Jumpline MAG_Spring 2026 - Flipbook - Page 10
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The Man Behind the Lens
Jack Swerdloff, Ret.
Local 1403’s Quiet Historian:
Photographer Eric Goodman
home they still share today and the unof昀椀cial
headquarters of the Fire Buff Photography
Command Center.
For decades, while
昀椀re昀椀ghters
charged
into
danger
and
communities gathered
in moments of pride, one man stood just
behind the line — camera in hand, quietly
preserving the story of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue
(MDFR). By title, Eric Goodman is a volunteer
photographer. In reality, he is the department’s
modern living archivist.
A Family of Buffs
Eric has given thousands of hours to Local 1403, Miami-Dade
Fire Rescue, and the community at large. He has documented
emergency scenes, charity events, fundraisers, memorials,
community drives, and countless special requests. His
photographs have captured courage, heartbreak, humor, and
humanity — all without ever asking for recognition.
Since 1995, MDFR has been fortunate to call him one of our
own. It’s long past time we honor the man who has spent a
lifetime honoring us.
Brooklyn Beginnings
Eric Goodman was born on September 26, 1953, at Maimonides
Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. He spent his 昀椀rst twenty years
there before his family relocated to North Miami, settling in the
Sans Souci area. Eventually, Eric moved into his own place,
where he lived for nearly two decades,and where he met his
wife, Carol. In 1994, they two moved to Pembroke Pines, the
Eric’s introduction to the 昀椀re service world came
early. His Uncle Malcolm (“Mack”) and cousin
Sheldon were 昀椀re buffs* in Brooklyn as far back
as the 1950’s. They both later joined the auxiliary
of FDNY’s Engine 309/Ladder 159 in Flatbush, and
eventually became FDNY dispatchers — Mack in Manhattan
and Sheldon on Staten Island.
It was in their home that a seven year old Eric discovered the
magic of radios, bells, and the organized chaos of emergency
response. Sheldon, in particular, drew him in. He had a van
equipped with a mobile telephone, a rarity at the time, and
even worked as a freelance news photographer. Eric would
sit in Sheldon’s room listening to radios crackle with activity,
fascinated as scanners evolved and the entire city became
audible.
Back then, FDNY dispatched three engines and two trucks to
a box alarm. Crews rode with seven 昀椀re昀椀ghters per rig, many
hanging onto the tailboard. There were no portable radios.
Fire昀椀ghters learned their destination from the station bells:
the number of dings corresponded to the box number and
approximate location. That system lasted until 1979, when
radios became standard and “rip and run” printouts brought
more precise information.
A New Home, A New Department
When Eric moved to North Miami in 1974, he spotted
MetroDade Fire Department’s Engine 20,formerly North Miami
Fire Department,an American LaFrance Pioneer. It became the
昀椀rst MDFR apparatus he ever photographed.
Not long after, he heard sirens from his apartment, saw a truck
crossing the causeway, and followed it. He arrived just as crews
were picking up from a code 1 house 昀椀re in Surfside on Abbott
Avenue in Miami Beach. That became his 昀椀rst MDFR structure
昀椀re photo.
From the 1970s through the 1990s, Eric quietly documented the
department from the outside, with no of昀椀cial af昀椀liation — just
passion, persistence, and a camera.
The Break That Changed Everything
On September 23, 1995, at the grand opening of MDFR’s
new Firehouse 30, Eric’s life took a turn. As he prepared to
take photos, Captain Paul Gurdak approached him with a
growl: “Who you shooting for?”
Air Rescue was inbound, and the Captain wanted photos.
Spring 2026 | JUMPLINE Magazine
