Thanks to efforts by the public and Essex-Windsor EMS, it is now easier to find an automated external defibrillator (AED).
The public registry for AEDs has cracked the thousand mark. As of Monday evening, there are 1,041 publicly accessible AEDs in the region.
With the PulsePoint AED app, people can upload photos of AEDs and enter their locations on a map. It is shared publicly once verified by EMS.
Essex-Windsor EMS Chief Justin Lammers said the accessibility of the devices is crucial during situations where every second counts.
"The sooner an AED is applied, the better the chances of survival," said Lammers. "Much like smoke detectors help give people a chance to escape before firefighters arrive, AEDs allow members of the public to start assisting someone suffering cardiac arrest while paramedics are on the way."
If someone suffers a cardiac arrest, the use of an AED within the first minute increases the patient's survival rate by 90 per cent. Each minute after that, the survival rate falls by seven to ten per cent.
Tecumseh resident Andrea Ducharme has been awarded an EMS Meritorious Service Coin for identifying the locations of 20 AEDs.
She, her husband, and two of their three children became involved after they attended an information session last year. They began looking for AEDs in every arena they entered across the region during hockey season.
"My family and I were on a mission," said Ducharme. "If there’s a way to help the public and if it’s as easy as taking a picture, do it."
Complete information about AEDs can be found on the official County of Essex website.