The Reckoning: 8 miles between life and death

The Reckoning: A Firefighter’s Story of Survival, Loss, and the Weight of Showing Up On the front lines of emergency response, firefighters do more than answer calls; they step into chaos, make split-second decisions, carry the weight of lives saved and lost, and then do it all over again the next shift. They share meals at the station, train together, rely on one another when it matters most, and build a bond that only comes from facing the worst days of other people’s lives. For Greg Burns, that bond—and that job—was tested in a way few are prepared for. In August 2020, while working as a firefighter, Greg became a patient himself, fighting for his life in an ICU as COVID-19 took hold. Just miles away, his father, a military veteran, was in another hospital battling the same virus. Greg survived. His father didn’t. He didn’t even know his father had passed until after he came out of the ICU. What follows is not just a story of survival, but of what comes after. Returning to duty meant stepping back into the very world that nearly lost him. The calls didn’t stop. The emergencies didn’t wait. And the weight of survival—the questions, the grief, the quiet moments that linger, followed him into every response. Like many first responders, Greg carried more than gear into each call. He carried the unseen: the memories, the losses, and the responsibility of continuing on when others couldn’t. Across firehouses and emergency scenes, there is a shared understanding among those who serve. Many have faced trauma long before the job. Some are driven by a need to give back. Others are searching for purpose, for belonging, for a place where showing up still matters. They never want to see people hurt or dying. But if it happens, they want to be the ones there. The Reckoning is a raw and unfiltered look inside that world, where survival is not the end of the story, but the beginning of a different kind of fight. It is about grief, resilience, and the weight carried by those who continue to show up, day after day, when everything has changed. Honest, powerful, and deeply personal, this memoir brings readers into a life defined by service, loss, and the enduring question that follows survival: why some make it, and others don’t.
ASIN: B0GY7ZSHJP
VSKU: LFV.B0GY7ZSHJP.VG
Condition: Very Good
Author/Artist:Burns, Greg|Deborah, Fasuhanmi
Binding: Paperback
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: Book is in very good condition. Clean with little to no signs of wear or markings highlights.