S1:12 Dispatch Log - EMT is not just a job but a way of life
1) Episode Summary
In this special episode of Code Orange, producer Jonathan Price hands the mic to host Marty and guest Kammy Kinkade for a deep dive into life on the front lines of rural emergency response. Kammy shares how a love for science, a nurse-practitioner mom, and a “what’s a few more credits?” EMT class turned into a full-blown career in EMS—from CNA and lab work to EMT, advanced EMT, and ultimately paramedic. She walks listeners through her first ambulance ride-along, the intensity of rural 911 calls where response times can stretch to an hour or more, and what it’s like working 48-hour shifts covering more than 17,000 square miles with only 53,000 residents.
From there, Kammy explains how her passion for disasters (the science, not the suffering) led her into Basic Academy and eventually into her current role as Rural and Frontier Coordinator for the Nevada Division of Emergency Management & Homeland Security. She and Marty unpack the key differences between urban and rural preparedness, the realities of flight transport versus long ground drives, and why constant education matters in a field where protocols can change every few years. In the final segment, they use Marty’s real-life 911 call for his mom to talk through how families can prepare for medical emergencies: staying calm, keeping medical information organized and accessible, understanding medication risks, and advocating clearly for the person you love. The result is a grounded, practical look at how EMS and emergency management work together—and how you can be ready when the sirens are coming for someone you care about.
2) Contact Info
Guest: Kammy Kinkade, Rural and Frontier Coordinator, Nevada Division of Emergency Management & Homeland Security
Aftersight / Code Orange:
Website: aftersight.org
Email: feedback@aftersight.org
Phone: (720) 712-8856
Producer: Jonathan Price, Podcast & Program Producer, Aftersight
3) Show Credits
Show: Code Orange — Emergency preparedness for the blind and low-vision community
Episode: Rural Readiness & The Road to Paramedic Life
Host: Marty Sobo
Guest: Kammy Kinkade
Producer: Jonathan Price
Presented by: Aftersight
4) Chapter Markers
00:01 – Cold open: “Disaster doesn’t wait”
00:35 – Jonathan sets up the special episode and introduces Kammy
02:20 – Growing up around medicine and discovering the EMT class
04:45 – First hospital and ambulance rotations: falling in love with EMS
07:10 – Volunteering, advanced EMT, and getting onto the ambulance
09:30 – Rural Nevada realities: huge counties, long response times, and flight vs. ground transport
14:15 – Loving the pace of ambulance work and craving more education
16:45 – Paramedic school: 11-month sprint, internships, and 360 hours on the rig
21:35 – National Registry exam: adaptive testing, stress, and finally passing
26:20 – Field training, tough preceptors, and earning trust as a new paramedic
33:20 – Discovering emergency management through Basic Academy and “science of disasters”
37:55 – Becoming Rural and Frontier Coordinator and supporting seven rural counties
42:40 – Fire medic work: wildland deployments, line medic life, and long operational periods
49:55 – Marty’s real-life 911 scenario with his mom: when you have to make the call
52:15 – Staying calm, having paperwork ready, and why medical history matters
54:40 – Antibiotics, C. diff, and advocating for safer treatment decisions
57:05 – How to reach Kammy through official channels and how to contact Aftersight