A first responder in Hanley saved the life of a 67 year old man in cardiac arrest last Friday. Medavie Health Services West is highlighting this incident to show the integral role first responders can play, and the importance for everyone to learn CPR. November is CPR month.

Medavie spokesperson Troy Davies says first responders are a critical element in the chain of survival for rural communities, responding to their neighbours and possibly family members in medical emergencies. Last Friday, the ambulance service was alerted about a man in Hanley in cardiac arrest, so Davies says first responders in the area were contacted and Les Kroeger, who has been a volunteer first responder for over 30 years, answered the call. He immediately started CPR and then shocked the patient twice with an AED prior to the arrival of EMS and STARS.

Davies says taking the time for a three to four hour CPR class, where you also learn how to use an AED, could save a life. Since 2005, the Saskatoon Heart Safe Program has saved 35 lives. Davies explains that over 1,300 businesses and facilities in Saskatoon and area now have AEDs because when a person goes into cardiac arrest, every second counts. For every minute that person doesn’t have access to CPR or an AED, the chances of survival goes down by ten per cent.