Fire Station Number 4: The Daily Life of Firefighters (Photo Books)

Grade 2-5-Fortney chronicles the activities of three Livermore, CA, firefighters throughout the course of a typical day. Chapters are divided by morning, noon, and evening routines (which range from cooking meals to investigating toxic spills), while lesser-known facts, such as the presence of volunteer firefighters, are highlighted in focus sections. Additional information is provided on apparatus, women firefighters, and fire safety and prevention. Although many other books have documented this subject, including Virginia Schomp's If You Were a Firefighter (Benchmark, 1998), few have described the profession with as much detail or specificity in relation to a particular station. The depiction of firefighting from an insider's point of view further adds to the credibility of the information, and the sharp, full-color photos on every page vividly capture day-to-day station routines. Overall, a useful source for reports and special-interest reading.
Jennifer Oyama, Los Angeles Public Library, CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 2^-4, younger for reading aloud. This nicely illustrated, well-written, informative photo-essay provides a good overview of the day-to-day operations of a fire station in the San Francisco suburb of Livermore. Maintaining a conversational tone, Fortney uses three real-life firefighters to reveal the inner workings and organization of the station and demonstrate the full range of the job's responsibilities. The full-color photographs strike a good balance between staged scenes directly correlated to the text and casual snapshots of the firefighters cooking, cracking jokes, and reading in bed. This is an especially good choice for older reluctant readers; it can also be used to prepare students for a trip to the local fire station. A table of fire safety rules and a glossary are appended. Lauren Peterson