NEWS RELEASE
ACTION FIRST AID
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Action First Aid is proud to announce the official unveiling [on Dec. 15] of the outdoor, 24/7 accessible SaveStation AED (Automated External Defibrillator) located on the side of their Commerce Park Drive distribution centre.
They are the first business unit to place an outdoor AED where it can then protect nearby businesses and their patrons. Action First Aid is introducing this concept as a cost-effective solution for a group of businesses, where one SaveStation can provide life-saving coverage for multiple locations.
“A SaveStation houses a life-saving defibrillator (AED) that is for anyone to use in the event of sudden cardiac arrest. Every minute truly matters and we wanted to protect our area with 24/7 access to this AED,” says Deb Hennig, President of Action First. “With every SaveStation comes education and awareness, with a QR code placed on them to show people how to use the exact AED found inside.”
Thanks to the support of Mayor Jeff Lehman, Barrie was the first community in Canada to place an outdoor SaveStation, which was installed at City Hall. This was followed by SaveStations at Centennial Beach and Georgian College athletic fields. However, this is the first business park placement, and is innovative in demonstrating the ability for costs and benefits to be shared by a group of surrounding businesses.
The coverage area of this SaveStation includes 16 units at 121 and 131 Commerce Park Drive. The staff and patrons of these businesses now have 24/7 access to this AED in case of a sudden cardiac arrest.
With the high volume of customers in the area, this single SaveStation is accessible 24/7 to hundreds of people daily. Action First Aid has reached out to all nearby businesses to advise them of the SaveStation placement, and to ensure that everyone feels confident to use the AED inside by providing a step-by-step instructional video.
This wall-mounted SaveStation lights up at night and is marked for public use. The technology built into this SaveStation allows for 24/7 monitoring of the AED to ensure it is always ‘ready for rescue’ and will take a picture when the cabinet is opened. This cabinet also keeps the AED warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
In Canada, approximately 40,000 people suffer out of hospital cardiac arrests every year; the majority happening at home or in a public place. Currently, only 10 percent of people survive but studies show that the immediate use of an AED combined with Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) can increase the likelihood of survival by 75 per cent.
When sudden cardiac arrest strikes, we are highly dependent on the public to step in and help. AEDs are safe for anyone to use and placing these life-saving devices in an accessible outdoor public space will help save more lives from sudden cardiac arrest.
Action First Aid has been in business for over 20 years and have their main training centre locally, on Commerce Park Drive in Barrie. They run First Aid courses every day of the week in three large training rooms, which allow everyone to remain six feet apart.
Their goal is to make Barrie and surrounding areas cardiac safe — which means raising awareness of where public access AEDs are, how to use them and ensuring we have quick access to an AED where we live, work and play. With SaveStations, they are standardizing the visual treatment of AED cabinets and leading the way to greater access, awareness and education of public-access AEDs in our communities.
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