On EP week, thank an emergency responder

Cote Saint-Luc’s finest in orange: volunteer Citizens on Patrol

As Emergency Preparedness Week winds down across Canada I believe it’s important for everyone to take a moment to thank someone involved in emergency services and emergency preparedness, especially those who volunteer their time.  It is because of these fine individuals and their sense of dedication that all of us are safer where we live, play and work each day.

Cote Saint-Luc’s long-serving EMS volunteers being congratulated by City Council

I salute everyone involved in Cote Saint-Luc’s Public Safety Department starting with our volunteers.  These folks who give so much of themselves within EMS and vCOP are terrific in so many ways.  Without salary, they show up for their shifts, rain or shine, heat wave or deep freeze.  They do continuous training and provide extra coverage at special events, all to ensure our safety.  They respond when called upon and are always at the ready.  Thanks so much to all of you.

CSL launches eco-friendly COP Scooter Patrol

Our CSL Public Security agents patrol our streets 24/7.  They are friendly and helpful professionals here to maintain order within our city, to educate our residents and visitors and to help when help is needed. They enforce our bylaws to ensure our neighbourhoods are clean and orderly.  Merci a tous l’équipe pour vos efforts remarcable.

Cote Saint-Luc volunteer Emergency Medical Services honour guard

Our emergency communications staff, also known as dispatchers, must answer all the phone calls and send the right resources, quickly and professionally.  They juggle phones, Urgences Santé and EMS radio systems, computer-aided dispatch screens and more. Thanks to them for keeping calm under pressure and for their polite and helpful interactions with residents.

Public Safety Director Jordy Reichson

Public Safety Chief Jerome Pontbriand

 

Our team is headed by Director Jordy Reichson and Chief Jerome Pontbriand.  Jordy oversees the entire operation of 150 volunteers and some 20 staff members.  He also plans for wide scale emergencies. Jordy deals with residents and partner agencies and plans strategically to keep our city safe.

Jerome works directly with our volunteers in vCOP and EMS.  He helps to bring them ongoing training and improvement to help them meet the challenges of servicing our city. Jerome is a seasoned paramedic who makes sure you get a first responder fast when you need one.

Both Jordy and Jerome are committed emergency professionals, dedicated to the safety and security of all Cote Saint-Lucers as well as those working and visiting here. YOu may even bump into one of them on a 911 call.

EMS Chief Sheldon “Shloime” Goldberg and his team of skilled and dedicated medics are always close at hand, ready to spring into action

So please be sure to salute our emergency responders that are in and around Cote Saint-Luc (and all across our country). In addition to those solely in our city I mentioned above, there are also Montreal police officers and firefighters and CP Rail police.  You’ll occasionally see the RCMP here as well.  And of course there are the paramedics of Urgences Santé, responding to all of our medical 911 calls.  Please thanks them for all they do to keep us safe and secure, for answering our calls, for being ready when we need them most.

Cote Saint-Luc Public Security officer Jean-Noel Champagne

 

CSL councillor pleased with federal defibrillators initiative

The Suburban. March 21, 2013. Click to enlarge.

Life-saving defibrillators should be in every public gathering spot

Last week PM Stephen Harper announced the Government of Canada will be investing $10 Million to outfit as many as 3000 arenas with life-saving defibrillators.

“We have the technology and we know that it works,” Harper said. “We know that with minimal training, defibrillators are easy to use. We know that by making these devices more readily available, fast treatment will save lives.”

Automated defibrillator

This is an idea whose time has come.  Cote Saint-Luc has had defibrillators in place in its arena and City Hall / Library complex for more than 10 years and has since added additional units at the outdoor pool, ACC and tennis club.  At a relatively low-cost these easy-to-use defibrillators save lives.  They should be required in every major gathering spot, just as fire extinguishers or first aid kits are.

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, which is working with the government on the program, 40,000 Canadians experience a sudden cardiac arrest each year, and only about five per cent of them survive.

It’s not uncommon for people to suffer heart attacks and strokes in rinks and arenas, many which already have defibrillators installed.

I have personally performed CPR about 125 times during my EMS and Urgences Santé career.  I have personally witnessed that early bystander CPR followed by rapid defibrillation and advanced life support is critical in those precious minutes that invariably mean whether a patient will be revived or not.

With automated defibrillators now sold at the retail level there is no reason they can’t be made more widely available.  Federal funding is a good jumpstart.

 

CSL EMS crews save two lives in January

CSL EMS crews save two lives in January

Joel Goldenberg, The Suburban. February 20th, 2013

Members of Côte St. Luc’s volunteer Emergency Medical Services crew helped save the lives of two people who had gone into cardiac arrest this past January.

According to a city statement, the first incident took place Jan. 17, when the crew encountered a woman in her 30s who had gone into convulsions and was in cardiac arrest. According to a description of what happened next, the crew “delivered one electrical shock with their defibrillator and administered CPR before Urgences Santé arrived on scene. The Urgences Santé crew delivered more shocks while en route to hospital. The patient was conscious in hospital and it is believed the patient will suffer no long term effects from the incident. She was released from the hospital and is recovering at home.”

The second incident took place Jan. 23, when a man in his 70s “collapsed outside a food shop on Westminster. The primary Côte St. Luc EMS crew was busy on a pediatric trauma call, so another first responder was dispatched. When he arrived, the patient had no pulse. He delivered one electrical shock with a defibrillator and Urgences Santé arrived shortly thereafter. The patient regained a pulse and was breathing on his own. He was transported to hospital and has since been released to convalesce at home,” says a description of what transpired.

Councillor Glenn Nashen, in charge of the public safety portfolio on council, said the success of the crews in these two instances demonstrated “the skills and professionalism of the volunteer service” and thanked the more than 95-person crew in general for providing “exceptional services,” to both Côte St. Luc residents and visitors in the more than 3,000 calls they respond to each year.

“Their quick action and sharp skills mean the difference between life and death,” Nashen said.

Related articles

• CSL crews save lives (gjnashen.wordpress.com)

CSL EMS volunteers: Your hero next door

I regularly report on the incredible, life-saving efforts of our Cote Saint-Luc Emergency Medical Services volunteers.  We cannot thank these fine young women and men enough for their countless acts of bravery and dedication to our residents and visitors.

At this week’s EMS membership meeting I was pleased to join Mayor Anthony Housefather and City Manager Tanya Abramovitch in passing on the appreciation of all Cote Saint-Lucers.

A few members were singled out for saving lives including Anthony G, and Robert R, as mentioned on this blog a few weeks ago.  Also recognized were Sergey A, Audrey M, Cassandre D for assisting in a birth at home.

EMS volunteers are trained in basic life support however some have climbed the ranks within the medical profession and continue to apply their skills.  Even those working as Urgences Santé paramedics or those in medical school continue on as volunteer first responders.

For more information on CSL EMS or to join, please visit their site.  And, when you see the EMS white trucks and crews passing by please give a friendly wave and let them know how much you appreciate them always being at the ready to respond to the next emergency.

Outstanding CSLer awarded Queen’s Jubilee Medal

Dr. Marc Afilalo receives the Queen’s Jubilee Medal by Councillor Glenn J. Nashen and Mayor Anthony Housefather surrounded by his family

I was honoured to join Mayor Anthony Housefather in presenting the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal to Dr. Marc Afilalo at the February 11th public council meeting of the City of Cote Saint-Luc.

This award is quite prestigious and I am so pleased that Dr. Afilalo, Chief of Emergency Medicine at the Jewish General Hospital and professor in the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University, is one of two recipients who received this award as nominated by City Council.

Dr. Marc Afilalo is a formidable nominee on the part of our city.  City Council, on behalf of Her Majesty, has recognized and shown immense appreciation to Dr. Afilalo who has been one of the staunchest supporters of CSL Emergency Medical Services dating back more than three decades.  Dr. Afilalo was a significant influence upon the Quebec government in saving EMS when the Fire Department mergers took place ten years ago and gobbled up all first response services on the Island of Montreal, except in CSL.

Dr. Afilalo has stood with CSL in our campaign to recognize Paramedics in Quebec since the 1980′s. He is one of the gurus of Emergency Medicine in Quebec and has served as adviser to several health ministers.

Having known Dr. Afilalo for well over 25 years I think he is an outstanding nominee, a mentor to hundreds of young students and a remarkable Cote Saint-Lucer and an extraordinary leader in the field of Emergency Medicine and in our community.

Congratulations Dr. Afilalo on this well deserved honour.

Related articles

• City of Côte Saint-Luc to present Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals to Dr. Marc Afilalo and Roy Salomon (gjnashen.wordpress.com)
• Read more on Councillor Mike Cohen’s blog

City of Côte Saint-Luc to present Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals to Dr. Marc Afilalo and Roy Salomon

The City of Côte Saint-Luc has nominated and will present Dr. Marc Afilalo and Roy Salomon with Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals at the start of the council meeting on February 11, 2013 at 8 pm.

Dr. Marc Afilalo has been nominated for this award for his contribution in the field of

emergency medicine. Chief of the Emergency Department at the Jewish General Hosp

ital for the past 27 years, Dr. Afilalo has become a reference in the field of overcr

owding, use and misuse of the Emergency Department, acute asthma mana

geme

nt, pain control, treatment of unstable angina and myocardial infarct.

He is also largely credited for the recognition and development of emergency medicine as

 a specialty in Quebec.

Roy Salomon has been nominated for his long time involvement with Maccabi Canada, from player to eight-term president of the organization. Mr. Salomon has received numerous awards for his volunteer contribution to the sports community. He is this year’s Honourary Co-President of the Maccabiah Games in Israel. He has also been Vice-President and Honourary President of the YM-YWHA, received the Norah and Joe Rubin Leadership Award for 50 years of involvement with the organization, and is a 2001 recipient of the prestigious Yakir Maccabi Award. In 1995, he was inducted to the Montreal Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

“We are proud that these two deserving individuals are Côte Saint-Luc residents,” Mayor Anthony Housefather said. “They are both uncontestedly leaders in their respective fields who have realized significant contributions and achievements.”

Côte Saint-Luc will also be acknowledging Councillor Dida Berku who has received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of her community service and her initiatives in helping preserve the natural environment. Councillor Berku was nominated for this medal by Senator Judith Seidman.

“I’ve known Dida since 1994 and she is a worthy recipient of this medal,” said Mayor Anthony Housefather. “It is rare to find someone who combines the precision of an attorney, the political smarts of an elected representative, and the passion of an environmentalist. She is someone whose advice and counsel I rely upon.”

The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal was created to mark the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne. The medal is intended to honour individuals who have given selflessly in service of their communities. During the year of celebrations, 60,000 deserving Canadians will be recognized. Côte Saint-Luc was invited to nominate two recipients.

CSL crews save lives

Cote Saint-Luc Emergency Medical Services volunteers have had more excitement over the last few days than any volunteer could expect.  While on some shifts our volunteers watch the clock tick by, others keep them hopping, sometimes involving simultaneous emergency medical calls in different corners of our city.  In the past few days our volunteer First Responders successfully resuscitated two patients.

A few days ago the EMS overnight crew responded to a 911 call for a patient in convulsions and surprisingly found a 37 year old female in cardiac arrest. Out came the defibrillator and the EMS crew of Anthony and Robert delivered one shock and began CPR maneuvers before Urgences-santé ambulance technicians arrived on scene.

The ambulance crew delivered several more shocks while en route to the hospital. The patient regained consciousness in hospital and we learned that the patient will suffer no long term effects from the incident.

Earlier this week a man in his 70s collapsed outside of Qualitifruits on Westminster Avenue. The EMS crew was already at an emergency pediatric trauma call, so Public Safety Director Jordy Reichson responded, lights flashing and siren wailing. When he arrived, the patient had no pulse.  Notwithstanding frigid outside temperatures below -20C, Reichson hooked the man up to the defibrillator and delivered one shock.  Urgences-santé ambulance techs arrived shortly thereafter and felt a spontaneous pulse.  The collapsed man began breathing on his own and was rushed to hospital.

These very real examples show just how invaluable our EMS is to our city and our residents.  Thanks to Cote Saint-Luc EMS crews for saving two lives in the last week and for countless other amazing interventions to assist our residents and visitors every day.

 

CSL EMS volunteers come from CSL too

Free Press, December 19, 2012

Goldberg marks 25 years at EMS in CSL

December 12, 2012 The Free Press

vCOP to assist Montreal Fire Department in smoke detector blitz

Members of Cote Saint-Luc volunteer Citizens on Patrol will have the chance to work side by side with the Montreal Fire Department this weekend in a blitz to get all residents to change their smoke detector batteries coinciding with the change to Daylight Savings Time.

vCOP will go door to door speaking to as many residents as possible to remind every one of the importance of keeping their detectors functional year round.

vCOP has assisted CSL Public Security and Montreal Police during its 6 1/2 years of service but this is the first time that it will have the opportunity to directly assist the Fire Department.

While our EMS volunteers used to work closely with our CSL Fire Department that all ended 10 years ago with the forced mergers and the transfer of fire services from CSL to Montreal.

I’m very proud that the services offered by vCOP continues to expand helping to make Cote Saint-Luc the safest community in the region.

When I launched the concept in 2006 I had a goal to recruit 100 volunteers and acquire several vehicles and bicycles to allow these patrollers to circulate at anytime of day or night.  I am so pleased that we have been able to expand our offering in the areas of emergency preparedness, searching for missing persons, distribution of water during service interruption, protecting residents from downed power lines, cables, trees and branches and now with fire safety and prevention.

Hats off to our nearly 100 volunteers and to our team leaders and supervisors.  Their efforts are making a difference in the lives of Cote Saint-Lucers on a daily basis.

If you’ve had any experiences with vCOP and would like to thank them too please click on ‘Leave a Comment’.

Spooky but safe in CSL

Halloween is a fun and exciting time for children. Health Canada reminds all Canadians of some important safety tips they can use to ensure that Halloween remains an enjoyable experience for everyone.

 

Costume Safety

 

Halloween can be a magical time of year for children as they dress up in wonderful and outrageous costumes and gather bags full of treats. However, coming up with a creative disguise doesn’t mean that safety should be forgotten, so here are some Halloween safety tips to keep in mind:

 

Make sure that costumes are loose enough to be worn over warm clothing, but not so baggy or long that children can trip over their costumes. Children should also wear sturdy walking shoes.

Choose brightly-coloured costumes that will be clearly visible to motorists. For greater visibility, add or incorporate reflective tape into the costume.

Make-up and face paint are better than wearing masks, which can restrict breathing and/or vision. If you choose to use a mask, make sure it is one that allows the child to see and breathe easily.

Look for costumes, beards and wigs labelled “Flame-Resistant” — nylon or heavyweight polyester costumes are best. “Flame-Resistant” does not mean ‘fire proof’. Avoid costumes with baggy sleeves or flowing skirts to minimize the risk of contact with candles and other fire sources. Costumes made of flimsy materials have been found to burn more quickly when exposed to fire sources.

The Goodies

 

Parents or caregivers are encouraged to remind children not to accept – and especially not to eat – homemade candy or baked goods (provided by individuals they don’t know). Also, an adult should inspect all the treats before children start snacking. A few tips to keep in mind:

 

Discard homemade candy or baked goods provided by people you don’t know.

Throw out any treats that are not commercially wrapped, those in torn or loose packages, or any that have small holes in the wrappers.

Remove choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies or small toys when young children are involved.

Wash fresh fruit thoroughly, inspect for holes, including small punctures and cuts, and if found, do not let children or adults eat the fruit.

Avoid treats that may contain ingredients like peanuts, milk and egg that can cause severe adverse reactions in individuals who have allergies or sensitivities. Parents or caregivers of children with food allergies should read labels carefully and avoid candies that do not have an ingredient list.

Trick-or-Treating

 

When trick-or-treating, parents should accompany their children each year until the children are old enough to go by themselves. Safety-minded parents can follow along at a distance to keep an eye on the children. A few other tips to keep in mind:

 

Tell your children not to eat any goodies until you see them. Make sure that your child eats dinner before they set out, so they’ll be less tempted to eat their goodies along the way.

Children should stay in well-lit areas and should only visit homes that have their outside lights turned on. Children should never go inside homes or cars.

Children should walk, not run, from house to house and stay on the sidewalk or at the side of the road facing traffic, cross the road at the corner and look both ways before crossing the road.

 

Cote Saint-Luc Public Security agents and members of the volunteer Citizens on Patrol will be out in force with the Montreal Police Department (Neighbourhood Station 9)  to keep an eye on the kids on Halloween.  If you spot any problems, or kids need help, wave down any of these public safety officials who are in marked cars and in uniform.  Our goal is for kids to have fun in a secure environment.

 

Don’t forget about the annual Cote Saint-Luc Halloween Skating Party on Sunday, Oct. 28.

Photo of the Week #20: Car flips on Baily

The driver of this vehicle was lucky to walk away without serious injuries

An elderly Baily Avenue resident was lucky to escape injury last week when he accidentally pushed the accelerator rather than the brakes while backing out of his garage.  His car hit the retaining wall and flipped violently onto its roof smashing the windows.

The motorist managed to crawl to safety while neighbours quickly called 911.

Cote Saint-Luc EMS, Public Security, Montreal Police and Fire responded. The man was treated by CSL EMS until the arrival of the Urgences Santé ambulance. He only suffered minor scrapes and bruises and was transported to hospital by ambulance for further evaluation as a precaution.

Luckily the car did not continue to accelerate into the street where local kids often play street hockey.

 

Bike rodeo visits Fletcher Park

The annual CSL bike rodeo was recently held in Fletcher Park on Baily Road and attracted more than 100 people.  They had a chance to get up close and see police cars, a Harley Davidson police motorcycle, Public Security vehicles and a CSL ambulance. The volunteer Citizens on Patrol were on hand with their vans and scooters. Kids also learned about the importance of wearing a helmet when cycling and about following the rules of the road.

CSL celebrates volunteers with a splash

In Côte Saint-Luc we can never say thank you enough for all of the magnificent efforts of our hundreds of dedicated and energetic volunteers.  So, yesterday we threw a Brunch Celebration at our fantastic Aquatic and Community Centre (ACC) as a small thanks.

The party room was decorated with the Olympic flag as well as those of many of the countries which have hosted the games. Our City Council hosted the event to fete our volunteers from many different community areas.

Councillor Steven Erdelyi’s family along with City Manager Tanya Abramovitch and Councillor Glenn J. Nashen and his son Jeremy celebrating with CSL volunteers

Our volunteers are active in many facets of Parks and Recreation (individual sports, seniors, the CSL Dramatic Society), the Library, Public Safety (Emergency Medical Services and volunteer Citizens on Patrol) and even the CSL Cats Committee.

Sidney Margles (in blue) receives the Volunteer of the Year Award from Mayor Anthony Housefather (in yellow) along with Councillors Ruth Kovac, Mike Cohen and Glenn J. Nashen

The Edward J. Kirwin Award for the Volunteer of the Year went to Sidney Margles, the devoted president of the CSL Senior Men’s Club. A former Town of Mount Royal councillor, broadcaster and radio executive, Sid and his wife Merle chose to settle in CSL  for their retirement years. “Retirement” is a funny word because Sid is more active than some people who work full time. He has brought the Men’s Club to a level we have never seen before and worked alongside council and staff as the ACC took shape.

Mayor Housefather spoke glowingly about the ACC. He listed the competitive swim team as just one example of what we should be proud of, making a bold prediction that when we reach the 2020’s there will be CSL swimmers in the Olympics.

The brunch was followed by an “Open Pool” as many of us headed down for fun in the ACC.  The recreation pool is not only a kids water paradise, many seniors can be seen aqua-cizing in the shallow, warm water.

The competition pool was the place for my first time on the “Wibit”, a very large, inflatable water toy challenging swimmers to race across the “obstacle course” without falling in.  The pictures below will indicate I had some difficulties staying afloat.

 

Bravo to everyone involved with the Volunteer Brunch. That includes our Public Works Department for providing the centrepieces at each table. Thanks to Director David Taveroff and his staff as well as to Councillor Kovac who chaired the event.

Most of all, thank you to our volunteers of every age and category.  I’m especially proud of the men and women who give their time so freely at the CSL Emergency Medical Services and volunteer Citizens on Patrol.  The EMS crews are on duty 24/7 ensuring rapid, skilled and compassionate care to residents of and visitors to our city.  We are the only city on the Island of Montreal to be so fortunate to have this incredible life-saving service.

And an enormous Thank You to the 80 members of vCOP who patrol our streets, parks, playgrounds and municipal buildings at all hours of the day and night to help us feel a little more secure.

You are all Olympians to me and to so many of our residents who greatly appreciate all you do to make Cote Saint-Luc the very best city in Quebec.

(Mike Cohen contributed to this post).