Fireside Chat, Interview
Steve Buscemi, Actor, Director and Former NYC Firefighter
- Steve Buscemi served as a New York City firefighter for the FDNY from 1980 to 1984, initially joining at his father's insistence via a civil service test he prepared for using past exam questions.
- Buscemi transitioned from a reluctant firefighter to an actor by taking a leave of absence after three months, which he extended to a year before permanently leaving the department to pursue acting full-time.
- He returned to active duty at the World Trade Center site on September 12, 2001, working for five days with Engine 55 and volunteers before realizing he did not want to be an "extra body" at the recovery site.
- Following his departure from the site, Buscemi experienced anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms, contrasting with the sense of purpose and community he felt while assisting at Ground Zero.
- In 2014, Buscemi co-produced the HBO documentary Firehouse, which highlighted the psychological toll on firefighters and the need for counseling following 9/11, where he was hesitant to participate due to his close personal ties to the department.
- Buscemi currently partners with "Friends of Firefighters," a Brooklyn-based organization that provides free mental health services to active, retired, and family members of firefighters in a firehouse environment.
- Of the 343 firefighters killed in the 9/11 attacks, 75 firehouses lost at least one member; the deaths were indiscriminate across all ranks and divisions.
- 9/11-related cancers began appearing as early as five years post-attack, significantly faster than the previously feared 20-year timeline, leading to a permanent federal compensation fund for affected first responders.
- Buscemi is producing the documentary Dust, made by firefighter's daughter Bridget Gormley, to advocate for continued support for families fighting 9/11-related cancers.
- Current projects include the upcoming third season of the anthology series Miracle Workers, where Buscemi plays an outlaw on the Oregon Trail; previous seasons featured him as an inept God and a "shit shoveler."
- In the 2020 film King of the Staten Island, Buscemi played a senior firefighter and chauffeur opposite Pete Davidson, characterizing Davidson's father as a "human, flawed hero" rather than a mythologized figure to help process grief.
- Buscemi is directing a feature film titled The Listener, starring Tessa Thompson as a helpline worker navigating mental health calls during the pandemic.
- Buscemi notes that while he often faced casting typecasting as an arsonist during his 30-year career, King of the Staten Island was his first role explicitly as a firefighter.
- He describes the firehouse culture as a mix of "organized chaos" during emergencies and a "domesticated" family life during 24-hour shifts, involving shared meals, chores, and intense camaraderie.
- Buscemi clarifies the operational distinction between engine companies (who attack the fire with hoses) and hook-and-ladder/truck companies (who handle forcible entry, ventilation, and rescues).
- He warns that no fire is ever routine, as fatalities often occur when responders assume a situation is under control and something escalates unexpectedly.
- Buscemi expressed hope for a fourth season of Miracle Workers, though no official announcement has been made as of the interview.
- He stated that the "pure love" and humanity witnessed at the 9/11 recovery site was a profound experience that helped his own heart, despite the trauma of the environment.