After the ambulance doors close, a paramedic is sometimes the only thing standing between the patient and the grave. Richard Estep is one who took up that responsibility, and in this memoir he shares his journey from civilian to firefighter, EMT, and paramedic. Experience an insider's view of 911 emergency calls which range from heartwarming to horrific, and meet the men and women who show up on the worst day of your life and put everything on the line in the service of their fellow humans. This is a look into the world of emergency medicine, written from more than 25 years' experience.