Time to Respond by Craig A. Hooper, 201 pages. Craig has put together a small book that reads big book. Craig has crammed it full of pertinent EMS management concepts and discussions. His sections in the back of the book which look at discovering problems and finding solution serve managers outside of EMS too.

Craig is planning a trip later this year to Chicago and we hope to spend a little time together. My plan before reading his book was to take him to some of the awesome craft breweries and restaurants in the city. My plan after reading his book still involves craft beer and food but also talking more with him about his management concepts.  Add enough beer and I can’t wait to see what new management strategies could arise.

While reading Craig’s book I found myself smiling and thinking about how I went about  managing a hospital-based EMS organization. I found some interesting examples in his book of a similar mind-set I have. While I am no longer a practicing paramedic, in reading Craig’s book I do wonder how far I could take an EMS company still.  Any book that can make a retired EMS manager like me think, deserves to be read by the upcoming EMS manager.

The book goes beyond a data dump format. Craig offers a huge amount of great information in a short easy to read format. The examples Craig gives helps the reader understand the concepts.  In conclusion, this book is not only a good read for the current manager, but also for readers aspiring to learn how to be a good manager.