A 44-year-old Alliston man is alive today thanks to the partnership between the County of Simcoe, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario and the Nottawasaga Inn in Alliston.

County of Simcoe Paramedic Services responded to a call for assistance at the Nottawasaga Inn – Centre Ice Arena, Alliston after the man collapsed after playing hockey. Staff came immediately to his aid performing CPR to revive the man and called 911. An Automated External Defibrillator was used and the man was revived. Paramedics took over the life-saving measures and transported the man to a local sent to Southlake Hospital, Newmarket for cardiac care. Reports claim that the man is now recovering.

The placement of the AED at the Nottawasaga Inn – Centre Ice Arena was directed by the County of Simcoe Paramedic Services and made possible by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario’s Heart&Stroke Restart a Heart, Restart a Life Campaign and Chase McEachern Tribute Fund.

“This program is truly about life and death,” said Simcoe County warden Cal Patterson. “It is also an example of how important community partnership can be. Thanks to great partners like the Heart and Stroke Foundation, we are improving the quality of life for our residents and visitors to Simcoe County.”

Under the Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) Program, the County of Simcoe Paramedic Services has trained more than 3,350 members of the public in CPR and AED use. Training sessions last four hours and include adult and child CPR and AED modalities, facilitated through the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Heart Saver AED course.

“County Paramedics are thrilled that the program has once again proven its value,” said Andrew Robert, director and chief of Simcoe County Paramedic Services. “This is the fourth save for the County of Simcoe Paramedic Services PAD program. We need community partners such as the Nottawasaga inn to give victims of sudden cardiac arrest a fighting chance.”

Simcoe County has received funding through the Heart and Stroke Restart A Heart, Restart a Life Campaign and the Chase McEachern Tribute Fund to place over 257 AED units in public and private facilities across the county. Through the program, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario is making possible the purchase, installation and associated training for AEDs to be placed in communities across the province.

“This life saved is a testament to what happens when individuals in the community learn CPR, and use an AED when it is within reach,” says David Sculthorpe, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario.

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, up to 84 per cent of cardiac arrests occur at home or in public places and almost half are witnessed by a family member or friend. In Ontario alone, approximately 7,000 out-of hospital sudden cardiac arrests occur annually. The survival rate of victims for an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is a dismal five per cent. However, CPR performed by a bystander while paramedics are on the way doubles a person’s chances of being successfully resuscitated. Furthermore, defibrillation when used in conjunction with CPR in the first few minutes can dramatically improve cardiac arrest survival rates by more than 75 per cent.

For more information on the Heart&Stroke Restart a Heart, a Life Program and the Chase McEachern Tribute Fund visit: www.heartandstroke.ca/resta rt.

The County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.