Twenty local recreational facilities are safer for people with heart disease.
The Ontario government recently announced $3 million grant from the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion for twenty Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) as part of the Thousand Defibrillator Program. A $150,000 donation from Transamerica Life Canada to the Heart and Stroke's Restart a Heart, Restart a Life campaign was also announced.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation approximately 6,500 cardiac arrests occur each year in Ontario. The odds of survival for an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are approximately five percent. With each passing minute, the probability of survival declines by seven to 10 percent.
"The odds of survival following cardiac arrest are almost four times greater if someone performs CPR immediately, and when combined with early defibrillation, AEDs can increase survival rates to 50 per cent or more if delivered in the first few minutes," said City of Greater Sudbury Chief of Emergency Services Tim Beadman, in a news release. "We are very pleased with the potential of today's announcement to save lives."
In May 2007, Ontario municipal Emergency Medical Services or equivalent were asked to apply to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario for defibrillator funds. The applications were reviewed and communities were allocated funds based on local need, response times, cardiac survival rates and local readiness to support a Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) program.
"This historic investment through the Heart and Stroke Foundation will provide the City of Greater Sudbury with important life-saving assistance," said Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci, in a news release.
"With access to this life-saving tool, public facilities in Sudbury will be safer places for all of us to gather to lead more active and healthy lives."
The announcement was made following a mass CPR training session for 100 members of the public at the Lionel E. Lalonde Centre in Azilda, led by Greater Sudbury Emergency Services. The session was funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
"The City of Greater Sudbury is very pleased to be chosen as one of 50 communities to benefit from this important initiative," said Greater Sudbury Mayor John Rodriguez, in a news release. "We commend the Heart and Stroke Foundation and their partners for providing immediate access to defibrillators and for raising overall awareness of the importance of learning basic CPR."
The following sites have been selected:
1. Cambrian Arena
2. Caperol Community Centre/Arena
3. Carmichael Arena
4. Centennial Community Centre/Arena
5. Chelmsford Community Centre/Arena
6. Coniston Community Centre/Arena
7. Countryside Sports Complex
8. Dr. Edgar Leclair Community Centre/Arena
9. Garson Community Centre/Arena
10. Gatchell Pool
11. Howard Armstrong Recreation Centre
12. I.J. Coady Memorial Arena
13. Lionel E. Lalonde Centre
14. McClelland Community Centre/Arena
15. Nickel District Pool
16. Onaping Falls Community Centre
17. R.G. Dow Pool
18. Raymond Plourde Arena
19. Sudbury Community Arena
20. T.M. Davies Community Centre/Arena
For more information contact the local Heart and Stroke office.
