The chance of surviving a heart attack in Chatham-Kent just got better.
The municipality has launched a defibrillator registry and app that allow the public to report and find the units quicker in case of cardiac arrest.
Assistant Fire Chief Scott Ramey says the PulsePoint AED app tells people if the unit is already in the system and if it's not, the municipality verifies it and adds it.
Ramey says the registry will allow for a more accurate inventory and location of the defibs that could save lives.
"We know where our machines are within the system that have been placed in municipal buildings but we don't always know where they are in public places like grocery stores and banks and businesses," says Ramey.
Chatham-Kent Fire and Emergency Services also has two defibrillators that can be loaned to the public for smaller events.
Chatham-Kent has the highest death rate from heart attacks per capita in Ontario and second highest in Canada.
Ramey says the registry and the app should help cardiac arrest survival rates increase.
"The best thing that can happen is if your loved one knows CPR or if a co-worker or bystander who witnessed the cardiac arrest knows CPR and they jump in right away and help, that's the best chance of survival. Every minute that passes, that's a 10% decrease in your chance of surviving," Ramey says.
Ramey says a person suffering from a heart attack is more likely to survive if someone uses a defib while waiting for paramedics.
"The use of a public access defibrillator, because it is fully automatic and it explains to you step by step, there is no training requirement. Anybody can grab a defibrillator, follow the voice prompts and instructions and do chest compressions and apply the defibrillator. So, it's made to be really easy and simple," says Ramey.
