Frontenac Neighbours Saving Neighbours cardiac arrest response

Emergency physician Dr. Steve Brooks shares how a PulsePoint AED Needed Alert sent a loud notification to his phone while simultaneously activating his SaveStation outdoor AED cabinet, allowing him to reach a cardiac arrest victim nine minutes before paramedics arrived.

QUEEN'S FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES - Neighbours Saving Neighbours (NSN), a volunteer responder program based in rural Frontenac County, Ontario, is working to take luck out of the survival equation. The program, led by Queen’s researcher Dr. Steven Brooks, partners with Frontenac Paramedics to recruit and train local volunteers in rural communities to respond to nearby cardiac arrests before emergency services arrive. NSN wrapped its pilot recruitment in March 2025 and has already shown promising real-world impact, including at least one life saved.

THE IRISH TIMES - It is just over a year since one of Christian Kostner’s few neighbours on Dursey Island in West Cork suddenly became very unwell.

“It was pretty bad and people weren’t sure what it was. The ambulance was called and it took forever.” He reckons nearly an hour had passed before the first responders arrived via a seven-minute ride on Ireland’s only cable car, which connects the island to the mainland. “If it had been a serious heart emergency, an hour is far too long,” he points out. “And I’m across the road.”

A Frontenac County man is being recognized for his fast actions that officials say saved a neighbour's life.

Mark Sherwin is a volunteer responder with Neighbours Saving Neighbours

(NSN), a program spearheaded by Queen's University in partnership with Frontenac Paramedics designed to crowdsource first-response aid to help people having an emergency.

In February, Sherwin jumped into action after a mobile app alerted him to a possible cardiac arrest nearby, grabbing his NSN automated external defibrillator (AED) and using it to effect the program's first cardiac arrest save.

Frontenac County resident Mark Sherwin was awarded the Frontenac Paramedics Chief's Commendation after being the first volunteer with the Neighbours Saving Neighbours (NSN) program to perform a cardiac arrest save. The award is presented for meritorious or courageous action in recognition of effort, bravery, and service.

Sydenham, ON – Neighbours Saving Neighbours (NSN) volunteer responder Mark Sherwin effected the program’s first cardiac arrest save in February.

Kingston Central Ambulance Communications Centre communications officers alerted Sherwin via a mobile app to a nearby possible cardiac arrest emergency that was reported via 9-1-1 call. He happened to be very close to the scene, so was able to get there and begin treatment with his NSN automated external defibrillator (AED) in the critical minutes before emergency medical personnel arrived.

“It was four minutes from the time I got the notification to pads-on-chest,” says Sherwin. “This was the sixth time I was activated but the first time I applied an AED as an NSN responder.”

Sherwin was awarded a Frontenac Paramedics Chief’s Commendation for his work at the March 20 Frontenac County Council meeting. The award is presented for meritorious or courageous action in recognition of effort, bravery, and service.

Frontenac County resident Mark Sherwin receives a Chief’s commendation from Frontenac Paramedics Chief Gale Chevalier, May 20. Sherwin used an AED and his NSN training to save a neighbour’s life in February. “It’s a great pleasure for us at Frontenac Paramedics to recognize Mr. Sherwin for his dedication and skill,” says Frontenac Paramedics Chief Gale Chevalier. “He not only demonstrated that the NSN program can and does work but he made the first and most important contribution that day to saving a person’s life.”

Chevalier presented Sherwin with a certificate and two Frontenac Paramedics pins: The Chief's Commendation Dignos Summa Laude (worthy of the highest honour) pin, and a cardiac arrest "Life Saved" pin.

A cardiac arrest save happens when a patient experiences cardiac arrest, has their circulation improved or restored through emergency treatment, is transported to hospital for further treatment, and then goes on to recover well enough to be discharged from hospital.

There are about 60,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Canada each year. The probability of survival for someone who experiences one decreases by as much as 10 percent per-minute before emergency treatment begins. Fewer than 12 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients recover.

If Sherwin had not begun treatment as quickly as he did, his patient would not have survived.

“NSN is a useful and necessary program,” says Sherwin. “Many of us are already trained and equipped, so I hope the program continues after the pilot project ends next year. It’s a small price to pay for saving someone’s life.”

NSN responders are recruited, trained, and overseen by Frontenac Paramedics. The NSN pilot program and study is led by a research group at Queen’s University under the leadership of Dr. Steven Brooks. NSN volunteer responders are trained in CPR and the safe use of an AED. They are equipped with AEDs and alerted via the GoodSam app when paramedics are dispatched to a nearby possible cardiac arrest emergency. If NSN responders happen to arrive before paramedics do, they may begin treatment and possibly save a life.

There are approximately 86 trained and active NSN responders across Frontenac and another 60 or so who are eligible and are in various stages of onboarding. There is still room for more volunteers.

For more information about NSN and how to apply to become an NSN volunteer responder visit: https://engagefrontenac.ca/neighbours-saving-neighbours

Frontenac County implemented a new cardiac arrest training program called Neighbours Saving Neighbours. This program is aimed at training volunteers in treating people with cardiac arrest who are out of hospital. We spoke with Emergency Physician Dr. Steven Brooks who is looking to expand the program and Mark Sherwin, the volunteer who save a person's life, about it.

Every second counts: Transforming resuscitation to restart more hearts is a special report produced this Heart Month by Heart & Stroke. It's a comprehensive overview and description of the current state of cardiac resuscitation techniques and technology in Canada. It's an excellent and informative read.

Special thanks to go to Heart & Stroke for special mention in the report on Page 12 of the Neighbours Saving Neighbours volunteer responder program for cardiac arrest here in Frontenac, and NSN pilot study principal investigator Dr. Steven Brooks. National exposure for NSN by a leading partner in the fields of heart health awareness and resuscitation is most welcome and can only help to further raise the profile of NSN and programs like it.

Click here to download and read the full report.

Dr. Steven Brooks works with Neighbours Saving Neighbours volunteer responder Walt Sepic at a training scenario session, 12 December 2023.

The NSN reference on page 12 reads:

Relying on neighbours and technology

Led by Dr. Steven Brooks, a professor in the department of emergency medicine at Queen’s University, the

Neighbours Saving Neighbours initiative is a partnership between Queen’s University, Frontenac Paramedics, and Heart & Stroke. The pilot program started in March 2023 in rural Frontenac County in Ontario, to examine how trained community volunteers could respond to cardiac arrests, while first responders were on their way.

“The volunteers have been thoroughly vetted and trained to respond safely to emergencies in their community and are equipped with an AED, along with some personal protective equipment and basic medical equipment,” says Dr. Brooks. When a cardiac arrest call is received by 9-1-1, if there is a volunteer within 10 kilometres of the emergency scene, they are sent to the location, whether it is a home or public place. The expectation is that because the volunteers are already in the community, they will be much more likely to arrive sooner than the paramedics or firefighters to start quality CPR and defibrillation.

Dr. Brooks is also working with BC Emergency Health Services and the University of British Columbia to

study the effectiveness of PulsePoint Respond, a 9-1-1-connected app, which is available in BC and Winnipeg. The app will immediately request the help of users when CPR is needed for a nearby cardiac arrest in a public location. Users will also be alerted of the location of the nearest AED. If more people who know how to do CPR download the free app to participate, there is the potential to save more lives. Visit pulsepoint.org/download for more.

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