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Off–duty paramedic, defibrillator save person’s life

April 18, 2013   ·   0 Comments

The Barrie Colts weren’t the only ones to come back to life at the Molson Centre Wednesday night.

A person, who collapsed suddenly before the game, was revived by an off-duty County of Simcoe paramedic who performed CPR and used a defibrillator on the individual prior to the arrival of paramedics.

County paramedic Rob Wiggins was getting ready to cheer on the Colts when he witnessed an individual collapse in front of him in the beverage line. Upon assessment, it was determined the individual’s vital signs were absent and an ambulance was called.

“I feel very fortunate that I was in the right place at the right time to be able to help someone in critical need,” said Wiggins, who has been with Paramedic Services for only four months.

Wiggins, along with an out-of-province off-duty firefighter, performed CPR on the patient while a staff member retrieved one of two County of Simcoe Heart and Stroke Foundation-funded Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) installed at the Molson Centre. Wiggins used the defibrillator to deliver a shock to the person’s heart, ultimately restarting their heart and reviving them.

When County of Simcoe duty paramedics arrived on the scene, the individual was responsive and alert. The patient was transported to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre without further incident and is recovering at Southlake Regional Health Centre.

A joint partnership between the County of Simcoe and the Heart and Stroke Foundation has seen the installation of 500 AEDs in public spaces across the County, including schools, businesses, recreation and community facilities, and hockey arenas through the County’s Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) Program.

“To date, eight individuals have survived after suffering from a cardiac arrest thanks to the strong partnership between the County of Simcoe and the Heart and Stroke Foundation,” said Warden Cal Patterson. “The installation of AEDs throughout the County combined with CPR and defibrillator training provided by Paramedic Services empowers our residents to take action and save lives.”

Research shows that CPR and defibrillator use prior to the arrival of emergency responders can increase a person’s chance of survival by as much as 75 per cent. Sudden cardiac arrest kills 40,000 Canadian each year according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation—that is one cardiac arrest death every 13 minutes.

“Last night’s save can be attributed to the quick initiation of CPR and the availability of an on-site defibrillator. Both resulted in a life being saved,” said Andrew Robert, Director and Chief, County of Simcoe Paramedic Services. “I am so proud to be associated with the men and women of the County of Simcoe Paramedic Services, who even when they are off duty like Rob, go above and beyond to provide superior patient care to Simcoe County residents.”

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