Two area paramedics have more in common than ambulance rides and medical emergencies.To further serve the community where they were raised, Danielle Lee and Brian Kopp have led the effort to organize the Marthasville Community Outreach group.Although Lee primarily works in the Moberly area as a paramedic, she schedules her days off to join the Marthasville ambulance team. Kopp, a Eureka paramedic, responds to calls with the Marthasville firefighters when he is off duty.One of the services offered to the community through the organization is CPR classes, including infant, child and adult CPR, and artificial external defibrillator (AED) training. The only cost to the participant is the book that accompanies the training at $25.“We have family members in this community,” said Kopp. “The training we offer is insurance against something happening to my family.”The Marthasville Community Outreach program is possible because the ambulance district and the Marthasville Volunteer Fire Department want to offer more to their community than just basic services.Lee said most people don’t know you can stop by the ambulance building for a wellness check, including simple diagnostics such as a blood pressure or blood sugar checks.Kopp said smoke detectors and home safety inspections are available through the fire department. The department can also help with proper installation of car seats.Both first responders are impressed with the level of services in the Marthasville area, noting that many of the men who began as junior firefighters are now certified as EMTs or paramedics who still retain their membership as a volunteer firefighter.“The fire department here is like no other,” said Lee. “You can easily get three paramedics on a call.”Lee is on a mission to make sure that life-saving AEDs are available to the Marthasville community. Through the outreach program, she educates the public on the effectiveness of an AED and helps organizations purchase one at a discounted rate. A fundraiser to purchase an AED for the Marthasville ballpark will be held May 20.Kopp said people assume help is always close by since the ambulance building is centrally located in the city of Marthasville. They don’t realize that if the crew is already at an area hospital or is responding to another call, response time can be delayed while another crew or a mutual aid community is put in place.“It’s a rural community that stretches over a large area,” said Kopp. “Forty minutes could be a worse-case response time for some of the outlying areas. Realistically speaking, in six minutes without help during a heart attack, there can be irreversible brain damage.”“People are unwilling to step up,” said Lee. “They hope someone else will.”That could be fatal, according to the paramedics. The education they provide makes everyone in the community safer.Lee said many people are intimidated by the AED, but as soon as they turn it on and hear the simple instructions, they see how “user friendly” it is.The Marthasville Community Outreach organization will host a safety day on Saturday, April 15, beginning at 11 a.m. following the town’s annual Easter egg hunt. People are invited to stop by the ambulance building at 200 S. One St. for a variety of activities.Children can learn address recognition or how to call 911 properly. Wellness checks will be available. Hands only CPR and AED demonstrations will take place and car seat inspections are available.The ARCH helicopter and the Marthasville Area Volunteer Fire Department will be located at the Marthasville ball field. There will be fire extinguisher demonstrations and the department fire trucks will be on display.The Warren County Canine Search and Rescue team and representatives from Warren County Joint Communications, Warren County Sheriff’s office and Missouri Highway Patrol will be available.Lee and Kopp said they feel rewarded for their efforts when they see people preparing themselves to help others.“I want people to have the confidence to do something in the case of an emergency,” said Lee. “I love working in this town. My parents live here. People I know live here.”Both paramedics said the Community Outreach organization is only possible through the efforts of both the ambulance district and fire department’s shared mission and the generosity of its members. They thank the ambulance district board for providing the equipment necessary to hold CPR classes.If there is an individual or group that wishes to take a CPR class, call the non-emergency number at the ambulance district at 636-433-5262 or email marthasvillecommoutreach@gmail.com.Marthasville Community Outreach is a nonprofit organization. Donations to further their efforts are tax deductible.Safety Day