Toronto Safe City Day activities

Mayor John Tory will declare February 14 Safe City Day in Toronto on Wednesday as part of an event involving Toronto Paramedic Services and members of the public. Paramedic Services Chief Gord McEachen will introduce a cardiac-arrest survivor (and friends who helped save his life) to the paramedics who took care of him at the time of the incident.

Date: Wednesday, February 14
Time: Official remarks at 12:45 p.m., CPR demonstrations until 2 p.m.

Rotunda at Toronto City Hall

                                                                        Location: Rotunda, Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen St. W.

Paramedic Services’ Safe City staff will offer hands-on demonstrations of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Members of the media are welcome to take photos any time during the 4-hour event.

The chance of surviving a cardiac arrest doubles when CPR is used in combination with an automated external defibrillator (AED) in the first few minutes of the cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest refers to a situation in which a person’s heart malfunctions and suddenly stops beating unexpectedly.

Toronto Paramedic Services’ Safe City program trains more than 7,500 Toronto residents a year in CPR and AED so they know what to do if confronted with an emergency in which someone may be experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.