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By RACHEL RAIFORD | Special to the Reporter

From the firehouse to the classroom

Joe Patton and Drew Babyak, both seasoned firefighters, realized that one of the most crucial skills they could share with the public was CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) after years of seeing lives saved by the immediate actions of bystanders who knew how to perform CPR. They’ve also seen lives lost due to the lack of CPR knowledge among the general population. They felt compelled to make this life-saving skill more accessible to everyone.

Whether it’s a call to family home or a workplace, both Patton and Babyak have experienced their share of difficult emergent calls. This is not only what called them to continue their work at their departments, but also to start a new business.

“There have been countless calls where there is a cardiac arrest, we get on scene and nobody’s doing CPR because they don’t know what to do,” Patton said. “Those family members, bystanders or coworkers— anybody, they just don’t know what they’re doing, so they do nothing.”

Patton also pointed out that this lack of knowledge can cause distress for the loved ones of those who pass from cardiac arrest.

“It takes a mental toll on them,” Patton said. “They’ll think it’s their fault that their family member passed. However, it was only a lack of knowledge. It wasn’t their fault.”

Launching the business

The duo began their CPR business, Rescuer LLC, with a clear mission: to teach people how to respond effectively to cardiac and respiratory emergencies. Their business combines the professional expertise gained from their years of service in the fire department with a passion for educating the public.

“While it is a side business for us, it has value to it,” Babyak said. “Teaching people these life-saving skills goes hand in hand with what we do—it’s valuable.”

Rescuer LLC offers a range of CPR and first aid certification courses tailored to different audiences. The training is hands-on, practical and designed to build confidence in life-saving skills.

They offer American Heart Association Basic Life Support training which teaches participants to recognize several life-threatening emergencies and how to react in those situations. They also offer CPR/AED certification courses and a basic First Aid course.

“We’ve gotten calls from some of our clients about them using the skills we taught them in a real scenario,” Babyak said. “Although the situation is unfortunate, they were able to use the knowledge and tools we gave to them. Getting a call like that makes it worthwhile.”

Community engagement and growth

What sets Rescuer LLC apart is its commitment to engaging the community. Patton and Babyak frequently partner with local schools, businesses and community organizations to offer group training sessions, providing CPR and first aid certification for employees.

“At our schools we try to keep the class really upbeat and truly get into the course with them,” Patton said. “Not everyone enjoys a full day of training, so we try our best to have fun with everyone. If we’re having a good time, the teachers are having fun.”

As the business has grown, so has the network of instructors. They have expanded their team to include six other first responders, allowing them to meet the increasing demand for training sessions.

Isaac Cruz, a fireman at the Pelham Fire Department, is one of their newest instructors.

“When we’re on the job, we’re trained to act fast,” Cruz said. “Being an instructor for Rescuer LLC has given me the opportunity to instill that mindset in others—to respond without hesitation and know exactly what to do when every second counts.”

Babyak was introduced to Cruz through their shifts at the Pelham Fire Department. This is where Babyak asked if Cruz would be interested in being an instructor for Rescuer LLC.

“The business had already been up and running for a year when he approached me,” Cruz said. “He told me about how impactful it was on the community and how convenient it was to do in addition to our work at the department.”

Cruz said he tells every one of his classes that his goal is to ensure that each participant leaves the class feeling confident and capable of performing CPR in an emergent situation.

“I open and close every class with that,” Cruz said. “I want people to realize that CPR isn’t difficult, and they can do it themselves if they ever need to. I’ve even had people come up after a class and thank me for that bit of confidence I gave to them.”

Impacting lives, one class at a time

According to both Patton and Babyak, the most rewarding part of their business is knowing they’re making a tangible difference in not only the community but also in their instructors’ lives.

“(With) firefighting, your schedule is 24 (hours) on, 48 off,” Patton said. “A lot of us work at two stations, so that’s 48 on, 24 off. It’s not good for mental or physical health.”

Babyak added that this was another reason to start up Rescuer LLC.

“Firemen are extremely hard workers; they’re not going to sit at home for two days before their next shift,” Babyak said. “So, instead of two 24 hour shifts at a fire station, we hire our own guys to be instructors. It helps us because we have a larger number of qualified instructors now, but it’s helping them have an adequate amount of rest for the work that matters.”

In addition to Babyak and Patton, there are six instructors for Rescuer LLC. All of the instructors are firefighter paramedics, perfectly qualified to teach life-saving techniques to clients.

Not only have they helped train hundreds of people in CPR, but their work has also empowered individuals to be confident in emergency situations.

“It’s our side business, sure, but it’s satisfying, life-saving work. There’s nothing more satisfying than hearing that someone used the skills we taught them to save a life,” Patton said. “No matter who it is, we know we’ve had a part in that. That’s the result we want and it’s an amazing feeling.” 

Looking to the future

With a growing client base and an expanding network of certified instructors, Rescuer LLC shows no signs of slowing down. The founders are dedicated to continuing to improve the quality of their courses and reach even more people with life-saving skills.

“We started getting calls from different organizations,” Babyak said. “People realized the importance of having staff who were trained in CPR. It’s a must-have for workplace safety and schools.”

Through their hard work, passion and commitment, Patton and Babyak have not only built a successful business but also helped create a safer, more prepared community-one CPR class at a time.

It’s clear that their experience as firefighters not only prepared them for the pressures of the job but also for the challenges of entrepreneurship. In the years since founding Rescuer LLC, Patton and Babyak have built a business rooted in a shared commitment to life-saving work. Their story is a testament to the power of passion, teamwork and the belief that anyone can perform life-saving techniques in an emergency.