Critical Lives

A Day in the Life of an Ambulance Driver is a collection of stories told from the viewpoint of the author during his time as an EMT, paramedic, and Navy Corpsman. These stories are based on real-life situations, and told with attention to detail in an attempt to help the listener visualize the experience for him or her self.

Based on experiences of a New York City resident and Emergency Service Technician, Concrete Lifeguards is a book that tells us about the life of the men and women behind the uniform.

What is it really like to be a firefighter? How does it feel to respond to an emergency call, to know that someone's life hangs in the balance and every second is critical? What is it like to fight a fire, to battle through the heat and the smoke, to put your own life in danger to save others? How does it feel to rescue survivors, and what is it like to recover the bodies of those who you didn’t reach in time?

Following up on his well-received first book, Andy Thompson provides another captivating, thought-provoking, and at times intense glimpse into the daily life of a paramedic working in the UK's National Health Service. In the style of his first book, Andy recalls each event from the detailed documentation recorded at the time. Each account is written in a way that puts the listener right there next to him, so you live the events in real time.