills

Trapped John M. Wills

Unspoken Promises Glenn French

Where the Devil Dances Michelle Perin

Marilyn Olsen, editor of Felons, Flames and Ambulance Rides: Stories By and About America’s Public Safety Heroes, was publisher and principal writer for Indiana’s Finest, an 80-page quarterly magazine about the Indiana State Police. During that time she published more than 400 articles about law enforcement. She is the author of two published books, Gangsters, Gunfire and Polictical Intrigue, the Story of the Indiana State Police and Women Who Risk: Profiles of 11 Women Who Do Extreme Sports. She is co-author of two medical books and is co-editor of CopTales 2000, an anthology of 37 police stories. She is one of the founding members of the new PSWA and has served as president since that time. She is also the immediate past president of the Washington Press Association. She and her husband live in Bellingham, Washington. Email: Marilyn.Olsen44@gmail.com.