"A GOOD JOB: STORIES OF THE FDNY," A FILM BY LIZ GARBUS AND STEVE BUSCEMI, EXPLORES THE DEMANDING LIVES OF NEW YORK CITY FIREFIGHTERS WHEN IT DEBUTS SEPT. 8, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

"'A good job' means a really tough fire," says retired firefighter Alfred Benjamin. Some call it terrifying or seductive, but as Rescue 5's Joseph Esposito notes, "You should be scared...that's what keeps you alive."

Directed and produced by Liz Garbus (HBO's Emmy(R)-nominated "Bobby Fischer Against the World") and produced by actor Steve Buscemi (Emmy(R) nominee for HBO's "Boardwalk Empire"), A GOOD JOB: STORIES OF THE FDNY explores life in one of the most demanding and innovative fire departments in the world. Featuring first-hand accounts of veteran firefighters and former FDNY member Buscemi, the film reveals what it feels like to fight, and know, fire in New York when it debuts MONDAY, SEPT. 8 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

Other HBO playdates: Sept. 8 (1:40 a.m.), 10 (9:30 a.m., 5:30 p.m.), 14 (3:30 p.m.), 15 (1:30 p.m.), 20 (12:30 p.m.) and 25 (5:15 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Sept. 11 (8:00 p.m.), 22 (2:30 p.m., 11:50 p.m.), 24 (9:05 a.m.) and 27 (2:00 p.m.)

Spotlighting the immense mental and physical toll of firefighting, as well as the community borne out of sharing an incredible responsibility, A GOOD JOB goes inside the New York City Fire Department to illuminate the lives of heroes who put themselves at risk to serve the city. Through behind-the-scenes footage and interviews conducted by Buscemi, the film tells stories of the men and women of the FDNY while drawing on candid photos and rare video from the last five decades to revisit department milestones, including: the "War Years" of the '60s and '70s; the 1966 23rd Street fire, in which 12 firefighters died; the Happy Land Social Club fire of 1990 (87 victims); and 9/11 and its lasting impact on the FDNY.

Ultimately, A GOOD JOB is about camaraderie and the bonds formed around firehouse kitchen tables, the cumulative effect of trauma, both physical and mental, and the stories - the good, the bad and the exciting.

Director Liz Garbus is a two-time Oscar(R)-nominated director and producer whose previous HBO credits include "Love, Marilyn," "There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane" and the Emmy(R)-nominated "Bobby Fischer Against the World." She co-founded Moxie Firecracker Films in 1998 with fellow filmmaker Rory Kennedy.

Steve Buscemi worked as a firefighter at Engine Co. 55 in New York City from 1980 to 1984 before pursuing a career as an actor. In addition to starring in such movies as "Reservoir Dogs," "Fargo," "The Big Lebowski" and "Ghost World," he has directed four feature films and numerous TV shows, including "The Sopranos," receiving an Emmy(R) nomination for the episode entitled "Pine Barrens." He later joined the cast of "The Sopranos," and currently stars in the lead role of Nucky Thompson on the HBO series "Boardwalk Empire," for which he won a Best Actor Golden Globe Award. Buscemi started the New York-based Olive Productions (which co-produced A GOOD JOB: STORIES OF THE FDNY) with Wren Arthur and actor-director Stanley Tucci, a longtime friend.

A GOOD JOB: STORIES OF THE FDNY is directed and produced by Liz Garbus; produced by Wren Arthur and Steve Buscemi; editor, Karen Sim; co-producer, Mridu Chandra; cinematographer, Maryse Alberti; original music by Philip Sheppard; line producer, Julie Gaither; associate producer, Adrienne Collatos. For Olive Productions: executive producer, Stanley Tucci. For HBO: supervising producer, Lisa Heller; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.