Careers in public safety, especially EMS, can be rewarding but extremely stressful, providing many moments a provider never forgets. In "Memoirs of a Firefighter Paramedic," today’s guest Bruce Zamelsky takes readers through his 20 years of EMS experience, ranging from his start in the profession to and his transition to other emergency services. Bruce Zamelsky spent three decades as a certified firefighter, emergency medical technician, paramedic, fire instructor as well as a teacher of EMT classes.   

The author further describes an array of challenging emergency response cases for which he provided EMS and rescue services. The author is brutally honest about how certain emergency calls are emotionally difficult to deal with and how he managed to move on to the next call.

This is a must read for anyone who thinks they want to become a firefighter, EMT or paramedic. The author offers a look at the good and bad outcomes of his career and how it impacted his life and his family. The memoirs are clearly and simply written and give an accurate look at emergency professionals as they respond to traumas, medical emergencies and rescue calls in paid and volunteer services.

For readers who are already experienced providers, "Memoirs" is a worthwhile book that will conjure many memories. While reading the book, I couldn't help thinking about my past experiences similar to the author's, especially responding to emergency calls involving inmates in local jails and children. 

"Memoirs" is a great book to give to family members, friends, nurses and physicians -- and even those not in public safety careers, because it will help them understand what firefighters, EMTs and paramedics go through doing the day-to-day work of emergency services.

For some three decades, Bruce Zamelsky experienced life and death on a daily basis.

As a firefighter and paramedic, Zamelsky's public-safety career represented a series of emotional highs and lows as he and his colleagues labored to help those in need of his professional proficiencies.