As many as six life-saving defibrillators could be in place along remote sections of Highway 14 by the end of the year.
Al Wickheim, Capital Regional District director for the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area, said he’s pushing for the battery-operated shock devices because more people are using the trail networks and campsites west of Sooke toward Port Renfrew.
He said the machines, which can help keep victims of heart attacks alive, will bring a sense of safety and security for those who might suffer a heart attack and be far from ambulance services. “It’s one of the few things where seconds count … a defibrillator can be so effective,” said Wickheim, who recently retired as a paramedic after 40 years, but retains his licence and still teaches.
Wickheim said a surfer who suffered a heart attack last month in the CRD campground at Jordan River as he emerged from the water was likely saved by fellow surfers who administered CPR — and by a passing motorhome that happened to be equipped with a defibrillator.
“The driver of the motorhome was just passing over the bridge and noticed people giving CPR,” said Wickheim. “He pulled in, they shocked the guy and brought him around until the ambulance got there. I’m told that saved his life, and he left hospital in two days.”
Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are lightweight portable devices that send an electrical shock to the heart to restore normal rhythm.
Pads with sensors are placed on the chest of a person in cardiac arrest and the sensors send information to a computer in the AED, which analyzes the information to determine the strength of the electric shock needed.
A defibrillator is expected to be installed at the CRD’s Jordan River campground in about two weeks, said Wickheim.
He said the small community quickly raised $1,000 to purchase one, but that money will now likely be used for first-aid kits and the CRD will pick up the AED costs.
AEDs range in price from $1,500 to $2,500 and higher, said Wickheim, but reconditioned models often used for training go for much lower.
Other AEDs are planned for the Shirley Community Hall, Sheringham Point Lighthouse and the CRD regional headquarters at Otter Point. AED installations are also planned for French Beach and China Beach provincial parks, but the purchase and installation of those are in the early stages of discussions with the province, said Wickheim.
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