Minnesota EMS Grad to Pay it Forward With Free First-Aid Courses

April 24—Nick Wilson, 20, realized his dream of becoming a paramedic when he was a student in St. Paul's EMS Academy a couple of years ago. Now, he's spearheading an effort to pay forward the free education he got through the academy.

He and others are starting a program to teach CPR and first-aid instruction at no cost to low-income St. Paul residents, along with veterans and active-duty military members. Wilson, of St. Paul, is raising money for the effort through a GoFundMe page.

"I think it's a wonderful thing for our community, and for Nick and others to take on a project like this and say, 'The city was generous with my time, and now I'm sharing that back with other people,' " said St. Paul Fire Chief Tim Butler.

Wilson aims to launch the Freedom House CPR Program by early summer. It will be a volunteer effort run primarily by Wilson and fellow EMT cadets, he said. The cadets work on the St. Paul Fire Department's Basic Life Support unit, an ambulance service that transfers people discharged from a medical facility, mostly Regions Hospital, to other care facilities or takes them to their homes for a fee.

The cadets received their initial training at the St. Paul EMS Academy, a program funded by revenue from the BLS unit and grants from several sources, including philanthropic foundations. The training is for low-income young adults who are St. Paul residents; the academy recruits women and people of color, who are typically underrepresented in emergency medicine and firefighting, according to the city.

"We had our education funded at the EMS Academy and a lot of opportunities, so this is really paying it forward and giving back to the community in the way that we received," said Wilson, who is CPR coordinator of the BLS unit and a full-time Inver Hills Community College student studying to become a paramedic.

Wilson is raising money to start a website for the Freedom House CPR Program, create flyers and spread the word.

Twin Cities Safety, a business that offers classes in CPR and first-aid training, will let the volunteer program use its equipment to teach CPR. Wilson also works there.

"The ultimate goal is everyone learns CPR, because if I go down, I want someone there who can help, but not everyone can pay for a course," said Tim Smith, a St. Paul fire captain who owns Twin Cities Safety.

Wilson sees the life-saving possibilities of CPR, plus the career opportunities that can come with knowing it.

He recently wrote on the GoFundMe page, "Your donation could support a veteran finding civilian employment after protecting your freedom, help teach constructive skills to at-risk youth, and help single and struggling parents obtain the qualifications for a better career to support their family.

"Your donation could save lives."

Mara H. Gottfried can be reached at 651-228-5262.

Follow her at twitter.com/MaraGottfried.

TO LEARN MORE

Donations for the Freedom House CPR Program are being accepted at gofundme.com/freedomhouseCPR. For more information about the program, email Nick Wilson at heartsafe51@gmail.com.

Copyright 2015 - Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.