A Thousand Naked Strangers: A Paramedic's Wild Ride to the Edge and Back

Kevin Hazzard

Jan 2016 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

A former paramedic’s "thrilling, captivating" (Booklist), and mordantly funny account of a decade spent as a first responder in Atlanta saving lives and connecting with the drama and occasional beauty that lies inside catastrophe.

In the aftermath of 9/11 Kevin Hazzard felt that something was missing from his life—his days were too safe, too routine. A failed salesman turned local reporter, he wanted to test himself, see how he might respond to pressure and danger. He signed up for emergency medical training and became, at age twenty-six, a newly minted EMT running calls in the worst sections of Atlanta. His life entered a different realm—one of blood, violence, and amazing grace.

Thoroughly intimidated at first and frequently terrified, he experienced on a nightly basis the adrenaline rush of walking into chaos. But in his downtime, Kevin reflected on how people’s facades drop away when catastrophe strikes. As his hours on the job piled up, he realized he was beginning to see into the truth of things. There is no pretense five beats into a chest compression, or in an alley next to a crack den, or on a dimly lit highway where cars have collided. Eventually, what had at first seemed impossible happened: Kevin acquired mastery. And in the process he was able to discern the professional differences between his freewheeling peers, what marked each—as he termed them—as “a tourist,” “true believer,” or “killer.”

Combining indelible scenes that remind us of life’s fragile beauty with laugh-out-loud moments that keep us smiling through the worst, A Thousand Naked Strangers is an absorbing read about one man’s journey of self-discovery—a trip that also teaches us about ourselves.

Ratings and reviews

The writing was good on a mechanical level, but the author’s narcissism, arrogance, and complete lack of empathy made the book difficult to read. The “jokes” were callus and almost always at the expense of others, not funny and in poor taste. Attempts at self-depreciation seemed disingenuous. The writer had no problem sharing the details of other peoples’ tragedies with humiliating descriptions, yet he seemed in denial of his own mental issues, which seep from every page. I found myself rolling my eyes a lot and wishing someone honest was telling the story. The author has the skills to write a great book but doubtfully the emotional strength to do so. The unintentional takeaway for me is the question: Are all paramedics sadists?

From the early days of an EMS recruit to the jaded days of a crusty medic, this story takes you on the sadistic, depraved, heroic, crazy rollercoaster of a life of an EMT from infancy to career ending. If you ever want an inside look and how EMS effects someone please read this book.

Compelling, grotesque, and fascinating...I couldn't put it down! Having grown up in and around Atlanta, my morbid curiosity drew me in even more as the author told stories of places I had seen, but never knew. So happy to have been turned on to this wonderful book...I will certainly be reading it again!

About the author

Kevin Hazzard worked as a paramedic from 2004 to 2013, primarily at Grady Hospital in Atlanta. His freelance journalism has appeared in Atlanta Magazine, Marietta Daily Journal, Creative Loafing, and Paste. He is the author of a novel, Sleeping Dogs, and A Thousand Naked Strangers. He and his family live in Hermosa Beach, California.