Gregory Lee Renz
A Room of One's Own 2717 Atwood Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53704
press release: A Room of One's Own welcomes Gregory Lee Renz, author of Beneath the Flames!
Ever wonder what’s it’s like to be a big-city firefighter or what it’s like to save two unconscious boys from their basement bedroom?
At the book event at A Room of One’s Own on Sept. 19, Gregory L. Renz, who was inducted in the Police and Fire Hall of Fame, will discuss his experiences as a first responder, and how he transitioned to becoming the author of the celebrated novel, Beneath the Flames.
The audience will get an inside look at what life is like as an inner city firefighter. The building where the boys lived was on fire when Renz made his way down a smoke-filled stairwell to the basement bedroom. “I couldn’t see a thing but I knew I couldn’t live with myself if I backed out,” he says. He discovered the little boys unconscious and not breathing. Today, the teenagers are eternally grateful that this firefighter, now author, found them when he did.
For this rescue Renz received the American Legion Medal of Honor, the Fire Rescue Class “A” Award from the Milwaukee Fire Department (their highest award), the Heroism and Community Service Award from Firehouse magazine, the Red Cross Brave Hearts Award for Emergency Response Hero and other accolades.