Code 3 Podcast: Attacked on a run, with Firefighter-Paramedic Ben Vernon

Vernon relates his experiences overcoming PTSD after being stabbed during a call

February 05, 2019 11:41 PM •

When Ben Vernon, a San Diego firefighter-paramedic, responded to a call for an intoxicated male on June 24, 2015, he figured it would be just like any other day.

He was wrong.

A bystander, unrelated to the victim, got into a fight, first with transit security officers, then with Vernon and another paramedic. The man produced a knife and stabbed Vernon multiple times, nearly killing him.

In this episode of Code 3 Podcast, host Scott Orr speaks with Vernon about the aftermath of this incident and Vernon’s battle with PTSD.

Find out how he overcame PTSD to return to work – in some ways, a better, stronger firefighter than before.

Code 3 Podcast with Scott Orr

Code 3 is hosted by award-winning journalist Scott Orr, who has covered the fire/EMS/police beat for most of his 30-plus year career in news. He’s worked around the country in both TV and print. Orr was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease over a decade ago, but that doesn’t stop him from interviewing fire service leaders on issues that concern firefighters around the nation.