The Municipality of Lakeshore is helping to make life-saving equipment more accessible thanks to a new subsidy program. Lakeshore has officially launched its Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Subsidy Program, providing eligible non-profit organizations and service clubs with up to 75 per cent reimbursement toward the purchase of a publicly accessible AED. In mid-April, council approved $10,000 in funding for the program this year, with applications now being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. To qualify, organizations must install the device in a location that is accessible to the public 24/7. Community organizations must first complete an online intake form before Lakeshore Fire Rescue Services reviews the application and conducts a site visit to determine eligibility. When an AED is used within the first 3-5 minutes of a cardiac event, survival rates can increase dramatically from about 10 per cent to over 70 per cent, with the highest success rates when a defibrillator is used immediately. Lakeshore Fire Chief Jason Suchiu says the goal is to improve access to AEDs. “We’re really appreciative that council is putting importance on this. It’s for service groups and organizations to make available public access defibs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so that people from the general public will be able to have access to those and start early intervention into cardiac arrests that may occur, and they’re able to provide some assistance.” He says the process is designed to help organizations through the application process. “There’s an intake form online; they would fill that out. We would make contact with them, do a site visit, talk to them about their eligibility, then they would go through and be able to purchase the device.” Chief Suchiu says having more publicly accessible AEDs can make a critical difference during a medical emergency. “AEDs are important with providing life-saving measures for someone who’s suffering from cardiac arrest. So having intervention within two to three minutes of a cardiac arrest actually increases the chance of survival up to 70 per cent. So it’s important to have these available throughout the community.” An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable device that can help restore a normal heart rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest. In Canada, someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest approximately every nine minutes. Eligible charitable organizations, registered non-profits and community service organizations can find application details by clicking here.
