With November marking CPR Month, the team at St. John Ambulance BC & Yukon are pushing British Columbians to register to learn the lifesaving skills of CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) use.
Sudden cardiac arrest affects thousands of British Columbians, and takes up to 40,000 Canadian lives each year. It can happen to anyone, no matter their age or fitness level.
In the event of sudden cardiac arrest, hands-only CPR and the use of an AED by quick-acting bystanders is crucial and increases the chance of survival upwards of 75 per cent.
Most know the importance of getting trained in first aid, but according to a survey done by Statistics Canada, only 37 per cent of Canadians reported that they or someone in their household knew CPR.
“The majority - almost 80 per cent - of sudden cardiac arrests happen outside of a hospital setting, whether it’s at home, work, or another public space, and the survival rate for outside of a hospital is unfortunately quite low,” said Ken Leggatt, interim CEO for St. John Ambulance BC & Yukon. “If more bystanders become empowered to quickly step in with CPR and AED use, we believe chance of survival would be much higher.”
St. John Ambulance’s goal is to build safer and happier communities, and this effort is even more important during our current reality with COVID-19, a time when communities are taking precautions to protect and support the health of others. When it comes to CPR and AED use, getting trained is one of the simplest actions anyone can take to give themselves the ability to further help others.
“CPR and AED training provides you with the knowledge and skills you need to save a life. Time is vital when responding to a cardiac arrest. Call 911, apply the AED, follow the voice prompts and immediately start CPR,” said Sharmen Lee, director of learning, development & standards at St. John Ambulance BC & Yukon. “We recognize there may be challenges and concerns with infection control during the pandemic and providing CPR. It is recommended that a cloth be placed over the casualty’s mouth and nose to limit your exposure to contaminants before administrating hands-only CPR.”
St. John Ambulance offers a range of first aid training, including CPR and AED use, in their locations across the province. For the COVID-19 pandemic, the charity has precautions in place to keep people safe including individual distanced stations for each student, building full-body manikins to eliminate the need for partnering, mandatory masks, enhanced cleaning and sanitizing, and more.
Anyone register for training by visiting sja.ca, or by contacting the St. John Ambulance customer care centre at 1-866-321-2651 or [email protected]. All proceeds from training and product sales directly funds St. John Ambulance’s charitable community service programs.
