FDNY Firefighter Experienced Severe Trauma: How Cooking Is His Salvation. For many first responders, the uniform becomes both a source of pride and a shield, one that often hides pain, grief, and trauma the public never sees. For this veteran FDNY firefighter and U.S. Air Force veteran, a lifetime of service came with losses so profound that few could endure them without lasting scars. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on social media like their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LawEnforcementTalkRadioShow">Facebook </a> , <a href="https://www.instagram.com/letradioshowpodcast/"> Instagram </a> , <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnjwiley/"> LinkedIn </a> , <a href="https://medium.com/@letradioshow"> Medium</a> and other social media platforms.
He comes from a family of firefighters, a tradition rooted in courage and sacrifice. But his career began with tragedy. Early on, he lost his mother in a devastating house fire, an event that would forever shape his understanding of loss, duty, and survival. Available for <a href="https://www.letradio.com/fdny-firefighter-experienced-severe-trauma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website</a>, also on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fdny-firefighter-experienced-severe-trauma/id1217923682?i=1000744668098" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Cq8yGUE1zSgxmgQTjaSE5">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://youtu.be/y3e-wlhbfHs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Youtube</a> and most major Podcast networks.
“That kind of loss never leaves you,” he has said. “You don’t just mourn your mother. You replay every ‘what if’ for the rest of your life.”
Years later, tragedy struck again. His brother, Michael Bonanno, a retired FDNY firefighter, died by suicide in 2012. The loss exposed the unspoken mental health crisis that continues to affect firefighters and other first responders across the country. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like <a href="https://medium.com/@letradioshow" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Medium </a> , <a href="https://lawenforcementtalkradio.blogspot.com"> Blogspot </a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnjwiley/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Linkedin </a> .
“We’re trained to run toward danger,” he explained, “but we’re not trained to talk about what that danger does to us afterward.” FDNY Firefighter Experienced Severe Trauma: How Cooking Is His Salvation.
As if those personal losses were not enough, his career culminated at one of the darkest chapters in American history, working at Ground Zero during the 9/11 attacks in New York City. The physical danger was immediate, but the emotional toll would last decades.
“You don’t leave the pile unchanged,” he said. “You carry those images, those smells, those sounds. They stay with you.”
How Cooking Became His Salvation
Like many firefighters, he struggled in silence. Trauma accumulated quietly, from the firehouse to family life, from loss to loss. But unexpectedly, healing began not in therapy rooms or training halls, but in the kitchen. Look for The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on social media like their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LawEnforcementTalkRadioShow">Facebook </a> , <a href="https://www.instagram.com/letradioshowpodcast/"> Instagram </a> , <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnjwiley/"> LinkedIn </a> , <a href="https://medium.com/@letradioshow"> Medium</a> and other social media platforms.
Cooking became his refuge.
“In the kitchen, I could focus,” he said. “It grounded me. Cooking gave me something positive to build when everything else felt broken.” FDNY Firefighter Experienced Severe Trauma: How Cooking Is His Salvation.
What started as a personal coping mechanism evolved into a mission. He began writing and speaking openly about the connection between food, firehouse culture, and mental health. Today, he is not only a firefighter and USAF veteran but also a podcaster, author, and advocate for recovery through creativity and connection. Available for free on their website and streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube and other podcast platforms.
From Firehouse to Media Platforms
His work now reaches audiences through the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast,their facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other News and Social media outlets. His voice has resonated with firefighters, veterans, and civilians alike, especially those searching for ways to recover from trauma they’ve never been encouraged to discuss.
“Food brings people together,” he explained. “Around the table, walls come down. Conversations happen that wouldn’t happen anywhere else.” FDNY Firefighter Experienced Severe Trauma: How Cooking Is His Salvation. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast episode is available for free on their website , Apple Podcasts , Spotify and most major podcast platforms.
He is the founder of American Firehouse Cuisine, a platform dedicated to firehouse cooking and culture. His recently published cookbook, American Firehouse Cuisine, celebrates the meals that fuel firefighters while honoring the traditions that bind them together.
Previously, he authored The Healthy Firehouse Cookbook and The Firehouse Grilling Cookbook, blending nutrition with the realities of firehouse life. He also wrote a children’s storybook, Monutza the Firefighting Elephant, aimed at helping young readers understand bravery, service, and compassion.
More information about his work can be found at his website, see below, and his content is available on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube and other major platforms.
A Message of Recovery and Hope
Today, his story stands as a powerful example of resilience. An FDNY firefighter experienced severe trauma, losing family, enduring historic catastrophe, and facing the silent burden carried by so many first responders. Yet through cooking, storytelling, and connection, he found a way forward.
“Recovery doesn’t mean forgetting,” he said. “It means finding a way to live with what you’ve been through, and helping others do the same.” FDNY Firefighter Experienced Severe Trauma: How Cooking Is His Salvation. The episode can be found on The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Youtube and on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and across most podcast platforms where listeners will find authentic law enforcement stories.
By turning pain into purpose, he continues to serve, this time not only with fire and steel, but with food, honesty, and hope.
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Listeners can tune in on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and most every major Podcast platform and follow updates on Facebook, Instagram, and other major News outlets. You can find the show on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn, as well as read companion articles and updates on Medium, Blogspot, YouTube, and even IMDB.
Background song Hurricane is used with permission from the band <a href="http://darkhorseflyer.com/"> Dark Horse Flyer. </a>
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at <a href="mailto:Jay@letradio.com"> Jay@letradio.com </a> , or learn more about him <a href="https://www.letradio.com/p/about-john-j-jay-wiley/"> on their website </a> .
Stay connected with updates and future episodes by following the show on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, their website and other Social Media Platforms.
Interested in being a guest, sponsorship or advertising opportunities send an email to the host and producer of the show <a href="mailto:jay@lawenforcementtoday.com">jay@letradio.com</a>.
Listen to this special episode on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and most major podcast platforms.
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FDNY Firefighter Experienced Severe Trauma: How Cooking Is His Salvation.
Attributions
<a href="https://www.americanfirehousecuisine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Firehouse Cuisine</a>
<a href="https://www.nyc.gov/site/fdny/index.page" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FDNY</a> Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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