The Comox Firefighters Association has donated another automated external defibrillator (AED).
The Courtenay Legion is the newest recipient of the easy to use, lifesaving unit which helps with cardiac arrest events.
Comox fire chief Gord Schreiner said they’ve placed over 60 AEDs in public spaces now, representing more than $85,000 in funding from non-tax sources.
“I’m extremely proud of our firefighters and their continued commitment to this life-saving initiative.”
Each unit is approximately $2,000 and training for both AEDs and CPR is offered by the Comox Firefighters Association.
The association evaluates the requests they receive annually to place them where they can have the most impact, with three to four being added across the region each year.
Survival rates for cardiac arrest events are typically under 10 per cent, but with CPR or AEDs being administered in the first five minutes, survival rates can jump to between 30 and 50 per cent.
