Long-time paramedic shares some of his incredible stories (and the toll of the job)

Darren Hodge is somebody who runs towards danger when everybody else is running away.

But he admits it takes a toll.

Mr Hodge has been a paramedic for 32 years, the past 15 of which he’s been in the chopper as a Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance Flight Paramedic.

Naturally, that leads to being sent to some of the most horrific and traumatic incidents.

Think the Black Saturday bush fires, or horror multi-car smashes.

But it’s not just those jobs that leave an impact.

“My poor children didn’t get to do a lot of things that their friends did because of their dad, and their mum, who’s a nurse,” Mr Hodge told Neil Mitchell on Wednesday.

“I can remember not letting my children play with a skipping rope once and that’s because I went to a child who’d accidentally hung himself with a skipping rope.

“Without doubt it (the job) makes you fragile.”

Darren has just written a book about his experiences, called “A Life On The Line”.

He admits to feeling “hate” after attending some jobs, where innocent people have been seriously injured or killed by others.

“I just hate the fact that people can have no culpability and have their lives completely changed,” he said.

“It’s just simply not fair.”

Click PLAY below to hear the fascinating interview