TOMMY JAY DWYER STEPPED into his past when he walked into Worcester’s South Division Fire Station on July 13, 2025.
It’s the same building where his “Uncle Cliffy” ate, slept, and showered as a Worcester firefighter.
“It was sort of a coming home for me, right? I had been on fire trucks, I had grown up in the stations,” Dwyer shares. “I’m one of the only guys in my family that’s not a firefighter.”
Dwyer’s strong familial ties to those who lived their lives fighting fires is documented in Burnin’ Down the House. It will premiere August 6th at Worcester’s Hanover Theater.
The 40-year-old Paxton native has spent the last 20 years in the movie industry as a narrative filmmaker and SAG-AFTRA actor. This is his first documentary.
Six of his immediate and extended family members became firefighters. His father Tom Dwyer dedicated 32 years to the City of Worcester.
“Two weeks after he retired, he had a massive heart attack. He’s now had two massive heart attacks and cancer before 70 (years old),” reveals Dwyer.
Three of his other firefighter relatives have also suffered serious medical episodes too. Dwyer’s “Uncle Cliffy” or Clifton J. DeCourcy died at 61-years-old from an incurable lung disease called pulmonary fibrosis. His death happened only seven days after he retired.
“My take on the whole movie was that we’ve always seen firefighters being heroes,” Dwyer says. “What we don’t know is that they’re regular people… that are being put in extraordinary situations day after day.”
Dwyer says Kathy Crosby-Bell of The Last Call Foundation approached him with the short film idea. Crosby-Bell founded the firefighter advocacy group after her son Michael Kennedy, 33, died in Boston while fighting a nine-alarm fire in March 2014.
“…his vision on the film formed early: he wanted it to be raw and real. He wanted it to show firefighters in their actual lives, and put the story in the face of the viewer,” explains John Keough, who helped shoot and edit the documentary.
Dwyer and Keough received permission from Worcester, Fall River and Westwood’s fire departments to live inside one of their older firehouses. During that time, they did what the firefighters did; from responding to emergencies to drinking from the same faucet.
“One common theme throughout all of the stations that we visited was everyone wakes up sick,” Dwyer describes. “They were telling me, ‘When you wake up here you have a sore throat, a runny nose and a cough.’”
Dwyer says they also encountered pervasive asbestos, mold and mildew growth, as well as crumbling buildings.
“The thing that strikes me the most is that some of the firefighters were in fear of their superiors. They were afraid to be honest about terrible living conditions in fear of their bosses holding it against them,” Keough explains.
After filming, the guys spent the next year sifting through hundreds of hours of video footage and then editing it altogether.
“I didn’t interview politicians. I didn’t interview super high- ranking members of the department. I interviewed the people that work in the stations,” Dwyer reflects.
With its premiere less than a month away, Dwyer hopes Burnin’ Down the House leaves an indelible impression, so that people remember firefighters on more than just tragic occasions.
“Remember these men and women, when it’s time to vote. Remember these men and women when you’re calling your representatives and talking about issues that need to be fixed.”
While Dwyer encourages others to be more aware of the perils and health risks firefighters are exposed to while on the job, it’s always on his mind.
Reflecting on this experience, Dwyer says it afforded him a deeper appreciation for his forebears, while offering him a chance to learn more about who he is.
Tickets for Burnin’ Down the House can be bought HERE. The documentary debuts at Worcester’s Hanover Theater on August 6th at 7:30 p.m. Half of the ticket sales proceeds go to The Last Call Foundation.
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The Last Call Foundation’s mission is to improve the safety and wellness of firefighters across America through research and fundraisers.
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April Baker is a freelance contributor with BostonMan Magazine. Her work has garnered numerous national and regional recognition. In 2025, Netflix featured her reporting on its television docuseries American Murder: Gabby Petito. She has also earned accolades from the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) for her reports on drought’s impact to Utah’s wildlife, and the community contention caused by the presence of pride flags in schools.
Prior to that, she spent 13 years moving her hefty sofa bed across the country to pursue news anchoring and reporting jobs in Massachusetts, South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida, and Utah. Most recently, she worked as a freelance general assignment reporter and fill-in anchor for WFXT, Boston 25 News.
To check out more of her work and to stay connected with April, please visit her page at TheAprilBaker.com!
