Outskirts Press, INC.

This is an inspirational book about ordinary people acting in an extraordinary manner when faced with a multitude of challenges from a flood, fire and a superstorm. It is a story about the Point Breeze Volunteer Fire Department (PBFD) and two other volunteer fire companies within New York City who defied the mayor’s evacuation order in advance of Hurricane Sandy. They chose to shelter in place for the duration of the storm and wound-up fighting one of the largest residential fires in the history of the city. The story is told by the chief of the PBFD, at the time of the disaster, and focuses on the overwhelming events that occurred during the storm and year-long recovery effort. The struggle to survive multiple disasters and to restore the community to pre-disaster conditions acts as a guidebook to many global communities and disaster response organizations who may experience similar events with renewed efforts towards resiliency. The book addresses the author’s previous training and life experiences as a first responder which helped him to prepare in advance, for this series of impossible events.