Last winter, college boiler room operator and family man Gary “Dag” D’Agostino suffered a horrific accident and was forced to make a choice. D’Agostino had worked as an emergency first responder for many years, and knew what it was like to be on the helping side of a bad day. So too does Jason Strang, a firefighter and EMT in the town where D’Agostino lives and works. Strang shares his insights on witnessing death and what drew him to become a medic; and the care he shows in his work reveals an awareness of our own fragility—because anyone’s life can change in a second.