
Firefighter Zen
A Field Guide to Thriving in Tough Times
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $17.19
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Adam Lofbomm
-
By:
-
Hersch Wilson
About this listen
"Be brave. Be kind. Fight fires." That's the motto of firefighters, like Hersch Wilson, who spend their lives walking toward, rather than away from, danger and suffering. In this unique collection of true stories and practical wisdom, Wilson shares the Zen-like techniques that allow people like him to stay grounded while navigating danger, comforting others, and coping with their personal response to each crisis. As in Zen practice, firefighters are trained to be fully in the moment and present to the heartbeat, the life at hand. Each of five sections applies the firefighter's experience to everyone's lives.
Listeners learn to maintain perspective and equilibrium even in the midst of urgency and to prepare for adversity as well as aftermath and recovery. Finally, six key strategies for thriving in the face of difficulty include practical exercises and real-world advice. Every life contains the unexpected and the unwelcome. Since how we cope with those inevitable events, more than the events themselves, defines the quality of our lives, Firefighter Zen is an invaluable guide to meeting every day with our best calm, creative, and optimistic selves.
©2020 Hersch Wilson (P)2020 Gildan MediaListeners also enjoyed...
-
Pride & Ownership
- A Firefighter's Love of the Job
- By: Rick Lasky
- Narrated by: Rick Lasky
- Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pride & Ownership holds no punches. Chief Rick Lasky takes a hard look at the fire service and finds it short on the only element that makes it effective: passion. Chief Lasky gives an upfront and honest criticism about the need to reignite the love of the job on every level, from chiefs and on down. Do you have what it takes?
-
-
I had a hard time making my way through this.
- By Zachary Simmons on 12-30-21
By: Rick Lasky
-
Fully Involved Leadership
- Successful Strategies in Leadership from the Firefighter to the Fire Chief
- By: Gary Ludwig
- Narrated by: Frank DiPiazza
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the fire service’s most well-known and respected leaders reveals principles and events that have shaped his career and leadership values that no “cookie-cutter” leadership or management book can provide. The real-world experiences and lessons that are vividly detailed in the audiobook provide a road map for any aspiring firefighter wishing to be promoted, a company or chief officer looking to go to the next level, or a fire chief who wishes to further develop their leadership skills.
-
-
So Basic, So Repetitive
- By Aaron Andrew Schmidt on 01-10-25
By: Gary Ludwig
-
First In, Last Out
- Leadership Lessons from the New York Fire Department
- By: John Salka Battalion Chief FDNY, Dennis Smith - Introduction by, Barret Neville - With
- Narrated by: John Salka
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a high-ranking officer of the FDNY, John Salka is an expert at both practicing and teaching high-stakes leadership. In First In, Last Out, he explains the department's unique strategies and how they can be adopted by leaders in any field - as he has taught them to organizations around the country. In a tough-talking, no-nonsense style, Salka uses real-world stories to convey leadership imperatives.
-
-
Very Good.
- By Dustin Titzman on 10-22-21
By: John Salka Battalion Chief FDNY, and others
-
Fire Officer's Handbook of Tactics, 5th Edition
- By: John Norman
- Narrated by: John Norman
- Length: 35 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With his fifth edition, Chief John Norman offers lessons learned during his extensive and time-honored career. Chief Norman imparts wisdom and experience by offering advice informed by actual outcomes from the fireground. This guide continues to be invaluable for firefighters aspiring to the officer level and those seeking to promote safety and effectiveness in their organization and the communities they serve by improving their own skills.
-
-
John Norman
- By Tim G on 09-27-21
By: John Norman
-
Scars and Stripes
- An Unapologetically American Story of Fighting the Taliban, UFC Warriors, and Myself
- By: Tim Kennedy, Nick Palmisciano
- Narrated by: Tim Kennedy
- Length: 15 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tim Kennedy has a problem; he only feels alive right before he’s about to die. Kennedy, a Green Beret, decorated Army sniper, and UFC headliner, has tackled a bull with his bare hands, jumped out of airplanes, dove to the depths of the ocean, and traveled the world hunting poachers, human traffickers, and the Taliban. But he’s also the same man who got kicked out of the police department, fire department, and as an EMT, before getting two women pregnant four days apart, and finally, been beaten up by his Special Forces colleagues.
-
-
First review!!!
- By Amazon Customer on 06-07-22
By: Tim Kennedy, and others
-
401 Things Veteran Firefighters Can Teach You
- Firefighter Tips and Tricks of the Trade
- By: Gary Ludwig
- Narrated by: Larry Peterson
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written by 42-plus-year veteran Fire Chief Gary Ludwig and the foreword by Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder, this book provides 401 ways to help you become a better firefighter.
-
-
Every Firefighter Can Learn Something From This Book
- By Mike Mavrogeorge on 01-26-21
By: Gary Ludwig
-
Pride & Ownership
- A Firefighter's Love of the Job
- By: Rick Lasky
- Narrated by: Rick Lasky
- Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pride & Ownership holds no punches. Chief Rick Lasky takes a hard look at the fire service and finds it short on the only element that makes it effective: passion. Chief Lasky gives an upfront and honest criticism about the need to reignite the love of the job on every level, from chiefs and on down. Do you have what it takes?
-
-
I had a hard time making my way through this.
- By Zachary Simmons on 12-30-21
By: Rick Lasky
-
Fully Involved Leadership
- Successful Strategies in Leadership from the Firefighter to the Fire Chief
- By: Gary Ludwig
- Narrated by: Frank DiPiazza
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the fire service’s most well-known and respected leaders reveals principles and events that have shaped his career and leadership values that no “cookie-cutter” leadership or management book can provide. The real-world experiences and lessons that are vividly detailed in the audiobook provide a road map for any aspiring firefighter wishing to be promoted, a company or chief officer looking to go to the next level, or a fire chief who wishes to further develop their leadership skills.
-
-
So Basic, So Repetitive
- By Aaron Andrew Schmidt on 01-10-25
By: Gary Ludwig
-
First In, Last Out
- Leadership Lessons from the New York Fire Department
- By: John Salka Battalion Chief FDNY, Dennis Smith - Introduction by, Barret Neville - With
- Narrated by: John Salka
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a high-ranking officer of the FDNY, John Salka is an expert at both practicing and teaching high-stakes leadership. In First In, Last Out, he explains the department's unique strategies and how they can be adopted by leaders in any field - as he has taught them to organizations around the country. In a tough-talking, no-nonsense style, Salka uses real-world stories to convey leadership imperatives.
-
-
Very Good.
- By Dustin Titzman on 10-22-21
By: John Salka Battalion Chief FDNY, and others
-
Fire Officer's Handbook of Tactics, 5th Edition
- By: John Norman
- Narrated by: John Norman
- Length: 35 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With his fifth edition, Chief John Norman offers lessons learned during his extensive and time-honored career. Chief Norman imparts wisdom and experience by offering advice informed by actual outcomes from the fireground. This guide continues to be invaluable for firefighters aspiring to the officer level and those seeking to promote safety and effectiveness in their organization and the communities they serve by improving their own skills.
-
-
John Norman
- By Tim G on 09-27-21
By: John Norman
-
Scars and Stripes
- An Unapologetically American Story of Fighting the Taliban, UFC Warriors, and Myself
- By: Tim Kennedy, Nick Palmisciano
- Narrated by: Tim Kennedy
- Length: 15 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tim Kennedy has a problem; he only feels alive right before he’s about to die. Kennedy, a Green Beret, decorated Army sniper, and UFC headliner, has tackled a bull with his bare hands, jumped out of airplanes, dove to the depths of the ocean, and traveled the world hunting poachers, human traffickers, and the Taliban. But he’s also the same man who got kicked out of the police department, fire department, and as an EMT, before getting two women pregnant four days apart, and finally, been beaten up by his Special Forces colleagues.
-
-
First review!!!
- By Amazon Customer on 06-07-22
By: Tim Kennedy, and others
-
401 Things Veteran Firefighters Can Teach You
- Firefighter Tips and Tricks of the Trade
- By: Gary Ludwig
- Narrated by: Larry Peterson
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written by 42-plus-year veteran Fire Chief Gary Ludwig and the foreword by Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder, this book provides 401 ways to help you become a better firefighter.
-
-
Every Firefighter Can Learn Something From This Book
- By Mike Mavrogeorge on 01-26-21
By: Gary Ludwig
-
Step Up and Lead
- By: Frank Viscuso
- Narrated by: Frank Viscuso
- Length: 6 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Step Up and Lead, Frank Viscuso - author, speaker, and career deputy chief - shares the secrets of effective fire service leadership, introduces the traits and skills essential for successful fire service leaders, and discusses the importance of customer service. Designed to help you reach the top of your profession, this audiobook is considered a must-listen for anyone who is ready to step up and lead!
-
-
structure and planning
- By Tim Jackson on 03-21-25
By: Frank Viscuso
-
Gutter Medicine: Twenty-Six Years as a Firefighter Paramedic
- By: Roger Huder
- Narrated by: Tom Jordan
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
My career as a firefighter/paramedic stretched from 1974 to 2000 when were inventing EMS as we went along. These are stories from those years on the street. That place I named so long ago, the other reality that exists just outside most people’s everyday lives. It is a place that seems to exist parallel to the normal workaday existence: yet it is only a car accident or cardiac away for any of us. It manifested itself in brushfires, house fires, shootings, stabbings, hangings, accidents with injuries, cardiacs, codes, drownings, and a thousand other emergencies.
-
-
Mesmerizing!
- By txdoc on 10-16-19
By: Roger Huder
-
Building a Non-Anxious Life
- By: Dr. John Delony
- Narrated by: Dr. John Delony
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. John Delony decided to get to the root of the issue by mapping out a plan to understand where our anxiety is coming from and the actions we can take to change it (because he's been there too). Over the past 20 years, he's learned through research, personal experience, and walking alongside countless others that there are six daily choices people have to make to create a non-anxious life.
-
-
This Book Made Me More Anxious
- By Titus Gee on 09-30-23
By: Dr. John Delony
-
Five Alarm Leadership
- From Firehouse to Fireground
- By: Rick Lasky, John Salka
- Narrated by: Rick Lasky, John Salka
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rick Lasky and John Salka are two of the most dynamic and inspirational leaders in the fire service. Their book, Five Alarm Leadership, is a compilation of leadership lessons learned, situations handled, decisions made, and problems solved during their combined 60-plus years of fire service experience. Also included is a special introduction by Chief (ret.) Bobby Halton, Editor-in-Chief of Fire Engineering magazine, outlining the nature of transformational leadership and its power to inspire excellence in the fire service.
-
-
Masterpiece!
- By VelmaG583 on 03-08-24
By: Rick Lasky, and others
-
Step Up Your Teamwork
- By: Frank Viscuso
- Narrated by: Frank Viscuso
- Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Through powerful stories and proven principles, Step Up Your Teamwork teaches how to create momentum, prepare for success, prevent collapse, and turn a group of individuals into a high-functioning team. Frank Viscuso encourages each person to tap into individual talents, skills, and abilities and recognize how to use these skills to improve the team as a whole.
-
-
Great book
- By Sean on 05-06-23
By: Frank Viscuso
-
Like a River
- Finding the Faith and Strength to Move Forward After Loss and Heartache
- By: Granger Smith
- Narrated by: Granger Smith
- Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On June 4th, 2019, country music singer Granger Smith was enjoying a final evening with his kids before heading to Nashville for the CMT Music Awards and his next tour. While helping his daughter London with her gymnastics, his youngest son fell into their pool. Granger did everything he could to get to him, but he was too late. River drowned, and Granger's world shattered.
-
-
Amazing book
- By Kindle Customer on 08-01-23
By: Granger Smith
-
On Fire
- The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life
- By: John O'Leary
- Narrated by: John O'Leary
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When John O'Leary was nine years old, he was almost killed in a devastating house fire. With burns on 100 percent of his body, O'Leary mustered an almost unimaginable amount of inner strength just to survive the ordeal. The insights he gained through this experience and the heroes who stepped into his life to help him through the journey - his family, the medical staff, and total strangers - changed his life. Now he is committed to living life to the fullest and inspiring others to do the same.
-
-
Life changing
- By sharonb on 06-02-18
By: John O'Leary
-
Fragile
- Beauty in Chaos, Grace in Tragedy, and the Hope That Lives in Between
- By: Shannon Sovndal
- Narrated by: Shannon Sovndal
- Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Shannon Sovndal started medical school, he was confident and motivated and felt invincible. He thought he was going in with his eyes wide open. Really, he had no clue. Nothing could prepare him for the harsh reality of being a compassionate human and working as an ER doctor. In his emotionally charged memoir, Sovndal examines the tenuous balance between trying to compartmentalize the trauma of tragedy while also preserving his own humanity.
-
-
anyone can come up with a book like this
- By hussein on 05-20-21
By: Shannon Sovndal
-
Eye of the Storm
- Experiencing God When You Can't See Him
- By: Ryan Stevenson
- Narrated by: Ryan Stevenson
- Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many recognize the blockbuster song “Eye of the Storm”, but few know about the arduous journey that took Ryan Stevenson from farm boy to acclaimed singer and songwriter. Here, Stevenson shares about the turmoil of his early life, the grief experienced during his mother’s long battle with cancer, the stress and burnout of his days working as a paramedic, and how an unexpected lightning storm would turn his life around. When the dark clouds roll in, Stevenson listens to that still, small voice - the voice of a trustworthy God who holds on to him even during the fiercest storms.
-
-
a true testimony!
- By Kristi Lyles on 09-04-20
By: Ryan Stevenson
-
Warrior's Creed
- A Life of Preparing for and Facing the Impossible
- By: Roger Sparks, with Don Rearden
- Narrated by: Roger Sparks
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This powerful and inspirational story is as much of a self-help book as it is an edge of your seat military memoir. Warrior's Creed reveals a motivating and mindful approach to overcoming the odds, facing the impossible, and finding mercy and grace in the aftermath.
-
-
Must Read!
- By M Flatten on 03-09-21
By: Roger Sparks, and others
-
True Grit and Grace
- Turning Tragedy into Triumph
- By: Amberly Lago
- Narrated by: Amberly Lago
- Length: 4 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
True Grit and Grace tells the story of a woman's life forever altered by a horrific motorcycle accident that shattered her right leg. Despite the initial recommendation to amputate, she endured 34 surgeries to save it. However, as a sexual-abuse and divorce survivor, she determined to save not only her leg, but her career, her dreams, and her dignity.
-
-
Amazing!!
- By Аmazon Customer on 08-06-23
By: Amberly Lago
-
One More Light
- Life, Death and Humanity Through the Eyes of a Firefighter
- By: James Geering
- Narrated by: James Geering
- Length: 4 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One More Light takes you on a journey with veteran firefighter and paramedic James Geering. As each chapter unfolds, the heart-wrenching stories are coupled with a unique physical and mental health perspective about preventing tragedy and unnecessary suffering. It’s about maximizing the wellness and fulfillment of one another. But most of all, this is a book that ultimately leaves you with the hope that, with us at our best, we have a fighting chance to thrive in an uncertain world.
-
-
impactful stories
- By Chris Rodriguez on 09-13-24
By: James Geering