Kevin Hazzard

This was a fast read, with some genuinely interesting and harrowing descriptions of what life is really like when riding in an ambulance for a living. I was intrigued by the amazing and sometimes surreal things Hazzard saw on the job, and I found myself quickly flipping pages to see what happened next. Unfortunately, I was less enamoured with the overall depressing look at life as an EMT and paramedic. I guess I was hoping for a more upbeat ending, rather than a descent into slow burnout. I’m sure it’s realistic, but I grew less and less interested in the author’s experiences as he became disillusioned and depressed with the job as a whole. The book was described as “funny”, but I walked away after turning the last page feeling morose and despondent. I did, however, also find a new appreciation for the amazing people who do this very tough job day in and day out.… (mere)

Narrated by Gilbert Glenn Brown. An absolutely riveting and important account about the world's first paramedics--all of them Black American men. This is a fascinating intersection of people with intriguing backgrounds: the doctor who invented CPR, the non-profit organization that literally recruited men off the street, the men who survived a rigorous training in emergency medicine, and the woman who wrote the EMS textbook still in use today. Throw in the racism of the 1960s-70s, the skepticism of doctors and police, and the obstructionism of Pittsburgh government, and you have a literal medical miracle with an eternal legacy. Brown's compelling narration puts listeners in the middle of the action and the challenges of the era. You will not forget this piece of history.… (mere)