By Laura French
DETROIT — A new Vice News documentary follows the lives of two Detroit EMS providers working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 13-minute documentary gives an intimate view of how the crisis affects Medstar Ambulance EMT Kelly Hornik and her partner Paramedic Ray Vanhevel in both their work and personal lives.
The Vice News crew followed Hornik and Vanhevel on several calls and showed the emotional toll of their work through conversations between calls and with loved ones, as well as interviews.
Hornik and Vanhevel have both worked at Medstar for more than 10 years; Hornik is an EMT, the leader of Medstar’s special operations team and a sworn reserve sheriff’s deputy and tactical medic with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, and Vanhevel is a longtime critical care paramedic and a member of the special ops team.
Detroit has seen just over 10,000 virus cases and 1,220 virus deaths since the outbreak began, according to the Detroit Health Department.
Watch the full documentary below: