In the world of EMS, we are often told that our stories are best left untold—or worse, they are polished into a Hollywood version of heroism that none of us actually recognize. In this episode, Kevin and MaKayla sit down with Zac Thomas, the visionary behind Paramedia, to discuss how he is using his camera to dismantle the "glossy myth" and capture the true, gritty heartbeat of emergency medicine.

Zac opens up about his journey from the back of the ambulance to becoming one of the most influential visual storytellers in the first responder community. We dive deep into the "Mental Pucker Factor" of balancing a clinical brain with a creative soul, the ethics of capturing people on their worst days, and why the quiet moments in the front of the rig are often more haunting than the high-adrenaline calls.

• The Origin of Paramedia: How a paramedic found a camera and realized it was the ultimate tool for "silent validation."
• Hollywood vs. The Dirt: Why showing the "dirt under the fingernails" is a vital form of mental health advocacy.
• The Creative Survival Skill: Is storytelling a distraction from the job, or is it a necessary survival mechanism for the modern medic?
• Navigating the Moral Burden: The heavy ethics of filming vulnerability and the pressure of maintaining a platform while wearing the uniform.
• The "Flat Gray" of Depression: How Zac translates internal, invisible struggles into a visual format that helps responders feel seen.

Connect with Zac:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582980343632

https://www.instagram.com/paramediaxcreative

https://www.tiktok.com/@paramediacreative

https://zacthomas.carrd.co/