LOUISE LOIK
Editor
In a small community, the sound of a siren is a cause of alarm. Neighbours listen for the sound direction trying to discern where it is headed, concerned that someone they know needs help. Subconsciously they remain alert for the sound of the second siren—the one that says the ambulance is on its way.
Hearing the time lag between the first responder, the fire truck, and then the ambulance arrive in his neighbourhood half an hour later, was enough for Bawn Campbell to take the problem to heart. He went out and bought an AED, also known as a defibrillator, used to restart the heart after a heart attack. His idea was to have the AED available to his Bluewater neighbourhood any time of day or night so that the second siren would be less critical. “Ten minutes after your heart stops, your chances of recovery decrease dramatically,” says Campbell.
That’s why the Rotary Club members, along with Ian Thompson, Fire Chief, paramedic Amanda Ockeloen, and Club President Shelagh MacKinnon, all gathered as Mayor Skeels cut the ribbon for the first installation of an accessable heart defibrillator in a public place. This first installation is at the gate to the Recycling Centre, on a tree in a distinct bird house style enclosure. built by Dai Roberts.
Dai Roberts built nine of the easily recognizable boxes for each of the devices. Initially, in addition to the one by the recycling centre, one will be installed outside municipal hall, and another will be outside the Children’s Centre. “Eventually we hope to have a dozen installed,” says Campbell.
Though Campbell’s neighbourhood is at the end of the road on the far side of the island, the response time can be almost as lengthy, even in Snug Cove due to the fact that paramedics are on call and have to get from their homes to the station and out.
Campbell, who co-founded the Bowen Island Rotary Club with Piers Hayes, thought that giving all the neighbourhoods access to AEDs would be a perfect fit for the club.
Campbell took his idea to the municipal council, proposing that council support the idea of the having neighbhourhood AEDs distributed to as many busy neighbourhoods as possible, starting by moving the four owned by the municipality into access points in outdoor locations that could be accessed any time of day or night.
The Rotary Club International has agreed to pay for one third of the cost of an AED for 10 units. The rest of the money would come from fundraising for each device. “Hood Point West paid for it on their own so that another neighbourhood could use the funds,” says Campbell.”
Campbell explains that for the program to work best, each neighbourhood with an AED is required to have a coffee party for everyone within a five-minute walk. This ensures that everyone knows each other, that they can make a commitment to each other to be willing, any time of day or night and to respond immediately to a call for help. “Some people live alone,” Campbell points out, ”and they need to know that someone will bring them the AED if they call for it.” Amanda Ockeleon, a second generation first responder, has also offered to provide two hours of first aid training at each of the gatherings.”
This can save lives,” says Campbell with pride.
By this weekend, there will be six installed and operational.
AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) LOCATIONS
Municipal Hall
East end of Artisan Lane
Knick-Knack-Nook and Recycle Depot
Entrance way to the Knick-Knack-Nook and the Recycling depot on Mt Gardner Road
Pre-School and Teen Centre
Carter Rd
Hood Point – Caretakers Cottage
Hood Point West – Smugglers Cove and Porter Road
Blue Water –Captains Way near Clipper Place
880 Captains Way
Possible Future Locations
Artisan Square near the phone booth
Village Square outside Cates Pharmacy
Irly Building Centre
Eaglecliff Community Association near the mail boxes
Tunstal Bay Club House
We are not limited to these locations. Any neighbourhood interested can contact Dominique Perrroni (chair of the locations team or Ian Thompson (Fire Chief).
