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Off-duty paramedic, staff, save a life at Comox Community Centre gym

CPR and a public AED unit combine to help save a person who had no pulse and had stopped breathing
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Town officials in Comox are praising the quick action of bystanders and access to an automated external defibrillator with saving a life last week at the Comox Community Centre.

According to a Town of Comox media release, during the early morning of Jan. 3, a customer at the town’s fitness centre saw a person in distress who was quickly found to be not breathing and without a pulse.

“The quick actions of an off-duty paramedic and Comox Community Centre staff saved the person’s life. The publicly accessible AED was used, along with CPR,” the media release states.

First responders arrived quickly, and took the victim to the hospital.

“Our AED sponsorship program was started in 2014. We know that the faster CPR and AED can be used, the higher the chance the patient has of surviving the event,” said Comox Fire Chief Gord Schreiner. “In this situation, there was a great outcome for the person, and it once again proves the importance of having publicly accessible AEDs.”

The release states Comox has more than 50 AEDs publicly available in a variety of locations. Many have been purchased through a partnership program with the Comox Firefighter Association that will cover approximately half the cost of an AED for a business or group.

RELATED: Comox Firefighters Association partners with building owners to add another AED in town