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Citizens and a Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) Save Life of Local Man at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium

May 15, 1990 - A second life has been saved in Thunder Bay thanks to the quick action of bystanders and the use of a public access defibrillator.

Last night at about 7 pm a 77 year old male collapsed in the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium and suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. Three off duty nurses and a physician witnessed the arrest and immediately started the life saving skill of Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). An employee of the Community Auditorium used a Public Access Defibrllator (PAD) in an effort to save the person’s life. The PAD device delivered an electric shock to the patient’s heart, resulting in the return of a spontaneous heart beat. When paramedics arrived, the man was still unconscious but had a strong pulse.

A challenge faced by paramedics was the patient’s location up in the mezzanine of the Community Auditorium. With the help of an off-duty police officer and several citizens, they were able to quickly extricate the patient down two flights of stairs and into the ambulance. “This show’s how critical the role of citizens can be during an emergency situation,” said Wayne Gates, Manager of Quality Assurance and Training with Superior North EMS. “We have terrific paramedics with great tools, but in a sudden death cardiac arrest it is the bystander citizen who in the first few minutes can make a difference between life and death with the easy to learn skill of CPR.”

By the time paramedics arrived at the hospital, the person was conscious, alert and talking.

The public access defibrillator program began in the fall of 2007 through a partnership between the Ontario Heart & Stroke Foundation (OHSF) and Superior North EMS. This program has resulted in the placement of 53 PAD’s in Thunder Bay and other communities in the Thunder Bay District. Thanks to a donation from the Paterson Foundation, a life was saved in December of 2007 at the Port Arthur Arena. “In that situation, early CPR and access to the PAD made all the difference and saved the person’s life” said Gates.

“Superior North EMS is currently working in partnership with the OHSF, the Paterson Foundation, the Andrews foundation, Thunder Bay Rotary Club and the City of Thunder Bay to have an additional 120 PAD’s placed in communities throughout the District”, said Norm Gale, Director of Superior North EMS. “We know that CPR training and access to PADs saves lives. We’ve now seen two successful resuscitations, and we hope to see more.”