From touching moments that make your day, to gut-wrenching feelings of hopelessness, the very worst that humanity has to offer, things that make you smile and things that make you vomit.

The working life of a paramedic sees it all.

Seldom do they experience the glitzy, life-saving flashes that the general public get fed on news bulletins or TV shows, although they do happen as well.

Rarely will they complete a shift without one moment of despair, revulsion or loathing for another human being’s behavior. And hardly ever will a day pass without some incident that makes them question their own sanity for doing their job.

All too often they are overlooked.

In her book, Bits and Moments From The Ambulance, Emily James looks back on her career and the moments that made up a sizeable chunk of it. The moments that the rest of us often don’t see or get to hear about, but which form the core of a job that is unlike any other.

They are short, simple instants in time that nonetheless leave their indelible mark on those who encounter them.