Firefighting: Behind the Scenes

Through color photographs and an engaging text, the challenging and dangerous work performed by firefighters is explained, detailing the clothing they wear, the special gear they use, and the changes that modern technology has brought to this field.

Grade 3-5-In 10 short chapters, this clearly illustrated presentation covers the history, qualifications for the job, emergency response, safety issues, the running of a firehouse, and fire prevention and safety. Well-composed, full-color photographs, drawings, and reproductions give the volume a pictorial look that will appeal to young children. The writing, however, is at a higher reading level than the book's appearance might lead readers to assume. Interviews with firefighters, both male and female and of different ethnic backgrounds, enliven the text and give it a sense of immediacy and veracity. Useful for reports on a number of topics including careers, safety, or the history of firefighting, and a solid replacement for standards such as Rona Beame's Ladder Company 108 (Messner, 1973; o.p.).
Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 3^-5. A child who is truly interested in becoming a firefighter may find that most of the books on the subject cater to the preschool crowd, emphasizing the mighty fire engines or fire safety rules. This book touches on fire safety by providing a checklist at the back, but it also gives a satisfying, in-depth look at the tools, training, and procedures of modern-day fire fighting. Ruth breaks down fire fighting into different jobs--from the supervisor who sizes up the conditions and makes assignments to the engine crew, the dispatcher, the pump operator, and others--and presents a realistic scenario of a suburban house fire. The crisp color photographs present close-up views of the men and women at work and the equipment they use. Showing smoke rather than flames, they aren't too frightening and avoid glamorizing fire. A fine choice for the career section. Susan Dove Lempke