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AMHERST ISLAND EMERGENCY FIRST RESPCIISE TEAM 1.531;). Lynann Whitton The Ontario Emergency First Response (EFR) Team program was initiated in the 1980's by the Ministry of Health. It was aimed at providing the fastest possible emergency medical care to patients living in remote connmnities, where ambulance response time is were than 15 ndnutes. An EFR Team is a group of volunteers, trained 5J1 advanced first aid and CPR, who respond to medical emergencies and assist in stabilizing patients until an ambulance arrives. In the sunner of 1990, a number of our fire department members asked the Ministry of Health for permission to establish an EFR Team on Amherst Island. The Ministry agreed, and provided us 'with training and the equipment we needed to get started. we started with 12 volunteers-- some, but not all of these were fire department members. Since then, we have lost a few of our original nembers, but we have also gained new nembers, and are always on the lookout for new people. Currently our team consists of: Lynann Whitton (captain) Chris Kennedy Dr. Alex Scott (physician) Diane Pearce Maureen McGinn (nurse) Janet Scott Ian Murray Bill Phillips Dianne Marshall Karen Fleming David Fleming we operate under guidelines set out by the Ministry of Health. we also liaise closely with the Kingston Ambulance Service, who replaces our supplies and helps us with additional training when we need it. On the Island, we operate under the 'umbrella' of the fire department, and utilize fire department equipment (eg. the fire van and backboards). We are contacted by pager when the ambulance is called for a medical emergency on the Island, and over the past four years have responded to more than 35 calls ranging from cuts and bruises to heart attacks. As you know, the EFR Team is interested in purchasing a CARDIAC DEFIERILLATOR, a device which can be used to restart the heart of a person in cardiac arrest. This machine also acts as a nonitoring tool; using it we can closely monitor the heartbeat pattern of a cardiac patient while we wait for the ambulance to arrive. Cardiac defibrillators are carried in ambulances, and last year Kingston City council authorized the purchase of defibrillators for all of its fire departments (since firefighters can usually get to an emergency before the ambulance. The faster cardiac defibrillation is applied to a cardiac arrest patient, the better the chance of full recovery. This is the primary reason why we feel that this device is essential on the Island. we thank you for your help and continuing support. ********x*********x****************** LOGO The Defib Campaign Logo at the top of our newsletter is the creation. of the EFRT 'Fundraising Group. Concept by the Group; design by Annette Phillips; sketch by' Helen Trotter. The Logo is prominent on all our fundraising merchandise. *'k*********************************'k