Deputy Chief FDNY
Author
Lecturer
In a 33 year career with the New York City Fire Department, Tom Dunne fought hundreds of fires, survived near death incidents, crawled down burning hallways, met unforgettable characters, and witnessed the 9/11 terrorist attack. From glittering mid-Manhattan high-rises to squalid ghetto tenements, he saw how people in crisis lived and survived and how the firefighters who served them worked and bonded. Exploring both the positive and controversial aspects of being a firefighter, this no-holds barred memoir provides an honest account of an unusual occupation that outsiders seldom get to see.
Jim is a New York City firefighter wrestling with the challenges of urban living and the stresses of a dangerous occupation. But he is also battling demons within himself. Is something from the past actually lurking deep inside him or are the vague memories of indistinct people and intense flashbacks of unfamiliar objects mere illusions? Can he share such thoughts with the woman in his life, whose affluent background contrasts sharply with his working-class roots? In A Moment in Time you will crawl down burning hallways and experience the hidden side of New York City. It explores the underbelly of urban existence and portrays an initmate view of the world of firefighting. But it also examines what it means to share and to love and addresses a broader existential question. Is it possible that our current lives are merely extensions of previous incarnations?
LECTURE SERVICES
My “Third Alarm Fire Training” seminars are available for both civilian and firefighter audiences.
Topics covered: firefighting, emergency management, human behavior in crisis, functioning effectively under stress.