Posted on: Thursday, September 2, 2004

Norman Wilson credited with saving many lives

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

Norman Sidney Wilson's persistence paid off in February 1994 when he received the money and state approval to implement an automatic external defibrillator program for the Honolulu Fire Department.

His legacy is that since 1994, firefighters have used the equipment to save 75 lives, said Fire Chief Attilio Leonardi.

Wilson, who retired as an assistant fire chief in December 1994 after 37 years with HFD, died Aug. 21 in Honolulu.

In his pursuit to have firefighters trained and equipped to use automatic external defibrillators, Wilson argued in 1991 that advanced cardiac life support service could have saved lives in 39 percent of 74 heart attack cases that year because, as first responders, firefighters could have applied defibrillation within one minute of cardiac arrest. The average response time for ambulances was 8-12 minutes as compared to 3-4 minutes for fire companies, he said.

Convincing the state was not an easy task, recalled Leonardi.

"He had to go in and get the state to change the law because it didn't allow firefighters to do medical work," Leonardi said. "He failed two times. But he learned the process of how to do it and got it done.

"In the early years, we did 4,000 medical responses a year; now we do over 20,000 a year," the chief said.

Wilson also served as president of the Hawai'i Fire Chiefs Association. In retirement, he enjoyed making 'ukuleles and playing golf.

Services have been held and Wilson's ashes were scattered at Makapu'u.

Wilson is survived by his wife, Barbara; sons, Kilauea, Maunakea and Halemaumau; daughters, Haleakala Sakata and Maunaloa Mitravich; mother, Sui Lan; brother, Lymey Wilson; sister, Maluhia Sorgent; and nine grandchildren.

Reach Rod Ohira at 535-8181 or rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.