My ambulance education
Subtitle: life and death on the streets of the city
By: Joseph F. Clark.
Publisher: Firefly Books
Published: 2009
Place of publication: Buffalo, N.Y; Richmond Hill, Ont
Language: eng
Number of pages: 254
ISBN-13: 9781554074648; 9781554074471
Subjects: Clark, Joseph F; Clark, Joseph F; Ambulance service -- New York (State) -- New York; Emergency medical services -- New York (State) -- New York; Emergency medical technicians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Biography; Ambulance, Services d' -- New York (État) -- New York; Urgences médicales, Services des -- New York (État) -- New York; Personnel paramédical d'urgence -- New York (État) -- New York -- Biographies
Genres: Biography; Biographies
Description: This is the brutally honest story of an emergency medical technician. At 18, the author started working as an ambulance attendant to pay his way through college. For the next seven years he worked New York City's most dangerous neighborhoods as an emergency medical technician (EMT), dealing with the medical emergencies from drug overdoses, gang fights, car crashes and worse, all while juggling schoolwork and a personal life. His stories are a graphic portrayal of the life of an ambulance EMT. From dealing with a body that is frozen solid and trapped under a front porch to climbing into the burned-out wreck of a car to treat the seriously injured driver, his stories are horrifying, poignant, touching and often filled with the dark humor that is so characteristic of the people who work under extreme stress. This book is a testament to the medical first responders who scramble to provide the on-the-spot care so vital to the survival of victims. EMTs struggle daily (and nightly) with emotional strain, sleep deprivation and, inevitably, burnout.
Notes: Includes index.