The meeting was part of “Safe City Day” which encourages residents to learn life-saving procedures such as CPR.
Heart attack
For the first time since his heart attack, John Turco was surrounded by the people who saved his life. The 51-year old was grateful as he shook their hands. Turco was at the city hall as Mayor John Tory named Feb. 14 as “Safe City Day”. The Toronto Paramedic Services operates a program called Safe City which trains thousands of residents every year in CPR and using a defibrillator.
Turco stated that he would not be alive today if he was not surrounded by friends with this training.
Turco was playing pickup basketball at Neil McNeil High School where he is also a Phys ed teacher. He was already playing for more than an hour when a friend asked if he wanted to play one more game. He agreed to play another game and that was the last thing he could remember.
Timely intervention
Gerald Rozario was playing on Turco’s team that day. When Turco collapsed, Rozario yelled out for someone to call 911 and asked another player to get the defibrillator. Rozario and 2 other men started CPR. Rozario was able to finish a course but he had not done it before in a real-life situation.
When they cannot get a pulse, they had to use the defibrillator. Upon the arrival of the emergency response crews, Steven Deans were the first paramedic to reach Turco. He saw that his chest was moving up and down from the floor. According to paramedic Chris Miller, everything was under control upon their arrival thanks to the quick response of Turco’s friends.
Importance of first aid training
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and using an automated external defibrillator (AED) can save a life. Prompt delivery of life-saving techniques improves the chances of survival during emergencies.
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LEARN MORE
Learn how to help by enrolling in a CPR and AED training and for more information, check out these sources: