ABOVE: This box at the Jeffrey Kot Soccer Fields in Fairmont contains an AED and Naloxone, better known as Narcan, as well as instructions on how to use them. The box, from Advocates for Health, was donated by the Larsen family after Terry and Roxanne Larsen’s daughter Faith Larsen went into cardiac arrest during a pick-up basketball game at the age of 19 and an AED was not available to save her.

FAIRMONT – Advocates for Health, the group that has helped bring public-use AED and Naloxone (Narcan) cabinets to Fairmont, is now offering to help people learn to use them.

A free CPR, AED and Naloxone training event will be held with two sessions at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Feb. 26 at the Knights of Columbus in Fairmont.

While she may be more well-known as 2024’s Miss Minnesota Winner, Advocates for Health Board Member Emily Schumacher said assisting with medical efforts is her passion.

“At the age of 15, I began my journey within the Miss America organization,” she said. “We all have to have our own community service initiative, something that we’re passionate about, that we’ll advocate for throughout our year of service. I found the stat that only 50 percent of Americans know how to perform CPR, and an even lesser amount are willing to perform it if someone is in need. I got my CPR and AED instructor certification and began teaching individuals at school, businesses and other organizations those life-saving skills.”

The public-use cabinets from Advocates for Health go back to 2018, when Founder Rich Feneis had a friend suffer a heart attack in a rural area. This inspired him to apply for a grant to receive a cabinet and place it in a rural neighborhood. Schumacher said the cabinet worked and inspired the project as it exists today.

Two of these cabinets are at the Jeffery Kot Soccer Fields and Welcome City Hall, donated by the family and friends of Faith Larsen, a 19-year-old from North Mankato who died after collapsing during a pick-up basketball game and could not be revived, in part due to an AED not being accessible at the scene.

After cabinets are installed in a given area, Advocates for Health holds open training sessions for anyone to learn how to administer CPR and use an AED or Naloxone. By bringing this training to the Fairmont area, Schumacher said it is part of her goal as a future medical professional.

“I really want to practice in a rural community,” she said. “At the end of the day, our rural communities are underserved in terms of medical care. When an emergency like this happens, an EMS response can be anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. By having these cabinets accessible throughout rural communities, it’s really giving people a chance at a second life.”

In the past, Schumacher said she has seen people be eager to learn these life-saving skills.

“Everyone hears of a heart attack or someone collapsed,” she said. “Do you actually know how to respond to these situations? These trainings really bring that to life, and people feel more at ease because they now know how to react and respond if something like this were to happen to them.”

These trainings also help to dispel some common fears and misconceptions about performing medical aid.

“People think if they do something and the person doesn’t live or something happens, they’re liable,” Schumacher said. “That’s not the case. In the state of Minnesota, you’re protected by the Good Samaritan Law. It’s better for you to do something than to not do something, because we all want to be good Samaritans and help one another.”

Looking forward to the 26th, Schumacher said she hopes to see the same eagerness she has in the past regarding life-saving skills.

“Just for people to show up,” she said. “Be eager to learn and walk away with the knowledge and the confidence to perform CPR, and use that AED within that cabinet if they need to.”

While the event is free and open to the public, registration is recommended so organizers can plan accordingly based on how many registrations there are. To register, ask questions, or inquire about sponsoring the placement of a future life-saving cabinet, email jessica@advocates4health.org.