The Town of Saint-Lazare has inaugurated an automated external defibrillator that will be accessible at all times at the chalet in Parc Westwood.
The automated external defibrillator was inaugurated in the presence of Daniel Boyer, Director, Public Security and Fire Chief, François Champlain of the Jacques-de-Champlain Foundation, Deb Henning, President of SaveStation, Geneviève Lachance, Mayor of Saint-Lazare, Rose Bloom, and members of the Dawes family.
This service is made possible thanks to a family from Saint-Lazare who generously donated the device for the benefit of the residents of Saint-Lazare. The Dawes family, represented by Rose Bloom, graciously provided this AED and cabinet to help citizens in an emergency.
The SaveStation AED device, installed outside the main building, is housed in a heated and ventilated cabinet, making the defibrillator available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Connected to the 9-1-1 emergency station, the device is used to resuscitate people in cardiac arrest.
The equipment was unveiled during an inaugural ceremony in the presence of Rose Bloom, Deb Henning of SaveStation, François de Champlain of the Jacques-de-Champlain Foundation, the mayor of Saint-Lazare, Geneviève Lachance, elected municipal officials as well as representatives of the Public Safety and Fire Department of the Town of Saint-Lazare. Note that an AED is also accessible inside each of the city’s municipal buildings.
The chain of survival
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada reminds us that 8 out of 10 cardiac arrests occur in a public place or at home. The chain of survival, vital when an emergency occurs, begins with the witnesses present who call 9-1-1, the rescuer, the first responders, paramedics until the patient arrives by ambulance to the hospital.
One of the important links in this chain is cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) combined with rapid defibrillation. The use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) doubles a victim’s chances of survival if the rescuer performs CPR without delay. The chain of survival is therefore triggered by the people present during the incident.
The Fire Department’s First Responder Division also recommends that you call 9-1-1 as soon as possible when you see the following signs of cardiac arrest: the person collapses; they do not respond to touch or sound; the person stops breathing. For more information, you can contact the Saint-Lazare Fire Department at 450 424-8000, ext. 317.
