October is sudden cardiac arrest awareness month and Oak Bay Recreation’s automated external defibrillator will get a visit from cyclist Michael Galasso on Monday (Sept. 29).
Galasso will visit 19 different locations around southern Vancouver Island where AEDs were placed as part of the BC Public Access to Defibrillation program created by the British Columbia Ambulance Service and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
The Tour D’Iridia, is an initiative developed by Iridia Medical, the distributor of AEDs for the Public Access to Defibrillation program. Over five days, Galasso will travel more than 400 kilometres to visit various sites and touch base with individuals responsible for managing the defibrillator.
He’ll be at Oak Bay Recreation from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. on Sept. 29.
The goal of the tour is to bring awareness to Public Access to Defibrillation sites while ensuring the devices are in good working condition.
AEDs are designed to treat sudden cardiac arrest, a condition where the heart suddenly stops pumping blood to the body.
Each year 40,000 Canadians die from sudden cardiac arrest, but with CPR and the early use of an AED, survival rates can be increased by 70 per cent.