Neepawa COPP donates AED to Budz ‘n Bloom

Details

Published on Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Photo by Gord Gilbertson. Pictured (L-R) CST Jens Houwen, Donna Gork-Todoruk, Len Pritchard and Brien Walsh.

By Eoin Devereux

Neepawa Banner & Press

When there is a medical emergency and every second counts, access to an automated external defibrillator (AED) could be the difference between life and death. With that in mind, Neepawa’s Citizens on Patrol Program (COPP) has donated one of these important mobile devices to Budz ’n Bloom Daycare Centre. For now, the AED unit will be stationed at the current daycare facility at 101 Hamilton Street, but it will be transferred to their new location along Mountain Avenue once construction is completed.

An AED is a portable device that can diagnose the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia. It delivers a shock, also known as defibrillation, which can stop the arrhythmia, which allows the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm.

Brien Walsh, a representative with COPP, explained to the Banner & Press why the organization decided to donate the device to Budz ’n Bloom.

“Neepawa Citizens On Patrol Program received an automated external defibrillator through the Heart & Stroke AED placement program about two years ago. It was decided in August that the community could be better served if the AED was passed on to an organization that where we as a community service group C.O.P.P  felt it would be of the most benefit. We are pleased to see Bud’z n’ Bloom as the recipients of this life-saving device.”

Neepawa Citizens on Patrol Program is a community volunteered organization that acts as the “eyes and ears” in the community through prevention initiatives. Its members patrol within the town limits, identifying suspicious activities and reporting those activities to the RCMP. They also manage the Speed Watch program, which alerts drivers of their actual speed as they drive through Neepawa’s main street.