The Heart and Stroke Foundation in BC couldn’t agree more with John Chapman’s recent letter to the editor on the importance of knowing where automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are in the Town of Oliver. We congratulate him for taking the time to find out where they are in town and for encouraging others to add to his list.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time. The reality is that without an electric shock to restart the heart, 95% of SCA victims will die. But the good news is that the prompt use of an AED – ideally within the first three to five minutes of a SCA – combined with CPR – dramatically increases the chances of surviving to 75%. Thanks to the quick actions of his team mates, that is how 72-year-old Osoyoos hockey player Harold Cox survived his cardiac arrest recently at the Oliver Arena.

Increasing community access to AEDs is fast becoming a national movement. In BC, SCA victims stand a better chance of surviving thanks to the new Public Access to Defibrillation (PAD) Program, a partnership between the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the provincial government. Through this program, the Foundation is donating 450 AEDs over three years to every municipality in BC – places like the Oliver Community Centre. The BC PAD Program builds on best practices and standards around the world. All AEDs donated through the program are added to a centralized registry that keeps track of them, sends maintenance reminders to make sure they are well-maintained at all times, and is integrated with BC Ambulance Service’s 9-1-1 dispatch.

But the Foundation is doing more to save lives in BC. We are advocating with the provincial government to introduce AED legislation that could act as a key sustaining element in the BC PAD Program. This proposed legislation would designate certain public places where AEDs must be made available, ensure that they are registered with the local emergency response system and are properly maintained, and would clarify that bystanders helping at the scene of an emergency who use an AED are protected from civil liability.

To express your support for AED legislation to be introduced in BC, we encourage you to write to your local MLA in Oliver, Ms. Linda Larson by email at linda.larson.mla@leg.bc.ca or by mail at Box 998, 6369 Main Street, Oliver BC, V0H 1T0.
To learn more about our program and public service announcements please visit bcpadprogram.ca and aedinyourhands.ca.

Diego Marchese CEO, BC & Yukon
Vice President, Prevention, Canada
Heart and Stroke Foundation