My Biz: Safety training company rebrands, continues to save lives

Kim Bramley, 65, and Keith Rippy, 73 are taking on a venture that is sure to save lives.

The business partners are the new owners of Midwest Safety Partners based in Cedar Rapids.

The company offers certification training in first aid, infant/child/adult CPR, use of a defibrillator (AED), and basic life support. Organizations such as children’s day care, manufacturing, construction, and certain medical services are required to provide this instruction to their employees at least every other year, many of whom turn to Midwest Safety Partners to host these trainings to meet their requirements.

Bramley and Rippy purchased “National Safety Training Service” in December 2024 from Kate White-Graham. “Kate established NSTS in 1993 and operated it very successfully for more than 30 years right up to our purchase,” said Bramley. “We look forward to carrying on her legacy.” They decided to rebrand to “Midwest Safety Partners” in order to update the company’s mission and better reflect the scope of the business as they strive to provide this training throughout the Midwest.

The company works with a wide range of businesses and industries, and they pride themselves on customizing each session.

  Buy Photo

“We personalize our training session to meet the needs of the organization,” said Bramley. “It is not a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all all presentation. We make what could be a rather dry subject fun, fast paced and engaging while at the same time complying with all of the American Heart Association requirements.” She said their class is focused on instructor and participant interaction. It can also be blended, coupling online instruction with hands-on classroom skills demonstration. “Plus, we offer the flexibility to bring our course to the client’s site or host it at our state-of-the-art training facility.”

“We are focused on building great relationships with our clients that go beyond one-off training sessions,” said Bramley. “We are a full-service training partner that our clients can rely on to ensure their team members are able to respond in the event of an emergency, and that their business is fully compliant with all state and federal safety requirements.”

In order to offer trainings, the pair has a group of independent contractors they work with who serve as facilitators. “They have several years of industry experience and are frequently requested by the companies they’ve taught in the past,” said Rippy, noting they also have plans to add more instructors as the business grows.

While they are relatively new business partners, the couple brings a wealth of knowledge to running their new venture.

“We are business partners as well as partners in life,” said Bramley. “Our skill sets are quite different, which serves us very well.” She said she handles social media, client relations and is the creative partner, bringing her entrepreneurial and communication skills to her day-to-day work.

  Buy Photo

Rippy served as the CEO of Area Ambulance for twenty years and is well versed in emergency services as well as all aspects of running a business. “My time at Area Ambulance Service has taught me how important it is for team members and bystanders to be prepared for health and medical emergencies, because they can strike at any time,” he said. “We’re excited to take this trusted company to the next level, and offer lifesaving training to more businesses and organizations around the Midwest.”

The work, together and with the community at large, has been meaningful so far, they said.

“We are empowering our learners with critical lifesaving skills, which is extremely rewarding,” Rippy said. “Additionally, we are fortunate to meet many wonderful folks from all walks of life along the way.”

  Buy Photo

“And we have also been surprised by how much we enjoy and have fun working together,” added Bramley.

She said they look forward to growing the business in the years to come. “Our challenges include raising awareness and getting the word out about our newly acquired and rebranded business,” she said. “We want people to know that Midwest Safety Partners is synonymous with an excellent, flexible and personalized training experience.”

“Heart attacks occur approximately every 40 seconds,” added Rippy. “Therefore, we also intend to serve our community at large with affordable CPR/AED training. Being prepared has proven to definitely save lives. We will be conducting our first family CPR class this summer.”

“Every person can be trained in these basic lifesaving skills, and more lives could be saved.”

  Buy Photo