Book Signing Event Next Saturday

I'll be signing copies of Mayday! Firefighter Down and Fire Men: Stories From Three Generations of a Firefighting Family on Saturday, November 15th from 2-8PM at Maiolatesi Wine Cellars

Stop by the winery at 32 Cabernet Drive, Scott Township, PA 18447 for a great time. Wine, music, light snacks, and books! 

Now Available for Pre-Order...Mayday! Firefighter Down

My new novel Mayday! Firefighter Down is now available for pre-order on the publisher's website. It should be out on Amazon and Barnes & Noble in a few weeks. 

Mayday! Firefighter Down

Coming soon...Mayday! Firefighter Down

My new novel due for release this fall. 

 

 

Mayday! Firefighter Down is a great read in the genre of Dennis Smith’s Steely Blue and shouldn’t be missed. Ryman kept the firefighter in me interested and the writer in me waiting to see what happens next. 

Deputy Chief Michael “Mick” Mayers

Firehousezen.com

 

Ryman hits one out of the park…. In Mayday! Firefighter Down you will see life though a firefighters eyes, but with a new twist. From the first dispatch, to the jaw dropping ending (or is it), Ryman takes you on a thrilling journey as a Truck Officer in a busy fire station, plagued by an arsonist.  Mayday! Firefighter Down is a compelling read; once you start you won’t want to put it down!

Fred Bales, CFPS, CFI

PA Senior Fire/Public Safety Instructor

 

 

“Chief Gary Ryman’s latest book, Mayday! Firefighter Down is an incredible read.  Ryman has blended just about all of the elements of a great American novel into this one including; Mystery, Murder, Greed, a sexy love story and Great Fire Fighting Action.  Once I started this book, it was difficult putting it down.  Gary has captured the essence of what a firefighter does in a twenty-four hour shift, better than just about any other….  The reality is non-fire service folks will be able to understand what we do, without losing the interest of the Firehouse Jake’s and Firehouse Jane's that take this amazing journey in Mayday! Firefighter Down.  I believe Gary has a best seller on his hands and maybe a Hollywood script for a fire rescue drama….  This book should be required reading for all aspiring and new fire fighters”.  

Chief Dennis Rubin

 

 

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone: More Advice for the New Fire Officer

Comfort zones are a wonderful thing.  Avoid yours.  One of the most important, and difficult, things to do is get avoid simple acceptance of the status quo.  “We’ve always done it that way” are some of the most dangerous words out there.  On the flip side of the coin, change simply for its own sake, can be just as problematic.  The newest, latest, greatest, hottest change in tactics, tools, or techniques, isn’t always.   

Always what?  Well it’s not always great, or in some cases, actually new.  Recycling old ideas or techniques with new names and calling it progress has been part of the culture for a long time. 

So what is a new fire officer (or any fire officer for that matter) to do?  How about this for a radical idea—think.   

Think for yourself.  Don’t blindly accept either the status quo or the latest greatest.  Examine both with a high degree of rigor.  I’m not suggesting blatant disregard of standard operating procedures, whether existing or new, but there’s nothing wrong with looking at them critically.   

Challenge yourself.  Specifically select articles, blogs, and authors to read with whom you inherently disagree, and then try to read them with an open mind.  Evaluate their arguments dispassionately.   Look behind the data.  How was it developed?  Was the methodology valid or do you perceive flaws?  

 

They may not change your mind, but you will better understand the arguments others are making on a particular topic.  Reading in this way also opens you up to the possibility that in some cases, you might need to acknowledge your own pre-conceived notions may not be correct. 

Try to find a few fellow officers, peers and superiors, with whom you can have a wide ranging, non-judgmental dialogue on fire service issues.  A few adult beverages (the operative word being few) can sometimes help lubricate these discussions.  The response “that’s #($*& stupid and so are you,” is not the type of conversation you are shooting for.  An open and respectful debate can sharpen thought processes, expose unanticipated flaws in policies and procedures, and overall, be valuable for all participants.   

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out; all of this is easier said than done.  Comfort zones are called that for a reason.  They’re nice enjoyable places to stay where you don’t have to think.  Critical thinking in this manner is one of the most important tools of the fire officer and leader.  Get out of your comfort zone and try it. 

Upcoming Novel Mayday! Firefighter Down

More announcements in the upcoming months, but....here is the first shot of the cover of my new book the novel "Mayday! Firefighter Down" tentatively scheduled for release by October of this year. The publisher is thrilled and excited with the work they did on the cover, and I agree with them. Can't wait to hold the first copy in my hands.

Great New 5 Star Review for "Fire Men."

"Strike the box" is a term from the not too-distant past, used when fire fighters arrived at the scene of a reported car fire only to discover that it's a house that' on fire, and a full "box assignment" of three engines and a ladder truck is needed. Well, not only did Mr. Ryman strike the box of my expectations when I began reading "Fire Men," he went right to the second, third and fourth alarms.

Mr. Ryman begins his series of tales by putting the reader into a comfortable bed, only to jar them awake with a blaring alarm, getting them hurriedly attired in turn-out gear, and inside a house that's on fire--only to amp it up when a backdraft threatens his life and that of an already horribly-burned colleague. And I was right there alongside him, not only because of his powerful narrative voice but also because I've been there--as a fire fighter during the 1970s I was caught in a backdraft almost identical to the one Mr. Ryman describes, and I can say with a certain degree of authority that Ryman ain't lyin' about what it was like for him inside that inferno.

"Fire Men" has a tactile feel to it. As I read the various tales he tells I could smell the smoke, feel the leather helmet on my head, could hear the shrill screams of the mechanical 'Federal Q' sirens and the stutters of the air horns. I also felt the fire's heat along with the fear. Mr. Ryman begins with a literal bang and then falls into a series of random stories - and that was what he should've done, because it evokes what being a fire fighter is all about . . . of boredom one moment, empathy for the dead in the next, followed by sheer terror when all around it seems that everything is coming down upon your head.

"Fire Men - Stories from Three Generations of a Fire Fighting Family" is a well-crafted book that kept me turning the pages all the way until I reached its very satisfying ending. Buy it, read it and above all, hang-on as you ride the roller-coaster ride that "Fire Men" is.

The Origin of the Maltese Cross

Although many fire department tools and symbols still in use have historical origins, the Maltese Cross goes back a bit further than most.  Around 1113 AD, a Benedictine Monk founded the Order of Knights Hospitaller, subsequently known as the Knights of St. John.   

Originally a charitable organization, the Knights were drawn into battle to defend their city against attacking Saracens.  The Saracens hurled containers filled with flammable liquids onto the defenders, followed by flaming torches.  The Knights were flamboyant in dress, wearing crimson capes over their armor.  The knights rode among their burning brethren, using their capes to extinguish the fires, demonstrating courage and gallantry. 

As a reward, the Knights were given the Island of Malta and the eight pointed symbol became known as the Maltese Cross, one of valor and protection.  Regularly used on badges, patches, and apparatus, the nearly thousand year old emblem has a lineage of honor.