I actually do both. I'm a freelance developer, as well as a Firefighter/EMT (currently working on my paramedic certification).
The worlds aren't as far apart as you might think... While the stakes (and the pace) are obviously different, I think I enjoy both of them because of the challenge they present. My favorite part of the development process is troubleshooting (either new code or old... doesn't really matter). EMS is really all about troubleshooting. _Something_ is causing whatever this patient's issue is, I just need to figure out what it is and mitigate it to the best of my ability.
The worlds aren't as far apart as you might think... While the stakes (and the pace) are obviously different, I think I enjoy both of them because of the challenge they present. My favorite part of the development process is troubleshooting (either new code or old... doesn't really matter). EMS is really all about troubleshooting. _Something_ is causing whatever this patient's issue is, I just need to figure out what it is and mitigate it to the best of my ability.