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Ford Prefect · 06-09-2007, 06:56 PM

I publish a magazine for Canadian Paramedics, and I'm running a really great feel-good article in the upcoming issue. A group of paramedics in North Bay, Ont., formed a charitable organization called the North Bay Professional Paramedics Assoc. for the purpose of fundraising so they can buy and install automatic defibrillators in venues around their community ... schools, malls, arenas, etc. They also train staff at these venues in CPR and how to to use the defibs. So far they've installed these publically accessible defibrillators in 23 locations around their community over the past two years.

Their pay back came this April. Within a 13-day period in April, defibrillators they had installed in two different arenas were used to successfully resuscitate two old-timer hockey players. Both players collapsed during the course of an old-timers game and were pulseless and not breathing. Both were resuscitated and are still alive. One player was 45-years-old and the other was 55.

As boomers age, it is growing more and more important that defibs be spread around our communities at roughly the same concentration as fire extinguishers, as the guys in North Bay have illustrated. Public Access Defibrillator programs are probably the single biggest step that can be implemented to save lives from cardiac arrest.

Just thought I'd share that story since the Paramedics in North Bay deserve a lot of credit and recognition for what they've done ... and it's all been done as good community-minded volunteers.

06-09-2007, 06:56 PM	#1
Ford Prefect Has Towel, Will Travel Join Date: Jul 2006 Exp:	Public Defibrillators Save Two Lives I publish a magazine for Canadian Paramedics, and I'm running a really great feel-good article in the upcoming issue. A group of paramedics in North Bay, Ont., formed a charitable organization called the North Bay Professional Paramedics Assoc. for the purpose of fundraising so they can buy and install automatic defibrillators in venues around their community ... schools, malls, arenas, etc. They also train staff at these venues in CPR and how to to use the defibs. So far they've installed these publically accessible defibrillators in 23 locations around their community over the past two years. Their pay back came this April. Within a 13-day period in April, defibrillators they had installed in two different arenas were used to successfully resuscitate two old-timer hockey players. Both players collapsed during the course of an old-timers game and were pulseless and not breathing. Both were resuscitated and are still alive. One player was 45-years-old and the other was 55. As boomers age, it is growing more and more important that defibs be spread around our communities at roughly the same concentration as fire extinguishers, as the guys in North Bay have illustrated. Public Access Defibrillator programs are probably the single biggest step that can be implemented to save lives from cardiac arrest. Just thought I'd share that story since the Paramedics in North Bay deserve a lot of credit and recognition for what they've done ... and it's all been done as good community-minded volunteers.