It was a sad day in Waltham, October 16, when a local resident couldn’t receive proper emergency medical assistance prior to her death due to abysmal cell service. In looking to the future for a better plan, and knowing resolutions come slowly in rural areas, I have a few suggestions for local councils to consider for the Pontiac:
- Survey residents for anyone holding up-to-date certification in St. John’s Ambulance First Aid training. Residents may agree to have their names and landline numbers placed on a list.
- If a community doesn’t have residents with First Aid training, can councils offer the program in town halls so those interested can be trained? Can councils subsidize or the government fully pay for the course to be run annually or bi-annually?
- Towns having a number of AEDs accessible in different areas of town and fully charged increases the odds of saving a life exponentially.
I hope these three suggestions will influence positive health preparedness change in all of the Pontiac. Unfortunately, even if cell service was fully operational, arrival time would still be lengthy compared to accessing a local trained resident or AED for immediate assistance in emergencies. This isn’t to say cell service isn’t important, it definitely is! However, other options need to be available as well, as sometimes only minutes are available to save a life.
Jane Kline
WALTHAM