Tom Brennan’s Random Thoughts

For the first time, all 18 years of Tom Brennan’s “Random Thoughts” columns from Fire Engineering magazine are collected in one book. A former FDNY captain and Fire Engineering editor, Brennan was a true legend in the fire service, and his column was famously the page readers turned to first every issue.

The collection covers tactics, strategy, decision-making, and incident management for firefighters at every level, delivered in Brennan’s signature straightforward, humorous style. Decades after his passing in 2006, his writing remains a go-to resource, with veteran firefighters and officers still citing it as essential, practical reading for anyone on the job.