One Foot in the Black
Greg Kowalski grows up in Michigan with an abusive father, a Saginaw city firefighter. Cut off from his family, Greg travels to California to become a seasonal firefighter. He is tormented by the contradiction of hatred for his father and the need to have his father’s approval and love.
Greg moves on to the brutal LACoFD Helitak training academy at Camp 8 where he graduates and begins work. He suffers traumatic stress after his crew is trapped on a mountainside in an explosive wildfire in which his captain and mentor dies. The night before this incident, Greg's father is killed in a fire in Saginaw. Greg struggles to cope with these dual tragedies.
He comes to terms with the loss of his captain, but has greater difficulty surmounting his father’s influence on his life. The title is a metaphor for the life of Greg Kowalski, a nineteen-year-old searching for his place in life.
PROLOGUE | READ AN EXCERPT
LISTEN TO KURT DISCUSS ONE FOOT IN THE BLACK
IN A FIREFIGHTER NETWORK NEWS INTERVIEW
About the title: One Foot in the Black
One Foot in the Black is a phrase used to describe a position on the fireline, which is next to an area already burned ("the black".) It is both the most dangerous place - close to the flames, and the safest place - a zone into which escape is possible. The title is a metaphor for the life of Greg Kowalski, a nineteen year searching for safety and comfort.
Excerpt of Letter from a Firefighter/EMT Reader:
“Most of the books I now read are from Christian authors and the perspectives are different. We live in the "real world" as firefighters and see people at the worse of times.
“It was good to read non-sugar coated material. I liked the accuracy of the fire service lingo, events. I've got the 18 watch outs right here on my desk. One of the younger guys who saw me reading the book has already taken my copy to read. It's going to be good for us because I see the anger in him.
“Thank you for the book!”
Even the toughest, meanest firefighter finds time
to curl up to read One Foot in the Black