By Amber Jurgensen | Staff Writer
As a paramedic, Jim Wilson has to think on his feet every day. But he never imagined he would have to use his medical training to brainstorm plot ideas for primetime TV.
However, that’s exactly what has happened. Since 2010, Wilson, division chief of Plant City’s EMS, has worked as a technical consultant for several CBS Studios hits, including “CSI,” “CSI: Miami,” “Bones” and “Rizzoli and Isles.”
One of Wilson’s favorite episodes involved paramedics robbing a jewelry store. Wilson was asked to think of a realistic way paramedics could escape after the crime. He came up with the Opticom, an actual traffic control system that allows emergency vehicles with an emitter to change traffic lights to green.
“It was just the coolest seven minutes,” Wilson says about seeing the show air.
Wilson also advises on the side effects of drugs. In one episode, writers needed a drug to knock out a kidnapped paramedic that would also erase his memory. When Angie Harmon’s character, Jane Rizzoli, got shot in the knee, Wilson suggested what medicine to give her and how it would affect her. On his most recent show, Wilson had to come up with an illness that suppresses the immune system.
“I’m really humbled by all of this,” Wilson says of his opportunity to work in TV. “It was something to do that was fun.”
Wilson’s work as an adviser began on the website, allexperts.com. He stumbled across the site while doing a Google search one night. He noticed many of the paramedic or medical questions on the site were not being fully answered. That’s when he sent in an application to become an expert for the site. Now, he answers a variety of questions, whether they are about general medical procedures or from aspiring paramedics or EMTs trying to launch their careers.
“I get a lot of satisfaction from helping out on allexperts,” Wilson says. “These people are reaching out for some direction.”
About two years ago, through allexperts.com, Wilson was contacted by Jon Wellner, an actor and researcher for the crime shows. Wellner asked Wilson if he would volunteer his time to act as a consultant on one of the episodes.
“When I got his message, I thought it was a joke,” Wilson says.
Since then, the two have collaborated through email and phone. Wilson says he gets a list about 10 questions about a specific topic and then answers any follow-up questions. The exchange lasts about a week.
“I don’t know how I got into all of this,” Wilson says, laughing about his experience with Hollywood. “But I am blessed.”
This isn’t Wilson’s first run in with fame. In 2002, Wilson flew to New York City to be interviewed on the “Ananda Lewis Show” about being reunited with a small sum of money his mother left for him, which he found using missingmoney.com.
Wilson was also an extra in a reenactment on “Dr. G Medical Examiner” in 2004. On “Who’s Watching the Kids,” he played a paramedic who entered a house and had to check the vitals of several abused children.
“We were on the set for eight or nine hours for less than one minute on the show,” Wilson says.
Wilson started his EMS career after graduating high school in 1980. He was involved in a head-on collision with a drunken driver. He joined an EMT class to try and cope with the aftermath of his accident.
“It was hard getting over it,” Wilson says.
His mother encouraged him to stick with the class. Before she passed away, Wilson promised her he would. In 1986, he became an instructor and has worked at the University of Miami, Brevard Community College and the Plant City Fire Department, among other places.
From a man trying to commit suicide by taking a bottle of Flintstones vitamins to saving a 2-year-old from drowning, Wilson finds his job very rewarding.
“We deal with the rest of society that people don’t see is there,” Wilson says.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
