The Heart and Stroke Foundation is outfitting nine Oxford County arenas with potentially live saving automated external defibrillators.
Nine Oxford arenas are getting automated external defibrillators or AEDs thanks to the Heart and Stroke Foundation's National AED Hockey Program.
13 units in all have been donated at a cost of $2,000 a piece.
Acting Community Education Coordinator Susan White says these units will go a long way to saving lives.
"Research has shown that you decrease your chances of survival from a sudden cardiac arrest seven to ten per cent every minute you are without CPR and defibrillation so the sooner we can get these AEDs on someone who has collapsed and potentially needs them, the better their chance of survival. It can take an ambulance eight to ten minutes to get to you you."
According to Public Health, the survival rate of victims for an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is less than five per cent. However, the use of an AED with CPR before the arrival of emergency medical services can increase the chance of survival by up to 75 per cent.
"We train at least ten people for each unit that is put out in the facility. That is paid back to us as well for our time. The Oxford EMS AED program then helps to maintain them by replacing anything that is expired. The pads expire about every four years."
White says even if you don't have training, you can use the device.
"Truly anyone who is walking down the street can take it off the shelf and use it. They set it up so it's as user friendly as possible. Using it is the important thing. As they say, CPR keeps you going but it's the defibrillation that actually helps to bring your heart back into a normal rhythm."
By the end of March, the Heart and Stroke Foundation in partnership with Oxford County EMS will have placed over 100 AEDs in public spaces within Oxford County and local Paramedics have trained more than 1,100 people in CPR and defibrillation since the program began.
Single-Vehicle Collision Leads to Charges
Urgent Message Sent by Oxford OPP
Charges Laid After Traffic Incident in Woodstock
New Committee Helping United Way Oxford
WFD Reminding About CO Alarms
CNOY Walks Returning to Oxford County
A Suspended Driver Charged in Woodstock
A Pair of Locals are in the Senate Page Program
Woodstock Man Charged in Traffic Incident
Christmas Tree Pickup in Oxford County
Weather Warning Issued for Oxford County
Holiday Closures in Woodstock
Multiple Charges Laid to Woodstock Man
Fog Advisory Issued for Oxford
Tip Tuesday with Oxford OPP - December 2025
Holiday Waste Collection Tips from Oxford County
UPDATE: CFIA Reports 20 Illnesses Connected to Recall
UPDATE: Charges Laid in Highway Hit-and-Run
Charges Laid after Altercation in Delhi
Oxford OPP Briefs - Dec. 22nd, 2025
Comments
Add a comment