Shirley Bond reintroduces a bill making AEDs mandatory in public buildings

VICTORIA—Liberal Critic for Health Shirley Bond has reintroduced a bill that would make it mandatory for automated external defibrillators to be present in public buildings.

“This year, at least 7,000 British Columbians could experience sudden cardiac arrest, and without access to an automated external defibrillator (AED), they only have a 10 per cent chance of survival,” said Bond, MLA for Prince George-Valemount. “Every minute counts when responding to a sudden cardiac arrest and it can affect anyone, anywhere, and at any time, often without warning. As such, there remains a need for better access to AEDs, which is why I am re-introducing the Defibrillator Public Access Act ” a step to ensure that every public building in B.C. has an AED that is visible, registered, and maintained.”

The Defibrillator Public Access Act would also establish requirements related to signage, maintenance, registration and it clarifies civil liability. AEDs would also be linked to the ambulance dispatch system so dispatchers can direct callers to the nearest AED.

“We can double the low survival rate from out of hospital cardiac arrest if we make sure that more people know CPR and that AEDs are available, accessible and rescue-ready,” said Jeff Sommers, Heart & Stroke Director, Health Policy & Systems in British Columbia. “Providing bystanders with the tools they can use if they witness a cardiac arrest will make a lasting impact in terms of lives saved.”