Congratulations To Simcoe County PAD program!

County of Simcoe Paramedic Services Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) Program has furnished each Elementary and Secondary school in Simcoe County with an A.E.D. (Automated External Defibrillator). The program is funded by The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario’s Heart&Stroke Restart a Heart, a Life Program and the Chase McEachern Tribute Fund.

The fact is that Defibrillation combined with CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) saves lives. It is estimated that 7,000 people in Ontario suffer from sudden cardiac arrest in their home or in a public place each year. The survival rate for these people is less than 5%, however, early CPR may increase that figure four times and early Defibrillation may raise the numer to over 50%.

Many people in the community have experienced the value of having access to a Defibrillator and many families are now aware of the importance of learning CPR. According to The Heart and Stroke Foundation, over half of sudden cardiac arrests are witnessed; which means that early CPR is possible in most cases. Kudos to County of Simcoe Paramedic Services for equipping the community with life saving resources!