Public Defibrillators Save Two Lives

[Ford Prefect]

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.

[transplant99]

Good stuff....

Saw a segment like this on Hockey day in Canada IIRC.,....same group as your story perhaps?

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Good stuff....

Saw a segment like this on Hockey day in Canada IIRC.,....same group as your story perhaps?

Probably not ... this just occurred in April, 2007. HDIC was back in February wasn't it?

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Good stuff....

Saw a segment like this on Hockey day in Canada IIRC.,....same group as your story perhaps?

I am thinking it was the same group. Ringing a bell.

Also, great story. I've thought these devices should be mandatory in every school budget since I read an article a couple of years ago where a highschool student was saved by one.

Money money money though I guess.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

Probably not ... this just occurred in April, 2007. HDIC was back in February wasn't it?

What I meant was that they did a segment on a group of guys that were getting defibs installed in all arenas in their area,,,sorry i wasnt very clear on that.

Either way.....really makes a whole bunch of sense.

[Top Shelf]

Just took an Emergency First Aid course a few weeks ago and we got to practice using these. Our instructor also said that Calgary has the most defibs out of any place in Canada. Every office tower downtown has them, and she also said that there are about 15 in the airport!

Apparently the cost of these units has come down quite a bit. I believe they can be had for about 3k now, compared to 15k ten years ago.

Back on topic though, good story.

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

I am thinking it was the same group. Ringing a bell.

Also, great story. I've thought these devices should be mandatory in every school budget since I read an article a couple of years ago where a highschool student was saved by one.

Money money money though I guess.

It might be the same group. I didn't see the segment on HDIC. If so, saving the two lives following their exposure on HDIC is just more great publicity for them.

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by Top Shelf

Just took an Emergency First Aid course a few weeks ago and we got to practice using these. Our instructor also said that Calgary has the most defibs out of any place in Canada. Every office tower downtown has them, and she also said that there are about 15 in the airport!

Apparently the cost of these units has come down quite a bit. I believe they can be had for about 3k now, compared to 15k ten years ago.

Back on topic though, good story.

That is true. Calgary was the second place in Canada to really get behind this ... Hamilton was the first I think. Calgary has made a real commitment to their program though so they are ahead of everybody else in deployment.