Hard Roll: A Paramedic’s Perspective of Life and Death in New Orleans

A tragically hilarious glimpse into the challenged, yet powerful, mind of a seasoned paramedic and the brotherhood called EMS.
–Dan Flynn, NRP, RN-BSN, BS, cast on A&E’s Nightwatch

Known as one of America’s most dangerous cities, New Orleans plays host to incidents ranging from the tragic and disturbing to the completely bizarre–and during his career as an emergency medic, Jon McCarthy saw it all. He chronicles some of the most formative calls of his career in this autobiography that reads like crime fiction. McCarthy demonstrates with detail and clarity that the difficult choice is often the right choice. While not for the faint of heart, each entry in this collection provides poignant insight into the bonds between medics and the people and city they serve.

Born in Tallahassee, Florida, and a veteran of the United States Coast Guard, Jon McCarthy is proud to be an emergency room paramedic. Since 1996, he has worked in emergency medical services in helicopters, clinics, hospitals, and on the streets of New Orleans. He is one of the cocreators of the New Orleans EMS Field Training Officer (FTO) program and served as the Lead FTO for five years. McCarthy was featured on The Learning Channel program Paramedics and has a side career as an actor.