An Interview with the Author

Share with your readers a little about yourself?
My name is Darrell V. Maxwell and I have been a fire & rescue officer with the city of Dallas, Texas for the past 15 years. I became a paramedic in May of 1991.

Why did you decide to become a fire & rescue officer?
My decision to become a fire & rescue officer began as a result of my volunteer work with American Red Cross. I enjoyed teaching First Aid & CPR classes. My desire to become a paramedic started when I wanting to advance my First Aid & CPR skills. To be a 911 paramedic in the city Dallas, you have to be a firefighter also. That is how I became a fire & rescue officer.

Your book is title The Burnout Paramedic: Remedy & Prevention. What inspired you to write this book?
For one thing, I never would have imagined that I would be a victim of burnout. After all, the reason why I joined the fire dept was to become a paramedic. I remember watching the TV show 911 and role playing being a paramedic using the scenarios I saw on TV. During my ambulance rotations and as a rookie paramedic, I would evaluate the runs I made and practice how I would performed if I were to experience those same runs in the field again. I really wanted to be a good paramedic.

Did you become a good paramedic?
After about two years I felt comfortable on the ambulance. After three years I reached a point where I was able to be calm and confident in performing my job in crisis situations.

How did you become a burnout paramedic?
Prior to my research on the subject burnout I didnt know how I became burnout. You are looking at someone who was excited about being a paramedic. I looked forward to the critical and challenging situations I faced on the ambulance. I also enjoyed sharing my knowledge and experiences with paramedic interns and rookie paramedics. Anytime we had a critical patient, I was the one who wanted to ride in the back, even if it was my turn to drive. I also was happy about the fact that I lived 5 minutes from my station and my daughter went to school right down the street. At this point in my career I had every reason to believe I would be a paramedic my entire career with the Dallas Fire & Rescue dept.

What was the result of your research?
I experienced a traumatic run that changed my life. When I returned to the station after the run, I laid down and I was afraid to close my eyes. They called the chaplain to come and talk to me. The next shift I participated in a debriefing at the hospital in which everyone that treated the patients took part in. After the debriefing, this was all the help I received. So I dealt with my emotions the best way I knew how.

Did you ever recover from this traumatic run?
Over time I notice a change in my attitude towards being a paramedic. I found it hard to deal with runs that were not emergencies. I began to loose my excitement for the job. I found myself complaining a lot about the job. I got to the point where I did not want to be a paramedic anymore.

Why didnt you talked to someone about how you felt?
The paramedics who I worked with were unable to share with me what I needed to hear that would encourage me to remain a paramedic. I reached the point of no return. I wanted off the ambulance.

What did you do once you were removed from the EMS system?
Two years later my paramedic certification was about to expired and I was deciding if I should renew it. I began to look back to find out what happen. How did I get burnout? I really wanted to be a paramedic. It was at this time I began to research burnout and stress on the job. I found out that there were not many books that dealt specifically with the problems that paramedics face on the job. I did find some articles on the internet but not much.

Is this when you began to write your book?
The books that I read on the topic of burnout were gear for the professions of lawyers, school teachers, social workers, therapists, nurses, doctors, and police. After reading and meditating on the material through the eyes of a paramedic, this is how I came up with the book The Burnout Paramedic: Remedy & Prevention.

Who will benefit from your book?
The paramedics who will find this book helpful are those who:
No longer desire to be a paramedic
No longer enjoy being a paramedic
No longer excited about being a paramedic
No longer feel the job of a paramedic is a challenge
Having trouble getting along with their partner on the ambulance
Unable to cope with the problems experience on the ambulance
Have not recovered from a traumatic run made on the ambulance
Want to quit their job as a paramedic, but cant afford to
Want to quit their job as a paramedic but dont have another job to fall back on
Want to transfer to another position but it is not happening
Dont know where to go to get help for the problems they are experiencing on the ambulance
Attitude towards the ambulance is negative

This book will also be beneficial to those paramedics who:
Dont believe that they will ever become burnout
Dont believe that they will ever become tired of the ambulance
Dont believe that they will ever stop caring about people
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