“There was a sign in the kitchen of my firehouse. It is inconspicuously hung, and it reads with a proper amount of ambiguity: THIS COULD BE THE NIGHT! We don’t talk about the hazards of the trade in the firehouse. There is no sense in talking about what we hope never becomes a reality for us and for our families. It’s all a part of the job, and like the committed Calvinists, we accept what’s written in the cards for us.”

This is from Chapter 2 of Dennis Smith’s “Report from Engine Co. 82,” published four years before he launched Firehouse. The simple statement captures everything about the fire service during the War Years: the uncertainty, the quiet acceptance of what firefighters were witness to daily, and the understanding that every call carries the possibility of something life-altering.

As we mark the 50th anniversary of Firehouse, it’s fitting to reflect on Smith’s words. However, he didn’t just launch a magazine in 1976; he created a platform for honest conversations in the firehouse. I don’t believe that the magazine was created to glorify the job but to document it and give firefighters a voice that usually was shared only by a local newspaper reporter, focusing on the effect of a home or business owner and their neighbors.

Fifty years later, that mission remains, but it evolved. Today, we talk about the human side, but from a view where the stakes are clearer: occupational cancer, mental health and the effect of firefighting on your family.

We continue to highlight major incidents, fireground tactics and the changing roles of fire service leaders. Over five decades, we focused on EMS skills and patient care, the rapid rollout of technology, the need for functional fire stations, multiple disciplines of technical rescue and a renewed focus on fire prevention, plus the growing threats from natural disasters and wildfires.

I remember saying, “See you at the big one,” as my fellow department members and I left the firehouse following a run or after a drill. That all went away after Sept. 11, 2001. No one wanted the “big one” anymore. It came, we experienced it, and it was worse than anyone imagined. We never could forget the big one, and many communities had the unwanted instance of their own 9/11.

Fifty years later, it’s true: Tonight could be the night, but thanks to the hundreds of authors, conference presenters, podcast guests and others who shared their thoughts with Firehouse, civilian and firefighter deaths and injuries are down—a milestone that we all should celebrate.

Thank you to everyone who shared content with us and who used an article to start a drill and to all of the readers who have trusted us to prepare themselves for the next call and for the next step in their fire service journey.

Congratulations

We’re excited to announce the 2026 Inductees into the Firehouse Hall of Fame: Michael Daley and Glen E. Ellman. Daley has been writing and speaking for Firehouse since 2009, and we have published thousands of Ellman’s photos, including nearly three dozen cover images.

A new award to honor the legacy of longtime Firehouse Editor-in-Chief Harvey J. Eisner is announced this month. The Harvey J. Eisner Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes those who have made a lifelong commitment to the fire service, from their department to the international fire service, with a focus on firefighter safety and operations.

The first recipient is Dr. Denis Onieal, who entered the fire service with the Jersey City, NJ, Fire Department and retired from the National Fire Academy. His commitment to the betterment of the fire service spans more than five decades.

For more information about all three of the award winners, go to page 27.