The author wants the reader to understand that society needs to change how it thinks and feels about fire death. When a civilian is killed by fire it is not an act of God, and when a firefighter is killed it is not part of the job. When there is a fire death something went wrong. I Can't Save You, But I'll Die Trying: The American Fire Culture is a collection of essays representing years of fire-service experience including operations, prevention, education, safety, leadership, culture, and philosophy giving readers, both civilian and firefighters, a new understanding of our fire culture. The book reveals important changes society must make to provide a more fire-safe environment for firefighters and the public.