You’re My Hero Focuses on Firefighters

Lisa Acton and Barry Spilchuk chat outside Carmel FD headquarters last week during their tour of fire stations in the Putnam region. ERIC GROSS A Canadian author has teamed up with a Putnam County businesswoman to co-author a book—You’re My Hero— consisting of short stories and essays relating to members of New York State’s firefighting forces.

Barry Spilchuk, of Toronto, and Lisa Acton, who resides in Stormville, decided on the venture after meeting at a business conference in San Francisco.

The two toured Putnam County last week, where they visited firehouses and brainstormed, remembering their original meeting in the City by the Bay, when Acton asked the author of three previous You’re My Hero books: “Let’s do a book honoring firefighters.”

Spilchuk stopped dead in his tracks: “A book written from the firefighter’s perspective was a novel idea. One of my heroes growing up as a child was my Uncle George, who was a firefighter, while my best friend in the entire world is also a firefighter. I don’t know how a firefighter volunteers—to don heavy gear and run into a burning building to save your family and your possessions. It blows me away!”

While everyone appreciates the role of a firefighter or emergency responder, Spilchuk said a volume composed by the general public would be rather boring because “everyone appreciates what a firefighter does. However, from a responder’s perspective—the hero might be someone they saved or a brother or sister or even a dad who inspired them to become a firefighter.”

Spilchuk said he was “very curious to see who the firefighter’s heroes were going to be.”

The volume will concentrate on the firefighters of New York State, where 150,000 volunteers, paid members, and EMTs are members of the fire service.

Spilchuk has encouraged all firefighters to submit their tales: “I don’t want to discourage anyone from writing, because you never know a good story until it is read.”

While an undetermined number of stories will be included in the book, each submission will be posted on the You’re my Hero Web site—ymhny.com.

Acton serves as an active member of the East Fishkill Fire Department at its Stormville substation. While she realizes the need for a strong volunteer emergency services corps in a growing area like Putnam and Southern Dutchess, “no one ever asks a firefighter why he serves. We often hear that we are ‘crazy’ for entering a burning building owned by a total stranger. This book will serve as a nice twist because no one has ever compiled such a volume written by the firefighters themselves.” A former lieutenant in the fire service, she responds to more than 100 calls annually. Her husband and two daughters are also members of the volunteer fire service. Prior to moving to Stormville, Lisa’s husband was a member of the Mahopac Falls FD. Following the move, Lisa’s husband became a member of the East Fishkill FD followed by the couple’s daughter, Ally. Lisa said she felt uneasy for her daughter “being the only lady member of a fire department” so 8 years ago, she joined. The Acton’s younger daughter, Emily, also recently joined the fire service.

Lisa called her involvement a “family thing. I strongly encourage other families to join their community emergency services corps, as well.”

Receipts of the book will benefit charity. Plans call for the book to go on sale next May 4 on the occasion of International Firefighter’s Day for $25, with a $12.50 donation of every book sold going to a charity benefiting the state’s fire service.

Spilchuk thanked all firefighters for their devotion and dedication to duty: “All I can say is ‘thanks for a job well done!’ These people don’t think twice. You’re my hero! Thank you!”