Sherri Dmyterko: Would you know what to do if someone around you experience a sudden cardiac arrest. Every year in Canada about 40,000 people die from Sudden Cardiac Arrest or SCA. That's close to 110 people per day across Canada. When someone experiences SCA, their best chances of survival come from early defibrillation. There are now 190 Automated External Defibrillators or AEDs in and around Toronto Pearson International Airport. And to ensure that more people know how to use the units, the Greater Toronto Airport's Authority has launched the Heart Cart Program. Thanks to a grant from the Medtronic foundation. Mike Figliola is Fire Chief, at the Greater Toronto Airports Authority.
Mike Figliola: The Heart Cart is a public education program that we are rolling out through Pearson Airport. So that the general public understand what the defibrillator is and how simple it is to use. Heart disease and Sudden Cardiac Arrest is still the number one killer of Canadians. So whether it's in your home or in your work place, if you have the ability to use defibrillator you increase your chance of survival by almost 50%.
Sherri Dmyterko: The Heart Cart program at Toronto Pearson International Airport is the first of its kind in Canada. Lloyd McCoomb is president and CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority.
Lloyd McCoomb: We are just so delighted that the Medtronic Foundation chose Pearson to be the first Canadian Airport to receive The Heart Cart Program. We are bringing the training to the people. We have 31 million people go through this institution in a year. We can reach a great many of them with this program and also hope to do so.
Female Speaker: I think it's great that you have this program here and so now you all making public aware of this machine, this AED machine exist. I think it's a great thing.
Male Speaker: When you see somebody who has suffered a potentially fatal heart attack for example, and especially knowing that they are a father, they are brother, they are son of somebody, if you could safe their lives it's just a wonderful thing.
Mike Figliola: You have a 5 year old trained on it and I am sure a 95 year old could be trained on it. You can turn on your TV, you can turn on the defibrillator and save somebody's life. The technology is that simple.
Sherri Dmyterko: The Heart Cart will be moving around terminal line with GTAA Emergency Services Personnel providing a 3-4 minute presentation to people interested in learning about AEDs and how to use them. For more information consult aedhelp.com. Sherri Dmyterko reporting.
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