Successful CPR/AED training held at Riverview Community Centre

participants working hard to master the CPR technique

The community of Clyde River owes a BIG thank you to the Cowan Foundation and the Boston Pizza Foundation for funding the Restart a Heart/Restart a Life program. Through this admirable community program, funding for an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) and training in CPR and the use of the AED was provided. This training took place this week at the Riverview Community Centre in Clyde River. Thank you to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, PEI Division, for facilitating the purchase of the AED for the Centre and helping to arrange CPR training to coincide with the arrival of the AED unit. The North River Fire Department is a partner in this initiative as well.

Mike Hunter and Warren Banks provided CPR/AED certification to 29 people this week at the Riverview Community Centre. Half of those who took the CPR/AED  course live in Clyde River adding a valuable resource base to help with any cardiac emergency. The trainers made the course interesting, clear and simple. Feedback from the participants was very positive and there was no cost to the people taking this life saving training. Each family received a resource kit from the Heart and Stroke Foundation for further reference. 

 This whole project leads to an interesting scenario. The AED is a valuable resource but it is a device that we hope doesn’t need to be used. However, if the need is there, the AED is easy to use and there are now many more people in this community who can supplement its use with up-to-date CPR techniques.  An AED significantly increases the chance of recovery after a sudden heart attack or cardiac arrest. The light weight easy- to- use AED is portable and could be taken to the park, to near-by churches, businesses, farms or homes if the need arises.  Those trained in the CPR/AED skill add another aspect to the community’s emergency response plan. There’s a secure feeling knowing this resource is available on our community.

On Saturday, a plaque was presented to Betty Watts President of the Clyde River Women’s Institute listing the various partners involved in this initiative. It will be displayed at the Riverview Community Centre. Watch for the Guardian write-up on this event.

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