BACK COVER COPY Since the days when fire alarms were signaled by church bells, people have been chasing fire engines. Some people just had to know where the fire was, and others actually went to the scene. Some of these "buffs" from the past include George Washington, Ben Franklin, Lillian Hitchcock Coit, Oliver Wendell Holmes, a Prince of Wales, Arthur Fiedler, and Fiorello LaGuardia. Today, when a fire engine or police car speeds by with its lights flashing and sirens wailing, we might wonder where it is going and what adventure awaits it. The church bell alarm of yesteryear has been replaced by radio, enabling ordinary citizens to be part of the excitement. The drama can range from a major conflagration to a high-speed pursuit, or merely a politician speeding to his own fund-raiser. Some buffs will go to events to watch the spectacle unfold, to record the event as journalists, or possibly to witness the scene of a crime as if they were part of the incident itself. Many thrill-seekers have become obsessed with chasing this kind of excitement. Complete with a buff's compendium of jargon and radio codes and frequencies, The Buff Chronicles tells the story of these infatuated people, their foibles, and the events they follow.