B-Shifter: A Firefighter's Memoir
Raw. Honest. Hilarious. Real fire service life — not the bagpipe version.
If you’re expecting a sanitized, hero-music firefighter memoir, this isn’t it. B-Shifter takes you inside the fire service the way firefighters actually live it — flawed, funny, dysfunctional, tight-knit, and absolutely unforgettable.
Nick Brunacini opens with family — growing up in the shadow of Chief Alan Brunacini, one of the most influential fire chiefs in history, and the culture that shaped him. From the early days of the Phoenix Fire Department to the roots of modern command and firefighter safety, the book sets the stage for a career born in tradition, chaos, and a whole lot of kitchen-table storytelling.
Then the ride begins.
Across more than two decades of structure fires, medical calls, tragic moments, and laugh-out-loud absurdity, Nick pulls you into the station, onto the apparatus, and deep into the mindset of the people who show up when everything goes wrong.
Brutally honest and often hilarious, B-Shifter shows firefighters as they really are — human — while reminding us why the job matters and why the culture around it is unlike any other.
A must-read for:
🔥 Firefighters and officers
🔥 Anyone who has ever worked a shift
🔥 Anyone who wonders what really happens after the tones drop
Real fire service. Real stories. Real laughs.