Paramedics in Renfrew County are testing out new life saving technology. Paramedic Chief Mike Nolan says they’re undergoing a pilot project to test out the GoodSAM or Smartphone-Activated Medics application. Nolan says members of the public who have been trained by paramedics would be able to use GoodSAM to be notified when someone goes into cardiac arrest and let them know where the nearby defibrillators are located.
The County of Renfrew has over 300 public access defibrillators and Nolan says this new feature could help local residents respond in advance of paramedics arriving to the scene. He adds they will be testing the app out over the next couple months and likely roll the service out in the spring.
The Paramedic Chief says when it comes to responding to a cardiac arrest your chances of survival decrease by 10% per minute. Nolan adds Renfrew County Paramedics would be the first in the province to move forward with the Smartphone-Activated Medics application.
He says the Round Lake Cottagers Association got the ball rolling on this project to get the public more involved and provide them a way to help in emergency situations. Through GoodSAM callers can get accurate vital readouts from their camera that communicates directly with the paramedics computer dispatch system.
More information on the GoodSAM application is available here.
