Jeremy Norton has been in the firefighting profession for over twenty years and is currently Captain at Station 17 in South Minneapolis. Due to culture, timing, and the nature of the job, Norton has experienced a lot in his career.
In Trauma Sponges, Norton focuses on the many non-firefighting incidences that the fire department has come to handle. "Every year in the twenty-three that I've been a firefighter/EMT in Minneapolis, the number of structure fires... has slowly declined and the number of... medical calls has increased exponentially," says Norton. "Most of the time we're waiting for fires."
Beyond the emotions and psychology that comes along with routine (and not so routine) calls, Norton also shines a heavy light on the sociology of the job and racial tensions of a community. On the day of George Floyd's murder, Norton was on the scene. "None of us knew that this was going to be a paradigm-shaping or world-shaping event."
Trauma Sponges can be found online and at various booksellers including Drury Lane Books in Grand Marais where you can meet the author on October 21st.
Minnesota Reads is produced at The North 103.3 with funding provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
