Durham Church Hall installs new life saving device

On hand for the installation of a new automated external defibrillator in the Durham Church Hall are, from the left:  , Verd Locke and Marlene MacAulay from the Durham Board of Managers and Marilyn Parker, president of the Ladies Guild.

The Durham Church Hall recently installed its new automated external defibrillator.  The Municipality of Pictou County recently approved the purchase of eight automated external defibrillators (AED) that will be placed in local community centres as well as one arena.   The machines are portable devices that checks heart rhythm.  If needed, it can send an electric shock to the heart to restore a normal rhythm.  AEDs can be used to treat sudden cardiac arrest which is a condition when the heart suddenly stops beating.  A training video is provided with each machine for volunteers or staff to watch.  Each device will be mounted to a wall and the portable devices can be removed for use. 

In the spring of 2018, an AED machine was installed in the Municipality of Pictou County administration building and it was later suggested by council that such portable devices should be in each district.  As a result, the Municipality of Pictou County set aside $12,000 in its 2018-2019 fiscal budget for the purchase of six machines, but because of cost sharing with two community groups, as well as a preferred rate on the machines, it was able to purchase a seventh one. 

Both the Durham Presbyterian Church Hall and the Durham Community Hall had requested an AED for their buildings, but since Council agreed to only one per district, the groups said they would cover half the cost of each machine so each could have one.

All AED machines should be registered with Emergency Health Services at https://savelivesns.ca