A former councillor is asking for an additional defibrillator at a popular Timmins arena.
Ray Auclair is asking council to install another defibrillator, which would cost about $4,000, in the timekeeper’s box at the McIntyre Arena.
There are defibrillators in spaces where there are large gatherings, such as arenas and schools, according to CAO Dave Landers.
Those, he said, were procured by the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB).
“For the most part, having a defibrillator behind the bench in Timmins doesn’t make sense because...the crowd doesn’t have access to the bench and there’s more people in the crowd every game than there is on the bench,” said Landers.
For Auclair, however, having one close to the ice surface is important.
In Cochrane at an old-timers game, he talked about how a player collapsed and his heart stopped beating, but there was a defibrillator near the ice surface.
He said the problem with the location at the McIntyre, is that it's near the doors and takes longer to access from the ice.
“Every second counts, every minute counts,” said Auclair.
He is focusing on the Mac because of the people over 60 playing hockey, he said three-quarters of them are on the ice there.
Coun. Andrew Marks said the request was reasonable and asked for it to go back to the budget process.
“This is something that actually does make sense at the McIntyre where we have our largest arena for spectators. I’m in support of the request and I think we just make it happen somehow,” Marks said.
Because the defibrillators were secured through the DSSAB, Landers said council should sent the request back to them to look at and make recommendations about what could be done.
