'It's one of the most rewarding jobs': A ride-along with an overnight paramedic

Brian Twaites is trained to scan the road while he drives alone through Vancouver's dark streets on the night shift.

Whenhe spots a man lying flat on his back on the Downtown Eastside sidewalk at 2:30 a.m., he knows exactly what to do.

"Tango Seven. Do you have a call for300 East Hastingson the street in front of the First United?" he says into theradio.

No one has called it in yet.

Twaites, now laser-focused, asks for more support, turns on his lights and sirensand doubles back to the scene.

Less than two minutes after spotting the man on the ground, he's there to help in his paramedic-customized Chevrolet Tahoe.

As a paramedic specialist, Twaites, 54, is part of a medical network that doesn't have the privilege of shutting down for the night.

Typicallyworking in solo vehicles, paramedic specialists in B.C. provide support to paramedics and patients and on-scene technical support for high-risk situations or complex events.

He's not alone on the night shift: working straight through the night is a reality for more than 61,000 people in British Columbia.

'Life goes on at night'

The man Twaites spotted, who appears to be in his 50s,had collapsed on the street. He'swearing a bandage and splint on his left arm from a previous injury.

In the short time between Twaites spottinghimand returningto the scene, the man had sat up and was responding to questions a sign his condition isn't life threatening.

"Hi, folks,"Twaites says to the smallgroup standing in the street as heclimbsout of his vehicle.

He quickly wraps the man ina reflective blanket and, within minutes, an ambulance arrives to whisk him away.

"At first, I thought it could be an overdoseor some other situation, because of the way he was lying on the road," Twaites says.

In a province where nearly three people die each day from an illicit drug overdose, theconcern is always top of mind.

But that isn'tthe case tonight.

Soon, three people smoking cigarettes on the street are all that's left at the scene.

"Life goes on at night," Twaites says.

Risks of the graveyard shift

The graveyard shift is far from easy.

Beyond fatigue, the hours come with risksincluding an increased risk of cancer.

After 33 years on the job, the support of his wife and kids is the one thing that helpsTwaites survive the night shift.

"Luckilyfor me, [they] understandand help me get through my shift work," he says.

The hours he keeps can be tough on his family, he admits, but even though he could retire this yearhe enjoys what he does.

"I have to say it's one of the most rewarding jobs I think anybody could have."

Normal night in B.C.'s dispatch centre

Most emergencies aren't spotted by a paramedic likeTwaitesdriving by and are instead called in.

All medical 911 calls coming from Mission to Pemberton are routed through a dispatch centre in an industrial complex in East Vancouver,one of three centres in B.C.

From the inside, it looks like the set of a Jason Bournemovie: dispatchers sitat multi-screen computers, scouring detailed mapsand navigating complicated software.

"Overall, it's a very busy night," says dispatch supervisor Ryan Topp."Everyone's on the phone.Calls are continuing through the night."

Calls range from car accidentsto baby deliveriesto distressed people who know they feel unwellbut can't describe why.

B.C. Emergency Health Services tries to respond to 90 per cent of the calls within 10 seconds and, with 900 calls a day, it's no easy feat.

The toll of working nights shows in Topp's eyes.

He is on the clock for two 12.5 hour day shifts, and he then flips his clock around for two night shiftson nearly opposite hours.

"Tomorrow, I'll sleep until about 2 p.m.," he said.

"I'll try to get up, have something healthy to eatand maybe go for a run or somethingso that day two is kind of back to normal," he says.

And then he's back at it again.

Night Shift is a series that looks at life on the clock, around the clock. It's produced by JakeCostelloand airs onCBCRadio One'sThe Early Editionfrom March 25 - 29.If you have a story about working the night shift, emailearlyed@cbc.ca or leave a voicemailat 604-669-6690.