PARAMEDIC Jodie Byron is midway telling me that she hopes I’m not bored during my shift as an ambulance officer when the phone rings for our very first job.

With less than a minute to get to the ambulance, myself, Jodie and her partner Leonard Fourie are off like a shot. We are being called to visit a man who has stroke-like symptoms, namely, a loss of sensation in his left leg.

Jodie and Leonard are cool as cucumbers, gloving up in the car and chatting while I wriggle around in the back seat like an excited puppy. I’m in an ambulance! We’re saving lives!

I’m already impressed beyond belief but it’s not until we arrive at our destination that I get to see these ambos truly shine.

The patient, 87 years old and terrified, doesn’t know why all of a sudden his left leg isn’t working and is suspecting the worst.

Jodie is on patient care today (her and Leonard take turns each day between driving and caring for the patients) and she is like a warm, reassuring blanket to a frightened child.  “G’day mate, we’re the ambos,” she says. “Let’s see what’s going on with this leg.” We end up taking the man to hospital, with Jodie and Leonard negotiating the stretcher down a perilous and steep driveway without so much as a bump.

Impressed is an understatement. These guys are awesome.

“At least you got to come with us on one job,” Jodie smiles while she fills out some paperwork at the hospital. The words are barely out of her mouth when the phone rings again and we head back to the ambulance – this time with sirens!  I’m bouncing off the walls with adrenaline and have to remind myself to remain professional and not wave excitedly at passers-by.

Once again I get to see this ambos work their magic, taking another very sick and frightened man to hospital with a query of meningitis. I’m in charge of carrying the oxygen and am freaking out that I’ll somehow stuff it up (it’s surprisingly heavy) but luckily all goes smoothly.

“And that’s our job done,” Jodie says as we hand him over to the nurses. “Getting him here safe and sound.”

And they thought I’d be bored.