A Life On The Line

This book tells what it’s like to be Darren Hodge on the end of a line and what it’s like to be a flight paramedic. Open, honest reports, warts and all, this memoir is an unflinching account of how it feels, say, to pluck people from imminent death. And there are some laughs on the way...

His career in Ambulance Victoria has been rich with opportunities. Only a few years had passed after qualifying as a paramedic he was offered the opportunity to undertake intensive care training, known as MICA. He found the role at times challenging, but highly rewarding.

Tenures at the different ambulance college’s unearthed a love of teaching that continues today and has spanned more than 25 years. Assisting paramedics to master their craft has been one of his most satisfying achievements.

After 15 years as a paramedic he achieved his ultimate career goal after joining Air Ambulance working on both fixed and rotary wing aircraft. He describes the role as extreme, attending the sickest and most seriously injured patients. A role that has seen him in the waters of Bass Straight, the deep Victorian bush and on top of the highest snow covered mountains, all to help a person in need.