Simon’s Cycles Ltd., Zaharko Land Surveying Inc., Dr. Phil Nasralla Dentistry and Bruce Rutherford Notary all located at 1841 Comox Ave. have joined forces, and partnered with the Comox Firefighters Association to add another automatic external defibrillator (AED) in Comox. This AED will be located in Simon’s Cycles.
It is great to see businesses like this assisting us in our efforts to have AEDs available all over Comox,” said Comox fire Chief Gord Schreiner. “I am also very proud of our firefighters for their support of this important project. We now have almost forty AEDs located in Comox.”
Schreiner’s long-term goal is to have an AED available in almost every business and public building in Comox. Public access AEDS are very simple to use, maintain and can save lives.
A public access AED costs approximately $2,000. The Comox firefighters have been co-sponsoring the AEDS with local Comox businesses who agree to donate half of this amount. The Comox firefighters cover the remaining cost and place an AED in the business. They also provide both CPR and AED training to the businesses staff.
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) can strike at any time — during work, while at church, or while visiting your local business. Fewer than 10 per cent of SCA victims typically survive, but studies show that 30 to 50 per cent would likely survive if CPR and AEDs were used within five minutes of collapse. Communities across the country are responding by implementing public access defibrillation programs. Such programs include both access to AEDS and training.
Comox Fire Rescue knows the value of AEDs as they carry AEDs on all of their emergency vehicles and also have one mounted in their fire station.
Please contact Comox Fire Rescue at firehall@comox.ca for more information.