Heart & Stroke 2024 Spotlight on cardiac arrest features NSN profile

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.