ON THE HOOK

34 YEARS OF LAUGHTER, LIFE, AND DEATH WITH THE LAFD

ON THE HOOK!

For 34 years with the LAFD, Bill Siemantel lived a double life. This is the untold story of the chaos, courage, and comedy that happened in between the sirens.

You think you know what a firefighter’s life is about. You’ve seen the lights, heard the sirens. That’s the movie version. The real story happens in the spaces in between—in the deafening silence after a death is pronounced, the shared, hysterical laughter that breaks the tension after a close call, and the sacred ritual of a shared meal at 2 a.m.

ON THE HOOK is the unforgettable memoir from Bill Siemantel, a legendary LA City firefighter and a Hall of Fame bass fisherman. With a storytelling style that’s both raw and riotous, Bill pulls back the curtain on a world few ever see.

• Brace for the Pranks: Witness the psychological warfare of a rookie who waged a three-month campaign with a phantom cricket… and won. Learn the delicate art of making a fellow firefighter believe he’s wet the bed, and survive the night a chainsaw-wielding colleague decided the dormitory needed “redecorating.”

• Face the Unforgettable Calls: Kneel on a freeway where one man’s life ends and, 24 hours later, a newborn’s begins on the exact same square of asphalt. Enter a bedroom where a dying man screams of burning flames, and another where a woman is welcomed home by the sound of music. These are the calls that chisel a man’s soul.

• Meet the Wild Ones: From the “Flying Snakes of Mulholland” and a gutter-rat prank so good it broke a tough guy from the Bronx, to getting your ass handed to you by an 80-pound girl on LSD, the characters are as wild as the city itself.

• Earn Your Wisdom: Discover the firehouse economy of payback, where a fake fish can win a real paycheck and a Wheaties box can humble an arrogant captain for good. Learn why you should never, ever electro-shock your own taint.

But this is more than a firefighter’s tale. It’s the story of a man who pursued another passion with the same relentless intensity, becoming the youngest living inductee into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. The same focus that dissected a burning building was applied to crafting world-changing lures and a revolutionary fishing methodology.

ON THE HOOK is a masterclass in living with guts, laughter, and purpose. It’s a love letter to the family you choose in the station house, a testament to the healing power of humor, and a proof that passion, once lit, can blaze through every corner of your life.

Perfect for fans of: Emergency!, Larry the Cable Guy’s humor, Rescue Me, Jocko Willink’s discipline, and real, unvarnished stories of service.

Strap in. It’s a bumpy, hilarious, and unforgettable ride into the heart of a life in service.