Navy Vet, EMT, Teaches How to Save Lives

DIGITAL CAMERALawrence resident and United States Navy Veteran Brian Mercer teaches others to save lives through training and education. Five years ago Mercer, an EMT and owner of a wheelchair van service in Lawrence, saw a news story about 17 year old North Andover High School student Alexander Farese, who died of a heart failure on the track. “It was such a tragedy,” Mercer said, recalling the incident.

“I remember seeing a commercial the very next day of a portable home defibrillator for use by the general public.”
“I said, if I can get those into the schools, into the hands of small businesses, people’s boats, rv’s, vacation homes, we can save a lot of lives.”

A former Navy medic, Mercer served in the Navy and Marines from 1978-82 and a medical corpsman out of Camp Geiger in North Carolina.

“Now, I get to train people how to be someone’s hero. Look, I’ve been an EMT for a long time and these EMS workers, cops, firefighters, EMT’s need your help when someone is stricken with a heart issue. Seconds save lives and if someone knows what they are doing and can keep someone alive until first responders can get there, it’s the difference between life and death.”

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Brian Mercer of My Band of Heroes

Mercer also trains CPR, first aid, survival training, dealing with hot and cold emergencies, and infant child and adult rescues.

Mercer offers a three-hour training certification class that is good for 2 years and says that teaching others and sharing his knowledge, knowing that it is going to help save lives is the most rewarding part of what he does.
“One of my students took the course and a week later he saved his mother from choking. Another student … someone collapsed in a bar and one of my former students was there. He was able to resuscitate the victims after he stopped breathing from respiratory failure.”

“Another student saved an infant from choking last year, and countless other former students have saved people from major and minor emergencies.”

“The bottom line is, it’s better to know it and not need it, than need it and not know it. The person you end up saving could be someone you love.”

“A heart attack is the nation’s #1 Serial Killer and knowledge and training is the only way that’s ever going to change. Together we can save lives if we know what to do while an emergency is happening.”

To take an EMT, CPR or other EMS training you can call Band of Heroes at (978) 479-8682, or Email: brian@mybandofheroes.com. Visit Band of Heroes on-line HERE