James Thompson

Just Say Thank You: a Real Life Story of a New York City Emergency Medical Technician James Thompson

I get the long board, c-collar, and stretcher out of the bus. We roll the patient onto the long board and put him on the stretcher. There is a large crowd and numerous police officers on the scene. People are asking use "Is he alive?"We place him in the back of the ambulance. Bob starts to clear his airway using a suction unit. I can hear the gurgle sound it makes clearing his airway. For eleven years, author James Thompson worked on the streets of New York City as an emergency medical technician (EMT). In his touching and powerful memoir, Just Say Thank You, Thompson shares his life-changing-and life-saving-experiences. As an EMT, Thompson preformed CPR under the most stressful situations, gave a patient a second chance at life, and even delivered babies in the back of the ambulance. Since he usually worked the night shift, Thompson dealt with the most desperate and neglected patients in New York. From his first assignment in Coney Island to the horrifying events of 9/11, Thompson paints a stunning, realistic portrait of life as an EMT.