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EMERGENCY Fl RST RESPONSE TEAM REPORT Ill CARDIAC DEFIBRILLATOR TRAINING - Lynann Whitton - The cardiac defibrillator has been ordered and is on its way, and on February 3rd the EFR team had a training course to learn how to use it. The training was organised through the Regional Base Hospital and two instructors were on hand to 'put us through our paces'. Initially, we were taught the emergency procedures for dealing with a cardiac arrest (when the heart stops): the protocol involves a three person team --- one person doing rescusitation, one on chest compressions and the third in charge of defibrillation. We also learned how to use the defibrillator to monitor the hearts of patients who are not in cardiac arrest. While the obvious use for the monitoring capability is for patients who are experiencing chest pains, we can also use it in many other situations - for example, those involving an unconscious casualty, patients having breathing difficulties or suffering from a stroke, to name a few, It was a very interesting and informative training course. We would like to offer HUGE thanks to our instructors - Mark Halladay (Halladay Emergency Services) and Bill Barrie (Base Hospital Regional Training Co- ordinator). Both of them donated their services FREE OF CHARGE to help us get our defibrillator programme underway - normally the charge is $60 per instructor per hour (and they were each here for 9 hoursl). The defibrillator should be here within the next couple of weeks, so we should have it in the van and ready to go by March 1st. We would like to conduct a series of public information sessions on CPR and the cardiac defibrillator, and will be contacting various groups on the Island to arrange times for a presentation. Thank you again for your support! Amherst Island Beacon Feb. 1996