Central Alberta communities can better handle cardiac emergencies after the donation of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs).
The portable electronic devices help diagnose cardiac emergencies and treat them through electrical therapy.
The machines come with step-by-step voice instruction for use.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation and Alberta Health Services began distributing 150 AEDs to facilities throughout the province, including the city’s Golden Circle Senior Resource Centre.
Other Central Alberta locations include:
• Red Deer Tennis Club
• Blackfalds Multi-plex
• The Arena and Senior’s Drop In Centre in Bentley
• Camp Little Red near Bowden
• Holy Trinity Catholic School in Olds
• Pelican Point near Bashaw
• Coronation Curling Club
• Centennial Swimming Pool, Community Centre, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 119 and Burma Park in Castor.
Communities and sites were chosen from 200 applications based on hours of operation, size of gatherings, age demographics, emergency response proximity, availability of medical co-responders such as fire departments and number of existing community AEDs.
The new devices will be registered with the Heart Safe Community Public Access to Defibrillation provincial registry so AHS–EMS dispatchers can guide callers to AEDs during emergencies and the machines are maintained.
Mike Hoffman of the Heart and Stroke Foundation said AEDs are simple to use.
“Every minute delay in a cardiac emergency equals a 10 per cent reduction in life expectancy. CPR is really easy and does save lives.”a