October 21, 2008

GO Transit, in partnership with The Mikey Network and the Toronto EMS Cardiac Safe City program, is placing Public Access Defibrillators on GO Trains and at GO stations. About 100 defibrillators will be available across GO Transit’s extensive network.

The defibrillators are being installed on the accessible car of every GO Train, as well as at GO stations along the Lakeshore line, at the end stations on each of GO’s other six lines, at Union Station, and at all layover facilities. GO is the first transit system in the Greater Toronto Area to equip its vehicles and facilities with defibrillators.

A Public Access Defibrillator is a simplified version of the device used by paramedics, doctors and other medical professionals to deliver a shock to the heart through the chest wall in order to restore the heart to its normal rhythm. The shock from a defibrillator can increase a sudden cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival if it is combined with CPR in the first critical moments following the incident, even before paramedics and emergency personnel arrive.  Public Access Defibrillators are very easy to use and provide automated audio instructions.

The Toronto EMS Cardiac Safe City program will handle the training, maintenance and administration to ensure the defibrillators are ready to be used when needed. Toronto EMS oversees more than 600 Public Access Defibrillators in the Greater Toronto Area.