Dramatic, fascinating, tragic, sad, and yet full of joy: Life in the service of the fire department is unpredictable. No day is like the other. No event leaves one indifferent. Every day, hundreds of professional and volunteer firefighters respond to calls. To protect the lives of others, they risk their own. The book "Stories from the Fire Department" provides insight into the work and emotional world of the men and women who are admired by all but known by few. In the highly diverse stories and anecdotes, the protagonists describe what it feels like to extinguish fires, save lives – and how they process the tragic moments. Both young and old have their say. Thus, the book is also a chronicle of how the fire department has evolved over the decades.