Emergency Admissions Memoirs Of An Ambulance Driver

A glimpse into the extraordinary world of ambulance driving from the man behind the wheel. ‘Heart-stopping, eye-opening and jaw-dropping. Sometimes painful, sometimes sad, often very, very funny’ Craig Brown

Ambulance services and paramedics perform critical roles in contemporary healthcare economies, yet this occupation is widely misunderstood. Through in-depth interviews and ethnographic observation, Leo McCann offers the first detailed study of the nature, development, culture, and future of the paramedic profession in England.

Emergency response is an unpredictable and ever-changing experienceboredom one moment and chaos the next. The efforts of the paramedic are singular in purposethat is, to save lives. But not everyone is cut out for a career in emergency medicine; the demands can be overwhelming. In his memoir, Blood on My Shirt, former British Columbia paramedic Michael Burzek provides a fascinating glimpse into the life of emergency medicine that encompasses car accidents, bar fights, freak accidents, and heart attacks. While sharing the perils that accompany paramedic duties, Burzek also dispels the myths that surround emergency medicine. As he narrates his personal story of how he was led to become a paramedic, Burzek also details the conflicting emotions that regularly surround EMTs such as fear and frustration, anxiety and anger, laughter and love, and the ever present question, Why couldnt we save the victim? For anyone who has wondered what it is like to ride in the front seat of an ambulance with its sirens blaring while on a mission to save a life, the stories in Blood on My Shirt provide an honest, eye-opening snapshot of day in the life of an EMT.

"Thursday evening we had a shout at about 2030hrs to a Major Catastrophe at the Mulberry Bush Pub in the City Centre, Bomb gone off. We knew that this was the big one. We turned out on blues and twos, I tried to tell control that we were mobile but the radio was going crazy, we could not get a word in so we did not bother we just responded, travelling in silence each wrapped up in his own thoughts, I'm sure my mate was thinking the same as me, neither of us had ever dealt with anything like this. We knew it was bad because control had told us that they were sending in everything. Upon our arrival we saw that the Taxi Drivers were escorting patients to the accident hospital. They were trying to be helpful but in the big scheme of things it turned out to be a hindrance. I can understand the need to get casualties away as soon as possible but from an operational point it created more difficulty's than could be envisaged at the time.....As I looked around me at the Site it was sheer carnage, it's ok to talk about Triage, that is the method of taking away the most critical patients first but how do you begin when you are looking at a pile of about 50 bodies, dead and dying and all the walking wounded who are scattered around a large area, with some trying to extricate themselves from under the Bodies that were piled up on top of them?"This memoir is a remarkable insight into the front line work of an ambulance crew based at a busy Fire Station in the City of Birmingham from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s. You will feel as though you are beside the author every step of the way, able to see it, smell it and feel it all along with him. You will smile when he smiled at some of the incidents he attended and when he shed a tear you will do the same.

This book has more than twenty years of real-life incidents and was written for two reasons. I want those who are just starting in this profession and also those who have many years' experience, both paid and volunteers, to understand the roller coaster of emotions they will experience. The other reason for writing this book is to try to explain to the general public what emergency responders go through and the many different emotions we experience. We are not robots- we are just like you. We are your neighbors, your teachers, and your friends. Every one of us has dedicated a tremendous amount of time and energy in preparing to be there in your time of need. It is our privilege and we love to do it. Everything I talk about in the book is real; there are no fabricated stories or sensationalizing to make the incidents sound more dramatic. They are written truthfully, as they happened, and the emotions are genuine. I hope this book sheds some light on the courageous and extraordinary people that work and volunteer in these professions and the challenges they face.

"Thursday evening we had a shout at about 2030hrs to a Major Catastrophe at the Mulberry Bush Pub in the City Centre, Bomb gone off. We knew that this was the big one. We turned out on blues and twos, I tried to tell control that we were mobile but the radio was going crazy, we could not get a word in so we did not bother we just responded, travelling in silence each wrapped up in his own thoughts, I'm sure my mate was thinking the same as me, neither of us had ever dealt with anything like this. We knew it was bad because control had told us that they were sending in everything. Upon our arrival we saw that the Taxi Drivers were escorting patients to the accident hospital. They were trying to be helpful but in the big scheme of things it turned out to be a hindrance. I can understand the need to get casualties away as soon as possible but from an operational point it created more difficulty's than could be envisaged at the time.....As I looked around me at the Site it was sheer carnage, it's ok to talk about Triage, that is the method of taking away the most critical patients first but how do you begin when you are looking at a pile of about 50 bodies, dead and dying and all the walking wounded who are scattered around a large area, with some trying to extricate themselves from under the Bodies that were piled up on top of them?"This memoir is a remarkable insight into the front line work of an ambulance crew based at a busy Fire Station in the City of Birmingham from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s. You will feel as though you are beside the author every step of the way, able to see it, smell it and feel it all along with him. You will smile when he smiled at some of the incidents he attended and when he shed a tear you will do the same.

I initially started writing certain things down to help me cope with the horror of what I had been exposed to, as well as to capture the beautiful moments that I wanted to treasure and make sure I would never forget. I decided to make the leap from random thoughts to publishing, because I believe a lot of positivity could come from sharing the experiences I have had. I hope that this book can give people a better understanding of some of what we go through after we choose to dedicate our lives to the happiness, madness, sadness, terror and elation that this career provides. For the families of the Medics, the support you give to us, is what helps us get through the bad times. Some Medics don't share their day with their families to shield them from the pain they see and feel. It doesn't mean they don't want to share their day with you - it just means that sometimes things are too painful. Sometimes all we want to do is focus on the life and joy that is surrounding us. For me, simple things like having an undisturbed coffee with the ones I treasure in my life is all I need to comfort me and stick my broken bits together again. I'm sorry I get frustrated when I arrive home from a night shift and you are multitasking having your morning coffee with me, and mundane chores. I had a bad call last night, and I just wanted to look at you, see you smile, and tell you how thankful I am to have you in my life. I'm sorry I cause fights while we share that coffee, sometimes I'm not very good at expressing myself and all I'm trying to say is, "Please just STOP for 5 minutes, I need you now.". I'm sorry you get annoyed when I make you a cup of tea that is too hot to drink, I just want that cup of tea together to last forever.

"Welcome to the fast-paced, high-stress, and often hilarious world of Kelly Grayson as he shares his raw and uncensored experiences in 'En Route', a non-stop ride on his career as a paramedic" -- inside cover.