Start me up: 1,000 Automated External Defribillators

St. John Ambulance BC & Yukon have launched their new campaign, Start Me Up BC, an initiative created to save more lives from sudden cardiac arrest.

The goal of the campaign is to install 1,000 publicly accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs) across the province. The community defibrillator stands can be placed anywhere and are kept unlocked to ensure the public can access the AED on a 24/7 basis in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, a medical emergency that takes up to 40,000 Canadian lives a year.

The charity has already placed four stands in the Lower Mainland: one at Crescent Beach in Surrey, one outside of the St. John Ambulance head office on Cambie St. in Vancouver, and two along the Canada Line at Brighouse and Bridgeport station.

When it comes to local developers, whether the owner is in the planning, buildin, or maintaining stage, an AED is a crucial life-saving tool to consider and have on site and placed to allow for quick access. Almost 80% of sudden cardiac arrests occur outside of a hospital setting. This could be at home, at a workplace, in a mall, a restaurant or in the street. In the event of this emergency, survival rate is as low as 5%. But when bystander CPR is combined with AED use, chance of survival shoots upwards of 75%.

“Placing a public AED stand in any public space provides a sense of security and safety for communities. It allows the opportunity for everyday citizens to become empowered to step in and save a life. AEDs should be everywhere, which is the movement Start Me Up BC will create,” said Ken Leggatt, interim CEO for St. John Ambulance BC & Yukon.

Outside of an AED, the Start Me Up BC community defibrillator stands are also equipped with a first aid kit and a naloxone kit to ensure bystanders can respond to a variety of emergencies.

To learn more about Start Me Up BC and get involved, email leanne.strachan@sja.ca. To help get more community defibrillators installed, donate at www.supportsja.ca.