Windsor Fire & Rescue Services responds to medical emergencies in the city of Windsor and, since 1994, has provided Defibrillation to all Cardiac arrest calls. One of the key reasons for Windsor Fire and Rescue Services to respond to medical emergencies is that due to the location of fire stations throughout the city, we are able to respond fastest to any emergency. In many instances a couple of minutes can mean the difference between life and death.
The addition of the Automated External Defibrillation (AED) Program began when the City of Windsor was chosen by the Ministry of Health to be one of twelve study cities that were to participate in the Ontario Pre-Hospital Advanced Life Support Study (OPALS) program.
In order to be eligible for the program, the Ambulance Service had to meet strict criteria. The most important factor being that citizens in the city have an average response time to “out of hospital cardiac arrests” in fewer than 8 minutes, over 90% of the time. The Ambulance Service could not achieve this standard alone, so the Windsor Fire & Rescue Services began the development of its own AED program. Their additional response capability enabled the Ambulance Service to ensure that this standard was met.
Currently, the WF&RS is utilizing the LifePak 500 AED by Medtronic Physio-Control. This AED was chosen for its superior quality and ease of operation. The Windsor Fire & Rescue Services and the Windsor Provincial Ambulance Service have teamed up to provide the City of Windsor with an advanced level of service by allowing the Ambulance Service to utilize advanced techniques that were previously only available in hospital. These advanced techniques, alone, are saving lives. The Windsor Fire & Rescue Services is the host department for the City of Windsor’s highly successful AED Program.
Windsor Fire & Rescue Services responds to medical emergencies in the city of Windsor and, since 1994, has provided Defibrillation to all Cardiac arrest calls. One of the key reasons for Windsor Fire and Rescue Services to respond to medical emergencies is that due to the location of fire stations throughout the city, we are able to respond fastest to any emergency. In many instances a couple of minutes can mean the difference between life and death.
