Defibrillator takes the spotlight at Opera House

by Allyson Snelling

Feb 20, 2008

Theatregoers may feel safer and more comfortable at the Gravenhurst Opera House knowing it has been selected as a site for an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Through the Chase McEachern Tribute Fund and the “Restart a Heart, Save a Life” campaign, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario donated funds to the District of Muskoka to place AEDs at a variety of sites throughout Muskoka.
Since the Opera House frequently sees an audience of seniors, the site was felt to be most appropriate by Muskoka EMS, the public access defibrillator (PAD) program administrators.

The Op is the second municipal property to be outfitted with a defibrillator since one was donated to the Gravenhurst Centennial Centre through a partnership between the town, the Gravenhurst Rotary Club and the Amazin’ Grays oldtimer hockey team.

According to the manufacturer of the defibrillator, typically only five to 10 per cent of people struck down by sudden cardiac arrest survive. Survival rates can increase to 74 per cent if victims are shocked by the machine within three minutes of collapsing.

Opera House manager Brad Rundle said the AED is located at the back of the theatre, and staff and volunteers have been trained to use the machine in an emergency.

The AED performs weekly self-tests and regular inspections by staff for physical damage or missing pieces which are required to keep the unit operational. Battery packs have to be replaced every two years at a cost of $200, he added.
The machine can be used by the public, though it is recommended that trained people use it. Unlike the defibrillator at the arena, the AED at the Opera House is not wired to automatically dial 911, Rundle said.

Chief administrative officer Cindy Maher told this newspaper the municipal office and public library are also pursuing defibrillators through private donation and the PAD program, respectively.