Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
 Mostly paramedic stories without a strong human dimension May 23, 2008
Nancy Eileen Muleady-Mecham is a "protection ranger" for the National Park Service. This job involves a variety of tasks - - a little police officer, a little firefighter, and a little paramedic, among others. She's clearly highly qualified in these areas, and this book tells a number of her experiences.
Unfortunately, the paramedic stories dominate this collection. I say "unfortunately" because paramedics don't really see the human side of events. By the time the paramedic arrives, the story is mostly over, and the question is whether the paramedics can clean up the mess successfully. At that point, some of the people involved have become bodies, and most of the rest are "injuries" - - broken legs, heart attacks, or whatever. In a few stories, such as an MD who fell 45 feet off a cliff but stayed conscious and involved in her care throughout the rescue, we get a person. But those are the exception.
Muleady-Mecham tells the stories in a matter-of-fact way, not unlike what the official reports would look like: "I checked for shock and then stabilized the broken leg," and so forth. It's not riveting, and at times it's surprisingly boring.
I'll give it a generous three stars because I think the book would be very good for some people. If you're thinking of becoming an EMT, for example, this would give you a good sense of what your shifts will be like.
 Interesting and Informative December 31, 2007
I picked this book up on a recent vacation to a National Park. I've always enjoyed our National Parks and thought that park rangers must have the best job. This book really gives a well-rounded view of what it's really like to be a park ranger and shows that it's not all fun and games. Rangers sometimes have to act as firemen, paramedics, police officers, etc. I thought the book was very interesting and I learned alot about park rangers and how the Parks system operates that I never knew. My only complaint is that at times the book got very technical, especially when it came to medical terms and procedures. However, there is a glossary provided at the end of the book with definitions of many of the terms used throughout the book.
 review of Park Ranger September 22, 2007
This book was a quick read. There is a lot of interesting information about our national park system. The stories were interesting.
 A great read for anyone. July 1, 2007
I ran across this title by accident -- it looked interesting, and I bought it, being a frequent visitor to our National Parks. I thought that it would give me more-or-less an idea of what a typical ranger's day was like, but it didn't! In fact, it was much more than that! You see, Nancy Mecham is not only a ranger, but also a paramedic and a law enforcement officer. In reading the book, I learned a lot about basic law enforcement procedures and also what paramedics do on the scene.
Each chapter is a story in itself, most of the time, based on the author's own experiences. The writing style varies a little from the first chapter to the last, but this might have happened if the author compiled the manuscript over a long length of time. No matter, though -- it doesn't take away from the excitement of the book. You will find all of the stories interesting -- each in a different way.
This is a good read. Buy the book, enjoy a chapter or two at a time, and then, loan it to a friend. I especially recommend this book for a young person considering a career with the Park Service or possibly in paramedics or law enforcement. It will also make all of us better visitors to the National Parks.
Exciting read! December 17, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a wonderful depiction of life with the National Park Service, from training to working as a Law Enforcement Officer, paramedic, naturalist, and fire fighter. The stories are exciting, humorous, and amazing accounts of what it is like to be a ranger. Keeps you turning the pages to see what could possibly happen next. Definitly recommended for those interested in the Park Service as a career!
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