City to Become First Municipality in North America to Equip Entire Transit Fleet with AEDs

The City of Greater Sudbury is enhancing public safety by installing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on all GOVA Transit buses, becoming the first transit system in North America to equip its entire fleet with the lifesaving devices.

Approved by City Council and delivered in partnership with AED4Life and ZOLL Canada, ZOLL AED 3® defibrillators will be installed on all 63 conventional and 15 specialized GOVA Transit buses by the end of October. The initiative expands public access to emergency medical equipment across the community.

AEDs are designed for use by anyone responding to a cardiac emergency. The ZOLL AED 3® features Real CPR Help® technology, which provides step-by-step audio and visual instructions and real-time feedback to guide bystanders through high-quality CPR and, if needed, delivery of a shock, regardless of prior training. Used alongside CPR and emergency medical services, AEDs can help improve outcomes for people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.

"Every second matters during a cardiac arrest emergency," said Brendan Adair, Director of Transit Services. "By placing AEDs on every GOVA Transit bus, we are increasing public access to lifesaving equipment throughout our community. We are proud to be the first transit system in North America to make this investment in public safety."

The ZOLL AED 3® devices will be clearly marked and easy to locate onboard buses. While GOVA Transit operators will receive awareness training on the new units, the devices are intended to be used by passengers, bystanders or emergency responders. Operators will continue to contact Paramedic Services whenever a serious medical event occurs on a bus.

All AED units installed on GOVA buses are tracked by a GPS, and will be routinely inspected and maintained to ensure they are ready for use when needed.

This initiative builds on the City's existing network of AEDs in municipal facilities and extends public access to defibrillation throughout the community.

About ZOLL

ZOLL, an Asahi Kasei company, develops and markets medical devices and software solutions that help advance care and save lives, while increasing clinical and operational efficiencies. With products for defibrillation and cardiac monitoring, circulation enhancement and CPR feedback, supersaturated oxygen therapy, data management, ventilation, therapeutic temperature management and sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment, ZOLL provides a comprehensive set of technologies that helps clinicians, EMS and fire professionals, as well as lay rescuers, improve patient outcomes in critical cardiopulmonary conditions. For more information, visit www.zoll.com.    

About AED4Life

AED4Life is a Canadian-owned provider of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), training equipment and emergency response solutions. With more than 20 years of experience, the company supplies Health Canada-approved AEDs and related support services to workplaces, schools, public facilities and community organizations across Canada. For more information, visit www.aed4life.ca.