Flame and Fortune: How the Fire Service (almost) Killed Me

Rick Bucher had a normal enough childhood, but his life has been extraordinary since. An adventure sports athlete, racer and instructor, Rick served as a firefighter/paramedic/rescue tech in Scottsdale, Arizona for 27 years. During that time, he responded to over 16,000 calls for service. After narrowly surviving a rock climbing accident, motorcycle wreck and a suicide attempt, he went on to receive treatment for PTSD and is now working to increase awareness of mental health issues in the public safety arena. He also went on to find his biological family after decades of unanswered questions about who he was and where he came from. Eliminating the stigma of stepping forward for help and providing support for those who do is his new passion and he tours the country following opportunities to share his story, speaking to groups and spreading a message of hope, resilience and unity in the face of trauma. His story is a remarkable tale of redemption and a reminder of the power of the human spirit. 302 pages.