Behind the Ambulance Doors: 34 Years in EMS with Scott Golden

In this episode, Tanvi sits down with Scott Golden, an EMS instructor with 34 years of experience in emergency medical services and more than two decades of teaching experience. Scott shares how witnessing a cardiac arrest at just 14 years old helped spark his interest in emergency medicine and eventually led him from volunteer firefighting to becoming an EMT and educator.

Scott opens up about the realities of working in EMS—from responding to difficult calls and managing the emotional weight that comes with them to learning how to stay calm when patients are experiencing some of the worst moments of their lives. He discusses why talking through difficult experiences matters and how years in the field taught him to manage stress without losing compassion for his patients.

He also breaks down the different levels of emergency medical care, from EMRs and EMTs to AEMTs and paramedics, and explains how these providers work together in the field. Scott reflects on how EMS has evolved throughout his career, including advances in medications, technology, and pre-hospital care.

Most importantly, Scott shares what has kept him in EMS for more than three decades: education, mentorship, and the feeling of being there when someone needs help. After training hundreds of students, he reflects on his journey from struggling through his own EMT class to eventually running an EMT program and helping prepare the next generation of first responders.

Whether you're considering becoming an EMT, interested in emergency medicine, or simply curious about what happens before a patient reaches the hospital, this conversation offers an inside look at the challenges, rewards, and human side of life in EMS.