Parents looking to teach their kids about fire safety may find inspiration in a set of books written by Long Island local firemen. On Saturday, July 13, Vincent “Vinny” Timmons was sold copies of two books near and dear to his heart, inspired by the heroic actions of his father as well as fellow firefighters.
The first book, A Firefighter’s Christmas, was inspired by the famous family stories of Timmons’ father.
Timmons’ father, Eugene, transferred to the fire department after working as a police officer for several years. Shortly after joining, his love for the department inspired him to write a poem about a firefighter rescuing a baby on Christmas Eve. Eugene named the firefighter “Charlie” after his good friend in the department.
Several years later during the holiday season, Eugene himself saved a baby in Brooklyn, on Stone Ave, becoming a real-life “Firefighter Charlie”. He was awarded the Vincent J. Kane Award in 1966, alongside his wife Grace and their eight children.
After Eugene passed away in 1985, Grace gave all of their children a copy of his poem, which Vinny was able to hang in his own fire department after joining. The poem was displayed for over 20 years, until Vinny’s retirement in the early 2000s.
Vinny’s own history with the fire department is long and admirable. Readers may recall last year’s article on his story of losing friends and colleagues on the ground during 9/11. Timmons turned to songwriting as a way to process his grief and PTSD.
Throughout his early years in music, Timmons never forgot his father’s poem. And while turning it into a song seemed the wrong fit, he wondered if it couldn’t be transformed into a book. Thus, A Firefighter’s Christmas was born, published under Eugene’s name just before Christmas last year. The book tells the story of Firefighter Charlie and his daring Christmas rescue.
Timmons wanted to work more with fire safety for children, and drafted a companion story, Firefighter Charlie, which teaches children the most important aspects of fire safety, including safety procedures for when or if a fire occurs, and ways to prevent fires from starting. The story brings together a group of first responders, including a police officer, a nurse, and even parents of the children who help teach fire safety. “It’s really meant to feel like a community effort,” Timmons said, “To keep our children safe.”
Timmons also wrote a jingle for Charlie to coincide with the latest book. “I’m giving kids a lot of avenues… to engage them about fire safety. I’m giving them someone who can represent safety; Firefighter Charlie.”
Timmons’ wife works at The Paper Store in Farmingdale where the signing took place. The store’s annual “Christmas in July” theme was the perfect fit for the father-son books. Attendees could purchase either book, and they received a fire hat and a sticker that says “practice fire safety” with a picture of firefighter charlie. A percentage of each purchase will be donated to charity. Purchases of A Firefighter’s Christmas will go to St. Jude’s, and purchases of Firefighter Charlie will contribute to the New York Firefighters Burn Center.
“It’s important to teach kids about fire safety, and do it in a way that’s not scaring them,” Timmons said. “There’s a very fine line between explaining how important it is, but not scaring them. It really doesn’t take much to make a mistake – which we all do – and have it turn into a fire. And the risk is not only to them, but also the firefighters that go into danger. So let’s work together to keep everybody safe.”
Both A Firefighter’s Christmas and Firefighter Charlie are available for purchase on Amazon.com.
