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Community Centres

EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

Introduction
The Facts
The Solution

Emergency preparedness programs help you and your neighbors make the right choices when someone in your community is injured and requires medical attention. The programs are designed to give lay people-community staff and volunteers-the equipment and skills needed to deal with a wide range of emergencies, including sudden cardiac arrest, strokes, severe bleeding and fainting.

Our goal is to help you create a safe environment for people of all ages in your community-whether they are playing sports or participating in functions at the community club house.

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Data from Statistics Canada indicates that sport and recreation injuries are the most common type of injury in Canada for people 15 years of age and older; they account for about 29% of all injuries. This percentage rises to 42% for people aged 15 to 24. One study in the mid-1990s found there are close to 250,000 sports-related injuries in Alberta every year.

Playground injuries are another significant child health issue. According to Safe Kids Canada, every year more than 28,500 Canadian children receive hospital treatment for playground-related injuries. At the Alberta Children's Hospital, about 30% of the children who were seen for playground injuries were treated for at least one broken bone.

Another issue that many community centres are becoming increasingly concerned about is the risk of sudden cardiac arrest among adult men who play recreational sports such as pick-up basketball and hockey. Heart disease is the number one killer in Canada: Up to 40,000 Canadians die each year from sudden cardiac arrest.

But can't we call 911 for medical assistance?

Emergency medical service (EMS) professionals and firefighters save many people each year, but time delays keep them from saving many more. In cases of cardiac arrest, for example, help often arrives too late. In major Canadian centres, defibrillators typically arrive on site approximately 9 minutes after the call to 911, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Those 9 minutes may cost someone their life. Brain damage can start to occur in 4 to 6 minutes. With every minute that passes, a victim's chances of survival are reduced by 10%.

A recent major study on public-access defibrillators found that when an AED is used on a casualty within the first three minutes, the survival rate is as high as 70%. New international guidelines by cardiac care specialists state that the public should have access to defibrillation within five minutes.

The best way to ensure quick access is to have an AED on site, along with employees and volunteers who are trained how to use it. Many communities, schools and companies have recognized this and are choosing to put AEDs in strategic locations throughout their facilities. It makes sense: an AED can be purchased for less than the cost of a new computer-a minor expense when you consider it may save a life.

Did you know the City of Calgary EMS department has recommended the deployment of AEDs throughout the city? [link the underlined bit to ] You can read more about these devices and why they are so critical in the AED Programs section of this web site.

Preparedness is about more than supplying first aid kits or training. It is about having a complete program in place so that volunteers and employees are fully prepared for injuries when they occur. Taking a few simple steps can also reduce the risk of litigation when things do go wrong.

Is your community prepared to save a life?

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The MediStat Complete Care program is a comprehensive solution for your community. There are four steps to the standard program. We can deliver the entire program or customize it depending on your community's specific needs.

1. We consult with your community centre managers and volunteers to determine your first aid training and supply needs based on the size of your community and types of programs offered.
2. We supply the necessary emergency medical training and equipment. A Complete Care package for community centres includes first aid kits, an AED and blood borne pathogens protection supplies. We teach community employees, coaches and other volunteers how to use the equipment. We also provide basic first aid and CPR courses, and programs specifically designed for children, such as Red Cross People Savers, Home-on-your-own and Babysitting courses. All training is delivered onsite-we train at your facility and at your convenience.
3. We can help you manage your emergency response program on an ongoing basis with our proprietary data-management system. The system will alert responders when their first aid, CPR and AED certificates are up for renewal. The system also allows us provide you with rapid feedback on your program at any time.
4. Should your community have an event, we will dispatch a qualified technician to provide whatever assistance is needed to return your equipment to service quickly.

Why choose MediStat?

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