Comox Valley Master Soccer Club has partnered with the Comox Firefighters Association for their third automatic external defibrillator (AED). These AEDs will be carried with their soccer teams to games and practices.
“It is great to see groups like this assisting us in our efforts to make public access AEDs available everywhere. I am so proud of our firefighters for supporting this important project,” said Fire Chief Gord Schreiner. “Our goal is to have public access AEDs everywhere. To date, our firefighters have supported the placement of over sixty AEDs at the cost of approximately $80,000.00. All these funds are raised by our firefighters.”
A public access AED costs approximately $2000.00. The Comox firefighters have been co-sponsoring the AEDs with local Comox businesses and groups who agree to donate half of this amount ($1000.00). The Comox firefighters cover the remaining. They also provide both CPR and AED training to citizens. Comox Valley Master Soccer Club has now partnered on three AEDs.
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) can strike anytime - during work, at church, or while visiting your local business. Fewer than 10% of SCA victims typically survive, but studies show that 30-50% 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. Typically, public access defibrillation programs include both CPR and AED training.
Comox Fire Rescue knows the value of AEDs, they equip a unit on all their emergency vehicles, and a unit is mounted inside the fire station.
For more information on the publicly accessible AED program and training programs, contact Comox Fire Rescue at firehall@comox.ca.
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Media Contact:
Gord Schreiner, Fire Chief
firehall@comox.ca
250-339-2432