A piece of equipment will soon be installed in the Whitewood Community Centre that could mean the difference between life and death for someone if they happen to suffer sudden cardiac arrest.

At their regular meeting last Tuesday night, Town Council approved the purchase of a portable automated external defibrillator, or AED, to be placed at the Whitewood Community Centre. Expecting to cost a minimum of $1,200, the town is writing the RM of Silverwood a letter to ask if they would be willing to cost share the purchase.

Portable defibrillators are becoming more commonplace in public facilities across the country and council felt it was time to purchase one to be placed in the local arena.

An AED is a machine that administers shocks to the patient through simple audio and visual commands. Proper use of AEDs are taught in many first aid, first responder, and basic life support level CPR classes but the simplicity of the machines allows any untrained member of the public to be able to use the machine if necessary. Because they are designed to be used by the layman, an AED lets users know whether a person is actually experiencing cardiac arrest and will only allow them to administer a shock in those situations.

Several cases of cardiac arrest have happened at the Whitewood arena in the past and such a machine will definitely help increase chances of survivability in any future instances. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, approximately 45,000 sudden cardiac arrests occur in Canada each year. The survival rate of victims for an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is less than five per cent. However, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with the use of an AED before the arrival of paramedics can increase the chance of survival by up to 75 per cent.

The most well-known incident involving an AED, and the prominent situation that brought the use of AED’s to the public’s awareness, was in 2005 when Detroit Red Wing Defenseman Jiri Fischer suddenly collapsed on the bench during an NHL hockey game.  Fischer was unresponsive but thanks to the quick action by the team doctor and the immediate use of an AED, Fischer was revived.

There was no word on how long it take to have the AED ordered and installed.