It Started with a Helmet

About the Book

This is the amazing, true story of Gerald Sanford, a former New York City police officer and FDNY firefighter who retired and moved to Naples, Florida. Retirement didn’t take, and he found himself working at North Naples Fire Control and Rescue District, which is how he stumbled on an early 1900s antique fire helmet. He instantly knew the helmet was from New York City. By an amazing coincidence, Sanford presented the fire helmet back to the FDNY firehouse in the Bronx the day before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. With the city in ruins, Sanford volunteered to serve the FDNY in one of his former roles—press secretary. In this memoir, he recalls volunteering after 9/11 as well as his earlier years working for the NYPD and FDNY, including his observations of political figures such as Mayor Ed Koch, Mayor David Dinkins, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and others. Join Sanford as he shares an incredible story about Sept. 11 and how an antique leather helmet led two fire departments to forge a lasting bond.

About the Author

Gerald Sanford is a retired FDNY firefighter living in Naples, Florida. After serving twenty-nine years with the FDNY, he served seventeen years with North Collier Fire Control and Rescue District as its public information officer before retiring a second time. Chris Griffith is a real estate agent turned writer from Bonita Springs, Florida. Having written real estate columns for a variety of newspaper and magazine publications, she graduated to books so that she could share Gerald Sanford’s story.