Fire-fighting Presentation and Book Signing

Scranton, Lackawanna County -On Sunday, April 28, the Lackawanna Historical Society will host local author Gary Ryman for a program and book signing for his recent book, Fire Men: Stories from Three Generations of a Fire-Fighting Family. The program will begin at 2 p.m. at the Catlin House.

Ryman's presentation will focus on the evolution of fire service from the 1800s to the modern era. The program is free and open to the public, and copies of the Ryman's book will be available for sale.

Gary Ryman, author of Fire Men: Stories From Three Generations of a Firefighting Family is the second of three generations of firefighters. He has a Bachelor's degree in Fire Science from the University of Maryland and a Masters degree in American History from American Public University, and is employed as a fire protection engineer. Ryman has been a volunteer firefighter for over thirty years in three states; holding positions from firefighter to Chief of Department. He is married with two children, the oldest of which, his son, is the third generation of firefighters in this family, making him feel both old and young at the same time.

Founded in 1886 as the Lackawanna Institute of History and Science, the Lackawanna Historical Society provides the community with a record of local history through its museum and library collections, exhibits and programs. In 1942, from the bequest of George H. Catlin the Society established its permanent home at Catlin's 1912 residence, located at 232 Monroe Avenue in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In 1965 Lackawanna County designated the Lackawanna Historical Society as the official county historical society and the Society continues to serve the county as a center for local history resources.

Fore more information about the program, contact the Lackawanna Historical Society at 570-344-3841 or email lackawannahistory@gmail.com.