He sure did, Russ.
From my earliest recollections my brother Bob had fire engine toys and wanted to fight fires when he grew up whether as a forest ranger or in a city. He was a volunteer in our town department as soon as he was old enough and first worked for a couple fire prevention companies.
When an opening developed on the Newark Fire Department he took it and gave it his all. He fought in some unbelievable fires and withstood the urban upheaval that beset many of our major cities during the 70's and later. The stories he told were nothing short of amazing. We tried to convince him to write down his adventures because they would have made a good book or movie. But he never got around to it.
He was credited with saving several lives and received the Gold Award for heroism, the highest honor the state of NJ can give.
Unfortunately his job related injuries and some other medical problems took their toll and he passed away in '97.
One of the difficulties he endured for decades was the lack of respect for firemen and little consideration for the dangers they faced each day.
Of course all that changed on 9/11.
I only wish he had lived long enough to see his profession receive the accolades it deserves. However, had he been alive that fateful day, I know he would have been the first person across the river and quickly gone up one of those towers. He always carried extinguishers and extra turnout gear in the trunk of his car...just in case.
