St. John volunteers save man By LISA TALLYN Staff Writer Two St. John Ambulance volunteers saved the life of a Georgetown man who collapsed at a picnic in Halton Hills Sunday afternoon. The son of the 72-year-old man rushed to St. John Ambulance Medical First Responders Vince Cicero and Josh Tucker at the St. Anthony Picnic at the Queen of Peace Croatian Franciscan Centre on Winston Churchill Blvd. about 1:30 p.m. after believing his father had fainted. But when the volunteers got to the man, they realized he hadn't just fainted--he didn't have any vital signs. Cicero and Tucker immediately began CPR and after 13 minutes and three shocks with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) unit they revived the man. When EMS personnel arrived, they transported the man to Georgetown Hospital where he is now recovering. "We are very proud of Vince and Josh," said Tim Bauer, Branch Manager of the Oakville-Milton & Halton Hills St. John Ambulance. "They have trained countless hours in order to be prepared for scenarios like this one. Situations like this really highlight the importance of our services in the community, and how crucial it is for the general public to be trained in first aid. The reality is, you never know when this could happen to you and when you will need the skills necessary to save someone." Cicero, 38, of Milton said 13 minutes is quite a lengthy time to do CPR and at that point he didn't think it was likely they would be able to revive the man. "For some reason, we got him back," said Cicero, who accompanied the patient to hospital. He said when they realized what they were dealing with, "everything I was taught in training just took over." It Could $ BUY NOW Cost & SAVE REPLACE YOUR OLD FURNACE WITH A 96% HIGH EFFICIENCY GAS FURNACE WITH ENERGY SAVING DC MOTOR FOR VINCE CINCERO JOSH TUCKER FINAL 13 DAYS TO SAVE! 2,15000 (AFTER REBATE) INSTALLED** 500 MORE with HST!! 5 Independent & Free Press, Thursday, June 17, 2010 AS LOW AS $ "We (deal with) a lot of scraped knees," said Cicero. "To get an actual VSA (Vital Signs Absent) is very rare." This is the first situation like this Cicero has faced in his two years as a volunteer with St. John Ambulance, and also for Tucker, 23, of Burlington who was just recently certified as a Medical First Responder after joining St. John Ambulance last November. "It was my first real treatment above cuts and scrapes," said Tucker. He said they got to the man in less than two minutes and were able to immediately start CPR. That, and the AED unit were critical to their success in reviving him, Tucker said. He said without the AED it's doubtful the man would have survived. Statistics show more than 35,000 Canadians die each year from cardiac arrest. Defibrillation improves survival rates by up to 30 per cent if delivered in the first few minutes. With each passing minute, the probability of survival declines by seven to 10 per cent. The Medical First Response program is a free volunteer-run service offered by St. John Ambulance in Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills. The volunteers log more than 10,000 event hours each year for the lifesaving program and oversee the safety of more than 200,000 residents in those communities each year. OR REPLACE YOUR OLD FURNACE AND AIR CONDITIONER FOR $ 00 AS LOW AS (AFTER REBATE) 4,760 INSTALLED*! · 10 YEAR PARTS WARRANTY · LIFETIME HEAT EXCHANGER WARRANTY DON'T PAY `TIL JAN. 2011!! ** 1967 years 43 2010 *Limited Time Offer. GST extra. **OAC Fireplace, Heating & Air Conditioning Sales & Service 118 Guelph St. Georgetown (at Maple) APPLEBY SYSTEMS 905-877-8990 FULL PARTS & SERVICE 6 YEARS IN A ROW Favourite Furnace & Air Conditioner Hours: Monday - Friday 9-5; Saturday 11-4; Appointments available after hours upon request www.applebysystems.ca Health & Specialty Foods Halton Hills Curb Appeal Free Estimates Specializing in residential and commercial Asphalt Sealing Sealcoat provides · Avoid exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays. instant curb appeal · Protect asphalt from oil and gas leaks and enhances · INCREASE THE LIFE OF YOUR DRIVEWAY! pavement appearance! 416-574-3996 MCM Wildlife Control 905-703-7114 Humane removal and prevention Raccoons, Squirrels, Skunks, Bats Locally owned and operated LASER HAIR REMOVAL Since 1999 ONLY 4-6 TREATMENTS NEEDED! Are you ready for a different workout? To free you from that unwanted hair. · Affordable · Safe · Gentle · Permanent Hair Reduction For Him: chest, back, shoulders, etc. For Her: bikini, facial, underarms, etc. Call today for a free consultation ·Certified Electrologist & Laser Technician FREE Circuit WORKOUT JUNE 15 - 30TH The Circuit - Strength, Conditioning & Fat Burning Morning, afternoon and evening sessions available Space is limited, max 6 participants Bare Image Electrolysis & Laser Inc. 61 Main St. South, Georgetown 905·873·6388 downtowngeorgetown.com Contact Cydney to reserve your spot today! info@iminspired.ca or 905-965-2211