Outdoor life-saving defibrillator installed in Lake Wilcox Park

​Donation from local hockey league could help save a life

Yorkregion.com
Dec. 9, 2021
Yoyo Yan

Lake Wilcox Park users now have access to a life-saving automated external defibrillator (AED) that can be used in the event of a cardiac emergency thanks to a donation from the Central York Girls Hockey Association (CYGHA).

Park users can find the 24/7 accessible SaveStation, which houses the AED, mounted on the wall outside the washrooms adjacent to the splash pad. The SaveStation cabinet lights up at night and keeps the AED warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

The AED inside, which has both adult and child modes, is equipped with a device that provides 24/7 monitoring of the AED status, ensuring it is "ready for rescue." It also includes location services with GPS tracking and hands-free two-way communication with emergency services.

Richmond Hill's indoor facilities have been equipped with public access AEDs since 2006.

An AED is an electronic device that analyses the heart's rhythm during cardiac arrest and, if necessary, delivers an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish a normal rhythm. AEDs are safe and easy to use even with little to no experience. Visual and voice prompts will guide users through the process.

Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time, and when it strikes, every second matters. In Canada, 40,000 people suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year; the majority happening at home or in a public place. Studies show that the immediate use of an AED combined with CPR can increase the likelihood of survival by 75 per cent or more.

This life-saving donation was made possible by the CYGHA's "She Shoots, She Saves" campaign, which is helping to make communities cardiac-safe by raising funds to install AEDs throughout York region.