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	Corporate Report
DEPARTMENT/	CAO's Office
DIVISION	Emergency Medical Services	REPORT NO.	2007.143
DATE PREPARED	August 13, 2007	FILE NO.
MEETING DATE	August 27, 2007
SUBJECT	Public Access Defibrillators for the City and District of Thunder Bay

RECOMMENDATION

THAT with respect to Report No. 2007.143 (Emergency Medical Services), we recommend that the City of Thunder Bay endorse the Agreement between the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario and the City of Thunder Bay;

AND THAT Superior North EMS be designated the lead agency for the development and implementation of a Automated External Defibrillator Program for both the City and District of Thunder Bay;

AND THAT the AED Program be funded in accordance with the attached Source of Financing;

AND THAT Appropriation Change Order No. 28 be approved;

AND THAT the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to sign all documentation relating to these matters;

AND THAT any necessary By-laws be presented to City Council for ratification.

On May 1, 2007, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario (HFSO) announced a Province-wide grant program allowing EMS agencies to apply for Automated External Defibrillator (AED) funding and related training. HSFO is offering to municipalities grants of up to $4,500 per AED. The HSFO grant includes the capital purchase of the AED as well as associated training costs. Approval has been given to Superior North EMS for 30 AED units for a sum of $135,000, subject to City Council approval. Once the AED program is in place, HSFO will reimburse the City of Thunder Bay to a maximum of $135,000, as per the attached Agreement.

Through the HSFO Chase McEachern Tribute Fund and the HSFO Restart a Heart, Save a Life campaign, the HSFO is actively collecting financial contributions for the purposes of funding the purchase and placement of AEDs in public settings in communities throughout the Province of Ontario.

With these financial contributions, the HFSO has approached municipal EMS agencies to coordinate the placement of AEDs in public locations. The ideal location for an AED is where there would be high-volume public gatherings, for example a hockey rink or community centre. In Thunder Bay, AEDs are currently in place at Intercity Mall, the Charity Casino, the Canada Games Complex, the Ontario Government Building on James St., and other locations.

The City of Thunder Bay as well as the Municipalities of Oliver-Paipoonge, Red Rock, Nipigon, Schreiber, Terrace Bay, Marathon, Manitouwadge and Greenstone have received approval from the HSFO for the placement of a total of 30 AEDs. These communities were identified by EMS and the HSFO through a risk assessment process that identified locations meeting the criteria of facilities which could hold large numbers of people and where there is a rapid EMS response.

14 of the 30 AEDs will be placed in the City of Thunder Bay at the following locations:


Victoriaville Civic Centre
55 Plus Centre
Volunteer Pool
Sir Winston Churchill Community Pool
Herb Carroll Centre
West Thunder Community Centre
Marina Park
Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
Municipal Golf Course*
Strathcona Golf Course*
Chapples Golf Course*
Heath Park Swimming Pool*
Dease Street Swimming Pool*
Art Widnall Swimming Pool*

*placed at an outdoor skating rink in the winter

The funds provided by the HSFO will be sufficient to hire an AED program implementation coordinator to oversee the planning, coordination and liaison, preventive maintenance and public relations aspects of the program. This position is expected to last no more than six months, and the coordinator will be supervised through Superior North EMS.
The agreement has been review by the City Solicitor.

In accordance with the Source of Financing (Attachment B) and Appropriation Change Order No. 28 (Attachment C), the maximum cost for the AED program will be $135,000, which will be fully funded by the HSFO grant.

It is concluded that due to the large nature of this project and unique geographical challenges, EMS does not have the ability to solely implement this extensive District wide program. This partnership with HSFO therefore provides an excellent opportunity to increase the number of AEDs in Thunder Bay and other District communities.

It is further concluded that we should proceed with this partnership with the HSFO and District municipalities.

In 2007, AED training became a mandatory requirement in all first aid and CPR courses. Therefore, all persons taking first aid and/or CPR training are now able to operate an AED.

AEDs are used to apply an electric shock to the heart after a cardiac arrest (the cessation of a heartbeat). Under the right circumstances, this electric shock may cause the heart to “reorganize”, that is, cause the return of a heartbeat, thus saving the person’s life. AEDs form a crucial part of the HSFO’s “Chain of Survival”, and rapid treatment with AEDs by laypersons could lead to more lives saved. The typical lay person with first aid training will be easily able to use a publicly accessible AED to apply this treatment.

Attachment A – Agreement – HSFO and the Corporation of the City of Thunder Bay

Attachment B – Source of Financing

Attachment C – Appropriation Change Order No. 28