The Latest Mikey Network News

MIKEY AEDs in City of Kawartha LakesOur friends at Kawartha Lakes EMS  have announced that all high risk public buildings in the City of Kawartha Lakes are now equipped with public access defibrillators (PADs). There are now 180 PADs, also known as Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs), which we call MIKEYs because it’s easier to say :).

The AEDs are  located throughout the municipality and 50 of these sites are City owned buildings.

In a press release, the City of Kawartha Lakes said the following:

November 13, 2012    For Immediate Release 

All high risk buildings now have a PAD

Kawartha Lakes EMS has announced that all high risk public buildings now have a public access defibrillators (PADs) located in them. There are 180 PADs located in the municipality with 50 of these sites located within City owned buildings.

The definition of high risk for a building or community event can be defined by three key points:

  1. EMS data that supports past significant 911 medical calls
  2. 200 citizens in a building or event per day with an average age of 50 years
  3. Barriers that slow down emergency service response (distance, locked doors, multiple floors etc.).

Community partners are the reason for the local PAD success and Kawartha Lakes EMS would like to thank and acknowledge:

  • City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor Ric McGee and council as well as all the city directors and managers for embracing the program and enabling PAD placement and continued CPR training for staff
  • CKL Fire / Rescue, Kawartha Lakes Police Service and Kawartha Lakes OPP for PAD placement in offices and emergency vehicles as well as continued CPR training for staff
  • Ross Memorial Hospital for providing in-hospital defibrillation programs and continued CPR training for staff
  • Central Ambulance Communications Center for logging active PAD sites into their database and providing dispatcher assisted CPR to citizens over the phone
  • Heart and Stroke Foundation (local, provincial and national) for direction and grant funding
  • The Mikey Network for providing affordable PADs either through assistance and in some cases grants
  • St. John Ambulance (local chapter) for providing local PAD /CPR response at special events and CPR training for citizens
  • Red Cross (local chapter) who provides CPR training for citizens
  • Private site partners especially the Kawartha Lakes Schools. All schools in the City of Kawartha Lakes will have a PAD by the end of this month. Trillium Lakelands District Schools, Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District Schools, and Heritage Christian School all are continuing CPR training for staff and some now have programs for the students as well

A special thank you goes to Allan Chapman (Lindsay Tim Horton stores owner) for continuing to fund and sponsor the Heart Hero Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) program for 500 grade 5 and 6 students each year. This program is directly attributed to teaching lifesaving skills to our youth who in turn teach ten adults in the skill of hands only CPR. The result is 5,000 citizens’ receiving CPR information and skills annually.

The second group that must be acknowledged is the Kawartha Lakes Real Estate Association for continuing to fundraise through an annual ball tournament that in 2012 raised enough funds to purchase four PADs for Kawartha Lakes OPP vehicles.

For further information, please contact:
Keith Kirkpatrick
EMS Chief
705-324-5731 ext. 593
kkirkpatrick@city.kawarthalakes.on.ca

Our friends at Canada’s 911 Foundation made it possible for The Mikey Network to deliver a MIKEY defibrillator to the Bradford Curling Club, in memory of York Regional Police Superintendent Mark Grant, who curled at the Bradford club.  Superintendent Grant was killed in a tragic 2-vehicle collision on October 27, 2011, in Uxbridge. He received the Governor General’s Exemplary Service Medal in 2000, and his 30 Year Service Bar in 2010.

The Mikey Network will train up to 10 people in CPR / AED at the location.

Through the 7th Annual 911 Ride, Canada’s 911 Foundation raised $20,000 for The Mikey Network to help us place our MIKEYs in more public places.  

To date, 1,300 MIKEY defibrillators have been placed, over 11,000 people have been trained in CPR / AED and 14 lives have been saved by a MIKEY.

Read more about the Bradford Curling Club MIKEY placement

Photo Credit: Miriam King, QMI Agency, Bradford Times

Canada's 911 Ride

Imagine over 100 motorcycles thundering down the highway with a police escort.  The annual 911 Ride  hosted by  Canada’s 911 Foundation, is a police escorted charity motorcycle ride to raise funds and awareness for causes including helping the families of fallen emergency service personal, helping children who were victims of violent crime, as well as working with The Mikey Network to make MIKEYs (public access defibrillators) more readily available to help save lives.

Mikey Network places public access defibrillators at Canada's 911 Ride

 

 

Along the route of this year’s ride, The Mikey Network placed four MIKEYs in Peterborough, Barrie, Bradford, and Stouffville.

 

 

 

 

Through the 7th Annual 911 Ride, Canada’s 911 Foundation raised $20,000 for The Mikey Network to help us place our MIKEYs in more public places.  Over the last six years Canada’s 911 Foundation has been one of our strongest proponents and we are grateful for their support.

 

City News Reporter Tom Hayes reporting on the 911 Ride in Peterborough.

This promotional video from Canada’s 911 Ride Foundation shows how exciting their ride is, as welll as what they do as a foundation.

Mikey On Board Abrams Towing

Joey Abrams, President of Abrams Towing proudly holding is new MIKEY

The Mikey Network is proud to announce Abrams Towing is now participating in the Mikey On Board program.

Mikey On Board Durham RadioIn 2010, Durham Radio Inc. deepened its commitment to the communities it serves by joining The Mikey Network’s Mikey On Board program in a Canadian first for a radio station chain – the installation of public access defibrillators called MIKEYs in the station’s events cruisers which are on the road every week, covering hundreds of local events each year.

Working with Emergency Medical Services, the drivers are trained to use the life-saving machines, which are now available to thousands more people than ever before. Said Erin Clifford, KX94.7 Promotions Director, “Kim, a former WAVE Event Coordinator was certainly trained and Mikey ready. While driving home from an event in Toronto on the 403, she witnessed an accident. Vehicles stopped, but while most people just watched, Kim grabbed the Mikey in the WAVE cruiser and ran to the scene to lend a hand. While her help wasn’t needed, Kim and Mikey were spot on.”

Mikey On Board Durham Radio

“We were proud to be the first radio company to the table with this program,” says Steve Kassay, VP, Programming/Operations for Durham Radio, which includes KX96 New Country FM; CKDO Durham’s Classic Hits 107.7FM and 1580AM, 94.9 The Rock, KX94.7 New Country FM, wave.fm, and durhamradionews.com. There are three active cruisers and three trained responders on the road in Durham and the GTA serving KX96 FM, CKDO and The Rock. In Hamilton, there are two cruisers serving WAVE and the new KX94.7, with four trained drivers. The branded cruisers are present at around 1,000 events each year in Durham Region, and 700 in Hamilton.

“You’ll see them at ribfests, fairs, festivals and the like,” Kassay adds. “For Durham Radio, it’s a no-brainer. We’re out and about, so it’s a natural fit to carry the MIKEYS and be on the scene to help save lives when we can. We are diligent about this initiative; it has become part of our corporate culture.”

“When we attend community events where Emergency Medical Services is on location, we get asked about our Mikey, and praised for being so community health-conscious. We have been approached by St. John’s Ambulance staff, firefighters from multiple towns as well as festival organizers who are thrilled that we have a Mikey on board,” added Clifford.

Although none of the MIKEYS in the cruisers has been needed, since The Mikey Network was founded in 2003, the organization has saved 14 lives, placed 1,300 units, and trained over11,000 people in CPR/AED.

“These 14 people who were Mikey-eed, got a second chance at life,” Kassay adds. “We hope the units on our cruisers never have to be put to the test, but our communities are safer places for their presence. They’re available to anyone. If you need help and you see our cruiser, just ask; there’s a MIKEY and a trained attendant right there.

I encourage other radio stations and media outlets, particularly with rolling stock, to get on board and join us in this effort. The more MIKEYs out there, the greater the chances that we’ll be of help when someone’s heart skips a beat.”