By Stephen Condon
Well, mates, today I’m blowing out 62 candles (don’t worry, I’ve got my EMT skills handy in case the cake starts a fire). It’s been a wild year since I turned 61 and decided to trade my home office and Netflix marathons for the adrenaline-pumping world of Emergency Medical Services (EMS). If you’re an ex-colleague curious about what I’ve been up to or someone eyeing a late-in-life career switch, grab a coffee (or an IV drip for energy) and let me take you through my journey from Zoom Calls to sirens.
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For close to 40 years, I worked in marketing — coordinating trade shows, working on brand strategy, crafting blog posts, strategizing campaigns and hyping solutions on social media. My big goal? Run marketing for a public company. Nailed it in my 30s. But here’s the plot twist: I didn’t have a “what’s next?” plan.
By my 40s, I’d stopped growing. My people management skills were stuck in dial-up mode, and my marketing expertise wasn’t exactly cutting-edge either. I bounced through short-term gigs, working from my home office, where evenings morphed into a predictable cycle of cocktails and Netflix. I was comfortable but uninspired. At 60, I knew I needed a change — something fulfilling, something that got me out of my bubble and back into the community.
My career options at 61
A 4-year degree or spending six-figures on a master’s degree was off the table, but a 10-week EMT course at a community college? That I could do. Worst case, I’d learn CPR and how to handle emergencies — grandkids are on the horizon. Best case? A whole new career.
Back to school with kids a third my age
Walking into that EMT classroom was like stepping into a time machine. My classmates were barely old enough to rent a car, but their energy was infectious. I loved being back in a learning environment — cracking open textbooks, memorizing protocols and soaking up practical skills.
By November 2024, I graduated and passed the NREMT exam. Let me tell you, passing that test felt better than breaking some social engagement benchmark. During the EMT course, I got to do ride-alongs with ambulance services. My first was with my local fire department, where I witnessed and assisted with a cardiac arrest call. I was down on the floor, surrounded by 10 members of the Del Mar and Solana Beach Fire Departments, who looked they moon-lighted as Thunder From Downunder cast members. Eighteen minutes of CPR, and we got ROSC. Off to the hospital, lights and sirens blaring, I was hooked — heart pounding, hands shaking, fully alive.
EMT career paths: Pick your adventure
As a freshly minted EMT, I explored my options:
- 911 response EMT: These are the rockstars of EMS, often young and gunning to become paramedics. At 61, with no plans to go full medic, this wasn’t my lane.
- Resort/retirement community EMT: Think country clubs or adventure parks. Decent benefits, but you’re mostly on standby, not saving lives daily, but lots of people contact.
- Medical transport EMT: Moving patients between hospitals, homes or care facilities. Some services offer critical care transport (CCT) with nurses, which sounds like a learning goldmine.
- Lifeguard/EMT: I love body surfing, but lifeguard roles require extra certifications and full-time gigs are rare. Plus, patient contact is minimal.
I landed a role with a medical transport company, drawn by flexible 4x10-hour shifts, the chance to work CCTs and their contract with a major hospital network. Six months in, I’m loving it.
Working as an EMT
This job is no tech conference. I’m now the guy providing comfort to people on some of the worst days of their lives — patients with dementia, heart attack survivors, fracture cases, you name it. We take over from hospital nurses, monitor vitals every 20 minutes in a bouncing ambulance and complete detailed patient care reports (PCRs). Oh, and we need four signatures per trip, often on a 10-minute transport. Stressful? You bet. Rewarding? Absolutely.
I work with a rotating cast of partners, all half my age, from different backgrounds. Most don’t have college degrees, but they’re obsessed with mastering anatomy and patient care. We earn less than $19/hour — yep, less than some fast-food workers in California.
The ambulances? Some have 500,000 miles and roar like a monster truck, which isn’t great for my aging ears. But the trade-off is worth it. I’m surrounded by passionate 22-year-olds building their EMS careers and providing comfort to patients at some of the most stressful times of their lives.
The ups, the downs, and the bruises
The upsides? I’m in the best shape of my life — big breakfasts, eggs galore and a sprinkle of creatine to help me hoist 250-pound patients onto gurneys. I’ve cut back on booze and ditched the Netflix binges. Patient interactions are the heart of this job — whether it’s calming someone with a broken hip or chatting with a bipolar patient having a tough day, I feel like I’m making a difference.
The downsides? The pay is abysmal, and the benefits are laughable. EMTs are often seen as steppingstones to bigger roles like nursing or firefighting, so companies bank on high turnover. It makes financial sense for them to plan for a high turn-over and keep pay down.
My forearms are a bruise gallery from climbing in and out of ambulances — thin skin at 62 is no joke. Also, those 12/13-hour shifts I picked up at the Del Mar Fair? Two days off in 16 days was tough, but working with intoxicated and trauma patients was a crash course in EMS and a different experience than my regular work.
What’s next?
My wife’s job covers my health benefits (bless her), but she’s eyeing retirement soon. I want to keep working full-time until 65 to cover her benefits until we both hit Medicare. I’m considering two paths:
- Emergency department tech: Hospitals offer great benefits, and I’d get to focus on patient care without the constant ambulance gymnastics. Plus, no more bruised forearms.
- Retirement community EMT: Less physically demanding, but I’d miss the variety of patients and the hospital hustle. Plus it may give me insights on our future.
Advice for the career pivot curious
If you’re thinking about a late-in-life career switch, here’s my two cents:
- Find your why: I wanted purpose and community. EMS gave me both.
- Don’t fear the classroom: Learning with younger folks is humbling but energizing.
- Embrace the grind: Low pay and long hours are real, but the fulfillment can outweigh the drawbacks.
- Stay healthy: This job demands physical stamina. Eat well, lift smart and maybe skip that extra cocktail.
Changing careers at 61 wasn’t easy, but it’s been one of the best decisions of my life. I’m not just surviving — I’m thriving, bruises and all.
So, to my ex-colleagues and anyone dreaming of a pivot: if I can go from tech marketing to saving lives at 61, you can take that leap too. Just don’t expect the ambulance to have a comfy suspension.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephen Condon is an emergency medical technician with Care Ambulance Services, Inc., in the San Diego Metropolitan Area.
