The Cochrane & Area Health Foundation (CAHF) was quick to respond to a request from Cochrane Search and Rescue for vital life-saving equipment.
The foundation donated $5,725 towards the purchase of life-saving automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
SAR searcher Chantal Ireland says the donation enabled them to purchase AEDs for all three of their rescue vehicles. It was combined with a grant previously received from the Town of Cochrane towards the first one.
"Now we have AEDs in every single one of our vehicles, which is great because our calls take us out into isolated, hard-to-access areas," explains Ireland. "If we ever have an instance where we need to use an AED far away from getting advanced medical care, it increases our chances that we get the person back versus if we did compressions alone."
They're also valuable to have on hand for those assisting with the searches.
CAHF chair Brian Winters says the work of SAR fits within their mission and they were pleased to provide the financial support.
The health foundation is a volunteer-driven registered charity organization that was created to improve the quality, provision, and access to healthcare for the people of Cochrane and the surrounding area.
Last May 2024, CAHF celebrated the completion of its first major project—the Pediatric Follow-Up Room at Cochrane Urgent Care.
This bright, welcoming space was created to serve children requiring follow-up care within 72 hours of their initial visit to Alberta Children’s Hospital or Cochrane Urgent Care. It features vibrant artwork donated by 18 local artists and is equipped with kid-friendly examination equipment. A visiting pediatric consultant utilizes this for follow up ensuring that young patients can receive specialized care close to home.
Community support was the cornerstone of this project’s success.
The health foundation is currently welcoming applications to fill a few board vacancies.
For more information on CAHF, click here.
You can learn more about Cochrane SAR here.