Invite: For Heart Month, Learn CPR and How to Use an Automated External Defibrillator Feb.27, 2014

This video presents “Councillor Anthony Perruzza tries an AED (Automated External Defibrillator).”

  • Toronto City Councillor for Ward 8, Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Anthony Perruzza- partners with Toronto Paramedics (Toronto EMS) bringing awareness to AEDs & CPR…
  • “AEDs are easy to use.”

February is Heart Month, and Toronto paramedics and emergency medical dispatchers are encouraging Toronto residents to help a paramedic save a life.

Toronto EMS Paramedics to Host Heart Month Event at City Hall

Thursday, February 27
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – photo opportunity
Rotunda, Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen St. W., Toronto, Ontario, Canada

  • On the last day of Heart Month, City staff and elected officials, as well as visitors to City Hall, can learn three simple steps to help a paramedic save a life.
  • Toronto Emergency Medical Services’ Deputy Chief Frank Hurlehey and paramedics will demonstrate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).
    • They will offer one-on-one, hands-on instruction.

Toronto EMS’s Safe City Program oversees over 1,400 AEDs in public places across Toronto.

  • Since it’s launch in 1997, the Toronto EMS Cardiac Safe City Program, has been committed to saving lives by supporting and implementing public access defibrillation programs.
  • Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) kills over 30,000 Canadians each year.
    • Approximately 20% of these SCA incidents occur in public places.
    • The current national survival rate from SCA is less than 5%: Time is of the essence for SCA victims.
      • Currently in Toronto, emergency services can on average, provide defibrillation to SCA victim’s in just 8.1 minutes – a great response time.
      • Despite our paramedics’ and firefighters’ best efforts, only 2.5% of SCA victims in Toronto survive.
      • For each minute that passes when SCA strikes, the victim loses up to 10% chance of survival.
    • You can help save lives.
      • Public access defibrillation programs, when properly set-up and maintained are able to deliver the first shock from an automated external defibrillator (AED) to the SCA victim within just 3 minutes.
      • This quick response by trained responders or a Good Samaritan gives the victim a 70% chance of survival!
        • In 2013, 11 people in Toronto were resuscitated by bystanders who intervened to help someone by performing CPR or by using an AED.
          • Some of the people they helped had their pulse back before the paramedics arrived.
  • There are now over 450 city owned AEDs at sites with multiple Targeted Responders certified through Toronto EMS.
    • Medical oversight for the program is by Dr Marty Freidburg.

Contact Info:

Call the Cardiac Safe City program anytime to discuss all aspects of your public access defibrillation program and to arrange for a comprehensive site assessment and Targeted AED Site Responder training.
Phone: 1-877-233-2489
Fax: 416-392-3492
Web: www.cardiacsafecity.org
Email: cardiacsafecity@toronto.ca
Commander Gayle Pollock: 416-338-0475
Email: gpolloc@toronto.ca

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