FORMOSA – The Formosa Catholic Women’s League (CWL) meeting on April 4 saw CWL President Linda Freiburger welcome Captain Pat Glazier and Chief Keith Cassidy of South Bruce Fire Rescue – Teeswater station. She also welcomed CWL members, Lions and Swans who were invited to hear Glazier and Cassidy give instructions on how to use a defibrillator (automated external defibrillator).
The Formosa Community Centre and the recreation complex have had a defibrillator for several years and Formosians felt it was time to have a refreshment course on how to use them.
A defibrillator is an easy to use device – you don’t need much training to use it because it tells you exactly what to do. Most of us had forgotten about that. Its job is to shock someone’s heart back into normal rhythm during cardiac arrest. It will only instruct you to deliver a shock if one is needed.
If you find someone unconscious and unresponsive or not breathing or not breathing normally, they are in cardiac arrest. It is most important to act immediately because their heart is no longer pumping blood to the brain and around the body. The first thing to do is to call 911 and start CPR. If there is someone else around ask them to get the defibrillator and it will assess the heart rhythm and will only tell you to shock them if they need it. If a shock is needed, this will try to reset the electrical system in the heart to get it beating normally again. Using CPR and following the defibrillator instructions gives the best chance of survival. One should continue this process until the paramedics arrive.
All those in attendance were most grateful to Captain Glazier and Chief Cassidy for their presentation.
Freiburger had been wearing her baker’s hat earlier at home and supplied all kinds of squares, cookies and fruits for all to enjoy before the regular CWL meeting started.
Formosa Lions’ Recreation Complex Secretary Lion Shirley Kuntz is pictured receiving a $6,000 donation from Formosa CWL President Linda Freiburger. (Submitted photo)
Secretary Kathy Benninger and Treasurer Marlene Bross Durrer attended to their duties. A motion was made to donate $500 to the March for Life Youth Bus going to Ottawa. The Formosa CWL donated $6,000 to the Formosa Lions Recreation Complex to go toward renovations.
Draw tickets are now available and were distributed to members for sale, for the absolutely beautiful quilt made by Eileen Benninger and the super-soft afghan made by Sally Kroeplin. The draw will be made in December.
Marlene Voisin volunteered to head up the crew for the CWL Cold Plate Supper on June 4 and several others volunteered to be part of that crew.
Members were reminded that the next meeting on May 2 will be a retreat, with mass beginning at 7 p.m.
