Not All Heroes Wear Capes: F-M Ambulance, F-M RedHawks Honor Local Heroes who Saved Lives

It's not just people in uniform rescuing those in trouble

FARGO, ND — First responders fight to save lives every day.

It’s not just people in uniform rescuing those in trouble.

It’s Super Hero Night at Newman Outdoor Field and while many people are dressed up in costume, not all heroes wear capes.

Seven local heroes are receiving F-M Ambulance’s Citizen’s Life Saver Award.

Five of those being recognized are everyday people.

Two are members of the Fargo Fire Department, who were off duty when they saved the day.

“It’s those people that did it at the last minute and said ‘I want to help’,” said Don Martin, who is the operations manager with F-M Ambulance. “Those are the people that we have to thank because if they didn’t do it, what if nobody did?”

Leslie Aune was at the right place at the right time when a friend from church fell down the stairs.

“I just kind of jumped to my instincts and used my training and initiated CPR when it needed to be done,” said Leslie Aune of West Fargo.

Although Aune is a Licensed Practical Nurse at Sanford, this event was one that stuck.

“Honestly, it makes me look at life a little differently,” she said. “Makes me appreciate it. Makes me realize that it can happen to anyone at any time.”

The same line of thinking one of the saved victims has.

Bruce Thom happens to be one of the RedHawks’ very own.

The two off duty firefighters saved Thom when he went into cardiac arrest at a local basketball game.

“The idea of CPR and how important it is, being able to respond, and know how to do it, to help someone, I never thought it would happen to me and it did,” said Thom, Chairman of the F-M RedHawks.

Just a reminder that you never know when you’ll have to step up to the plate.

“We teach CPR and basic CPR all the way up to the health care level provider at F-M Ambulance,” said Martin. “Also, the Red Cross does teach it too.”

For more information on where you can take life saving skill classes click here.

Thom said he plans on making “Super Heroes Night” an annual event.