What does it take to spend 15 years responding to emergencies while staying calm, compassionate, and ready to help? In Episode 0 of Back in Service, host Kaʻohu Seto sits down with his wife, Julia Seto, a 15-year medic with City and County Ambulance. Julia shares how her original goal of becoming a nurse unexpectedly led her to EMS. She talks about balancing EMT school with raising four children, her unforgettable first ambulance clinicals, and the challenges of learning to stay confident and calm in high-pressure situations. Now a supervisor, Julia helps train the next generation of EMTs and paramedics, emphasizing communication, empathy, professionalism, and confidence alongside technical skills. She also opens up about the difficult calls that stay with first responders, especially those involving children, and why talking through those emotions is an important part of the job. After 15 years in EMS, Julia has learned to stay patient, focus on what she can control, and do the best she can for every patient. And how does she describe life in EMS? Organized chaos. In this episode: 00:30 – Welcome to Back in Service and the mission behind the podcast 01:26 – Meet Julia Seto and her journey before EMS 06:37 – How Julia went from pursuing nursing to discovering EMS 08:41 – EMT school at KCC, raising four kids, and staying committed 14:06 – Julia's unforgettable first ambulance ride-alongs 23:26 – The first years in EMS and overcoming the fear of making mistakes 31:06 – Becoming a supervisor and training new EMTs and paramedics 37:52 – Julia's most important lessons for new EMTs 39:04 – The difficult calls that stay with first responders 43:17 – What 15 years in EMS has taught Julia about life 45:25 – Rapid-fire questions: energy drinks, station food, rookie mistakes, and EMS smells 50:06 – Why EMS can best be described as “organized chaos” 🚑 About Julia Seto Julia Seto is a medic with 15 years of experience with City and County Ambulance in Hawaiʻi. Her journey into emergency medicine wasn't the path she originally planned. Julia initially wanted to become a nurse, but after raising four children, running a daycare business, and returning to college, an unexpected change of direction led her into the EMT program at KCC. Before joining City and County Ambulance, Julia also worked as a CNA, an experience that strengthened her understanding of patient care, empathy, and the importance of helping people maintain dignity when they cannot fully care for themselves. Today, Julia also serves as a supervisor, where her responsibilities include supporting coworkers, reviewing patient care documentation, monitoring equipment and supplies, and helping train and evaluate newer EMTs and paramedics. She places particular emphasis on building confidence, communicating effectively, staying professional, and treating patients, families, coworkers, and other agencies with respect.
