The Times Advocate, 2004-02-11, Page 31Wednesday, February 11, 2004
Exeter Times–Advocate
31
New program aimed at reducing heart attack deaths
By Pauline Kerr
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES -ADVOCATE
GODERICH — Huron County
Emergency Medical Services would like
to see more people in the county trained
to use Automatic External Defibrillation
(AED) equipment.
Reducing the time until the first shock is
administered is essential in reducing
heart attack deaths — and it's possible.
David Lew, manager of land ambulance
operations, said he would like to see ser-
vice clubs get involved so the equipment
could be placed in municipal buildings,
arenas and "wherever there is a gather-
ing of people".
Kevin McNab, quality assurance man-
ager for the service, was at the Feb. 5
meeting of Huron County council to pre-
sent Public Access Defibrillation certifi-
cates to several people, part of a trial that
started last year.
The group from Pine Lake campground
just outside Bayfield took AED training
which takes eight hours, four of them for
CPR (cardio -pulmonary resuscitation).
Among those receiving certificates were
Jane Ashton, Laurie Schmidt, Kevin
Lemesurier, Shane Elliott, Christine
Doerner, Steve Caza, Susan Samworth,
Jane Hummel and Marie Geisel.
According to McNab, they are the first
but hopefully won't be the last such
group trained in Huron County.
McNab provided a bit of background on
Public Access Defibrillation.
He told council that American figures
indicate 250,000 people per year die of
sudden cardiac death, 90 per cent of
them out of hospital. In Canada, 23,000
people died of sudden cardiac death in
1995.
"The most common cause is ventricular
fibrillation, and the only treatment is
defibrillation," he told council, explaining
that contrary to popular belief, the defib-
rillator does not start the heart but actu-
ally stops it. Hopefully it starts beating
again in a normal rhythm. "There is a
very narrow window of opportunity," said
McNab.
Council learned there is a three to five
per cent survival rate. The biggest prob-
lem is the time until the first shock is
administered.
McNab told council the best place to
have a heart attack is in a casino. Not
only are people constantly watched on
monitors, but the establishments have
AEDs. "If CPR is started immediately and
the defibrillator used within the first two
minutes, the survival rate is about 70 per
cent. There is a 10 per cent decrease in
the survival rate for every minute that
passes."
The old problem with defibrillators,
said McNab, is they were large, heavy
machines, and the user had to be a
nurse, doctor or paramedic to interpret
the heart rhythm.
The new equipment is portable and
light -weight. It automatically interprets
the heart rate and rhythm.
The cost is an affordable $3,000-
$4,000, and minimal training is required.
"The goal is to decrease the time to the
first shock," said McNab, just before he
handed out the certificates.
Coun. Deb Shewfelt congratulated the
paramedics for running the program,
and said when he was in hospital for
bypass surgery, the man in the next bed
was a 50 -year-old hockey player.
Fortunately there was a defibrillator at
the arena.
Warden Bill Dowson commented on the
need for service clubs to get involved in
the Public Access Defibrillation program
Coun. Rob Morley suggested the county
might want to advertise the program to
make the public aware.
Lew said anyone wishing more infor-
mation about the program should call
519-440-0810.
Ambulance funding
Lew reported to Huron County council
on changes stemming from a Ministry of
Health and Long Term Care move to
regionalize base hospital programs.
In essence, the only real change is
instead of cheques going directly to the
individual base hospitals, one cheque will
be issued to a regional base hospital from
the ministry. The regional base hospital,
probably in London, will issue cheques to
the other base hospitals.
"The rest stays the same," said Lew.
Council was not reassured. Coun. Deb
Shewfelt said it looked as if the ministry
was attempting to eliminate the smaller
base hospitals. "Bigger is not necessarily
better," said the councillor.
Lew concurred with Shewfelt's assess-
ment. "That was my initial concern also,"
he said. "After a year of meetings, the
savings is cutting one cheque instead of
four."
Coun. Dave Urlin commented, "When
the province starts dealing the money to
someplace else, it's a slippery slope...
goodbye to Owen Sound."
Owen Sound is the base hospital for
Huron, Bruce and Grey. Lew said in a let-
ter to the chairperson of the base hospital
rationalization working group, included
in his report to council, that the ambu-
lance service in Huron was pleased at the
treatment they received from Owen
Sound. The base hospital was responsive
to the needs of a rural ambulance ser-
vice, something that is not the case with
some other base hospitals.
Shewfelt and other councillors agreed
with Urlin, and saw the minor change in
the method of funding as a danger signal.
"It's disgusting the way they treat us in
the rural areas," said Shewfelt. "We're
the forgotten society ... everything goes
to the cities."
He made a motion, seconded by Coun.
Dorothy Kelly, that the county send a let-
ter of complaint about the funding to the
ministry, with copies to the local MPP and
the Association of Municipalities of
Ontario. "Why should we beg London for
funding?" Shewfelt said.
Lew noted there was no guarantee
what hospital would be the regional base,
but it would probably be London.
Coun. Ellen Connelly suggested arrang-
ing a face-to-face meeting. "There's a lot
of emotion in this room," she said.
TinkerTots tour fire station
The Hensall Tinker Tots toured the Hensall Fire Station Feb. 4. Above firefighter
Pete Bedard shows the kids the equipment on a fire truck while below paramedic
Amanda Kowall shows some ambulance equipment. (photos/Mary Simmons)
POLICE BRIEFS
Man
arrested in
Ottawa for
home
invasion
and assault
SOUTH HURON —
Huron OPP has arrested
a man wanted for a
break-in in which a
young couple was
attacked while sitting
watching television in
their home.
The break-in took
place shortly after mid-
night July 27 at a resi-
dence on Hern Line in
South Huron.
A pair of men broke
into the home through a
door and assaulted the
young couple that fled to
other rooms where they
locked themselves to
avoid more personal
harm.
Information was
received which led to a
warrant of arrest being
issued for Jeremy
Crawford, 22, of
Gloucester.
Earlier this week
Carpet Bowling
friday, february 06
Don Maguire 3W-29
Marion Dearing 2WIT34
Audrey MacGregor 2W-25
John Batten 2W-24
Wilma Davis 2W-22
Myrtle Maguire 2W-21
monday, february 09
Aldeen Skinner 3W-40
Leona Elliott 3W-29
Don Maguire
Audrey MacGregor
Cathy Bell
Bob Patterson
John Batten
Sandi Maxwell
Lucy Sage
Marshall Dearing
3W-25
2W-35
2W-34
2W-26
2W-23
2W-23
2W-22
2W-20
Ottawa Police Service
arrested the man who
was turned
over to Huron OPP. He
was charged with break
and enter to commit an
indictable offence,
assault causing bodily
harm and wearing a dis-
guise with intent to com-
mit an offence.
The investigation con-
tinues while officers
work on finding the sec-
ond person involved in
the attack.
If you have information
on this case call the
Huron OPP or Crime
Stoppers at 1-888-222-
8477 (TIPS).
Patrol
issues 15
charges
HURON — The OPP
snow patrol was back in
operation Feb. 7-8.
Officers logged more
than 500 kilometres on
the trails and stopped
more than 200 snowmo-
bilers.
Fifteen people were
charged on the trails,
mostly in the south end
of the county. Five peo-
ple were charged with
speeding. According to
police the worst case
was a male driving at
133 km/h in a 50 km/h
zone. Two people were
charged with liquor vio-
lations, two for driving
off trails, one for tres-
passing, three for driving
with no trail permits and
two with no proper vali-
dation on the plates. One
person also lost his dri-
ver's licence for 12 hours
after blowing a warn on
the alcotest.
r
PUBLIC NOTICE
RE: BY-LAW TO ESTABLISH RULES OF ORDER,
REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR THE
COUNCIL AND COMMITTEES OF THE
CORPORATION OF THE COUNTY OF HURON
This notice is given under the provisions of the Municipal Act,
2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25, as amended, Section 238(2) - Every
municipality and local board shall pass a procedure by-law for
governing the calling, place and proceedings of meetings.
Section 238(4) - Before passing a by-law under subsection (2), a
municipality and local board shall give notice of its intention to
pass the by-law.
The Draft Procedural By-law will be presented for deliberation
and consideration at the Committee of the Whole meeting on
February 17, 2004 and at the County Council Session at 9:00
a.m. on March 4, 2004 in the Council Chambers, Court House,
Goderich, Ontario.
Barbara A. Leamen
County Clerk
The Corporation of the County of Huron
1 Court House Square
Goderich, Ontario N7A 1M2
(519) 524-8394