Automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) save lives, and the province has chosen Prince George to pilot a $3.5-million program to place more AEDs in public spaces across B.C.
Health Minister Adrian Dix announced the program Friday at Masich Place Stadium, where an AED was installed by Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond after the heart-related death of her husband, Bill, in 2020.
“As Minister Dix said, thousands of people experience sudden cardiac arrest every year, and the dramatic outcomes that can occur with an AED and CPR are nothing short of remarkable – it makes a difference,” said Bond. “It’s literally the difference between life and death for many people.”
Bond has long advocated for AEDs, leading to the passing of the Defibrillator Public Access Act. This legislation establishes requirements for signage, maintenance, and registration of AEDs, and clarifies civil liability. Each AED is registered with B.C. Emergency Health Services and integrated into the ambulance dispatch system, allowing dispatchers to direct callers to the nearest AED.
“AEDs are safe, effective, and easy-to-use devices that anyone can operate without medical training,” Dix said. “Anyone can step up to be a hero, saving the life of a loved one, friend, colleague, or stranger, and we’re proud to launch this pilot program.”
Dix noted that Prince George has one of the highest rates of cardiac arrest among B.C. cities, averaging 165 incidents per year. The first AEDs are expected to be installed by the end of next year and will be registered on the PulsePoint app.
In B.C., 8,300 people suffered a cardiac arrest in 2021. According to the Heart & Stroke Foundation, more than 60,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually in Canada – one every nine minutes – with only one in 10 patients surviving. However, when cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is combined with an AED, survival chances double.
“Even if you’ve never taken a course, 9-1-1 operators will guide you through it while first responders are en route,” said Robyn Jones-Murrell, the foundation’s senior vice-president for Western Canada. “We’ve heard amazing stories of children saving loved ones using CPR with 9-1-1 support, and we look forward to seeing CPR education included in school curricula.”
Ken Carruska demonstrated to the crowd how AEDs work. Six years ago, while playing hockey at Burnaby 8 Rinks, Carruska’s heart stopped, and he collapsed on the ice. Fortunately, an AED was available, and a teammate, a former paramedic, used it along with chest compressions to restart his heart.
“I’m alive today only because of CPR and the use of an AED,” said the 57-year-old Carruska. “My teammates started CPR, grabbed the AED, placed the pads on my chest, and pushed the button. It’s a simple process and it restarted my heart.”
Carruska showed a tattoo of a heart monitor graph on his forearm, illustrating a flat line that spikes into a heartbeat. He serves on the advisory board of the Heart and Stroke Foundation in Vancouver.
“My cardiac arrest was Jan. 14, 2018,” Carruska said. “Six years and eight months tomorrow, to the day. Google tells me it’s 2,434 days.”
During that time, he and his wife celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary, attended their sons’ university graduations, and made their first family trip to Portugal – all thanks to the intervention of an AED.
A few months after undergoing quadruple bypass surgery, Carruska returned to playing hockey with his Can’t Skate Backwards team.
The City of Prince George will collaborate with Heart & Stroke to determine where the new AEDs will be placed. As of September 2023, the city has 30 AEDs in public areas.
Bond encourages people to download the PulsePoint app, which maps the locations of AEDs.
Dix said the province will later announce the two other B.C. cities where the program will be introduced, prioritizing communities with limited public access to AEDs and higher rates of cardiac arrest.
The AEDs will be installed in airports, community centres, post-secondary schools, government buildings, and other public places.
The Bill Bond Memorial Fund has provided AEDs for Prince George, McBride, Valemount, Dunster, and Mount Robson.
