Mahoney’s text discusses every phase of fire fighting operations and their importance to overall fire suppression. It relates various operations and tactics to different types of fires ranging from structural, mobile, flammable liquid and gas fires to wildland and various miscellaneous fires.
Gene Mahoney was released to inactive duty as a pilot from the U.S. Navy in 1946. He served an additional 18 years in the Reserve, retiring as a lieutenant commander. During his time with the navy, he flew both reciprocating engine and jet aircraft.
Gene joined the Los Angeles Fire Department as a firefighter in 1947. He retired as a battalion chief in 1969. During his time with the department, he was assigned to various areas of the city, including five years in the downtown area, five years in the harbor area, and five years in the south-central area of the city. As a battalion chief, he served five years in the most active fire-fighting battalion in the city, additional time in the high-rise area of the city, and as commander in charge of the fire-fighting forces at the Los Angeles International Airport. His special-duty assignments included several years in the training section. At the time of his retirement, he was responsible for the public relations section of the department.
Gene retired from the Los Angeles Fire Department to accept the position of fire chief for the city of Garden Grove, California. He was later advanced to the position of public safety director and then accepted the assignment as assistant city manager for public safety. In these positions, he was responsible for the operation of both the fire and police departments. He left the city of Garden Grove to accept the position of fire chief for the Arcadia, California, Fire Department. He retired from this position in 1975.
Gene, together with another Los Angeles Fire Department captain, was responsible for the development of the fire science curriculum at Los Angeles Harbor College, Wilmington, California, and served there as a part-time instructor for twelve years. He also taught fire administration courses at Long Beach State College, Long Beach, California, for two years. Upon retiring as fire chief from the city of Arcadia, he accepted the position of fire science coordinator at Rio Hondo College, Whinier, California. While there, he developed the fire science curriculum into one of the most complete programs in the United States. The program includes a Fire Academy, which provides all the training required for certification as a Fire Fighter I in California. He retired from Rio Hondo College as a professor of fire science in 1988.
While with the Los Angeles Fire Department, Gene attended the University of Southern California, where he received his B.S. degree in Public Administration with a minor in Fire Administration in 1956 and three years later his M.S. degree in Education.
In addition to authoring several articles in professional magazines, Gene has authored several textbooks and study guides in the field of fire science. The textbooks include Fire Department Hydraulics, Introduction to Fire Apparatus and Equipment, Fire Department Oral Interviews: Practices and Procedures, and Fire Suppression Practices and Procedures. The study guides include one for his text, Introduction to Fire Apparatus and Equipment; one entitled Firefighters Promotion Examinations; and one on Effective Supervisory Practices. He also had a novel published, entitled Anatomy of an Arsonist.
During his career, Gene has been very active in professional and service organizations. He served as:
District Chairman, Boy Scouts of America
President, United Way
District Chairman, Salvation Army
President, International Association of Toastmasters
President, Rio Hondo College Faculty Association
