As one of the novel’s protagonists, Steve is the fire chief at the Clover Hill Nuclear Power Plant in Waketa. He spends most of the novel on the front lines, dealing with the crisis as it unfolds. He lost his wife, Claire, to cancer 16 months ago and is now struggling to raise his son, Matt. He prides himself on his ability to “compartmentalize” his issues, and as the disaster unfolds, he often pushes away stray thoughts of his son so that he can focus on the plant’s problems. He is brave and compassionate, and he chooses to risk his life and ultimately sacrifices himself to save the plant.

As a dynamic character, Steve changes throughout the course of the novel. The first time he is introduced, he is sitting morosely at the back of the church, listening to the Good Friday sermon. The narrative reveals that Steve always leaves early and never attends church when it is busy; his goal is to avoid questions about how he is doing in the wake of his wife’s death. Because he ultimately sacrifices everything to save Waketa, Steve is an embodiment of Heroism and Leadership in Times of Crisis.