Jacques-de Champlain Foundation Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of its AED-Québec App During Heart Month 2025

MONTREAL, Jan. 30, 2025 /CNW/ - The Jacques-de Champlain Foundation is proud to take part in the 2025 Heart Month awareness activities, marking the 10th anniversary of its AED-Quebec app. Staying true to its mission of increasing survival rates for cardiac arrest victims and promoting public access to defibrillation, the Foundation invites Quebecers to join its annual campaign, "Make Hearts Beat, Download the AED-Québec App", from February 1 to 28, 2025. By downloading the app, anyone can become an essential link in the prehospital survival chain, crucial in the event of cardiac arrest.

By providing access to a map that precisely geolocates - complete with photos - the automated external defibrillators (AEDs) registered in the provincial AED-Québec registry (currently over 8,600), the app enables citizens to act quickly in emergencies. Users can also register AEDs that are not yet listed in the registry. Since the registry is connected to all 911 centers in Québec, as well as the Urgences-santé Health Communication Center serving Montréal and Laval, app users directly contribute to saving lives.

"Over the past 10 years, the Jacques-de Champlain Foundation has worked tirelessly to democratize citizen access to the AED-Québec registry through the app, while integrating the locations with Health Communication Centers. The next critical step to improving cardiac arrest survival rates in Québec is adopting legislation for public access to defibrillation. This would make AEDs mandatory in designated locations and require their registration in the provincial registry, ensuring they are recognized as essential safety equipment," said Dr. François de Champlain, Chair of the Foundation's Board and emergency physician at the McGill University Health Centre.

The AED-Québec App: An Essential Resource

Since its launch in 2015, over 100,000 people have downloaded the application. Over the past decade, more than 8,600 devices have been registered in the provincial AED registry, which provides precise information about AED locations and availability. The registry also tracks expiry dates for critical components, such as batteries and electrodes, ensuring updates are made in a timely manner.

Key Challenges for Making AEDs More Accessible

Quebec lags behind other provinces, such as Manitoba, in AED availability, making public awareness efforts all the more crucial. For the 2025 Heart Month campaign, the Foundation is focusing on three key objectives:

• Promoting legislation to ensure public access to defibrillation and emphasizing its critical role in improving survival rates for Quebecers experiencing cardiac arrest.
• Encouraging app downloads by as many people as possible.
• Demystifying AEDs, explaining how they work, their importance, and when to use them.

Statistics That Demand Action

Cardiovascular diseases are the second leading cause of death in Canada, with a cardiac arrest occurring every 12 minutes. Each year, 10,000 Quebecers suffer cardiac arrests outside hospitals. Timely use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) can triple the chances of survival, but those chances decrease by 7 to 10% with every passing minute without intervention. As a provincial organization, the Jacques-de Champlain Foundation is committed to optimizing AED access and raising public awareness to save more lives.

A Lifesaving Tool Within Reach

An automated external defibrillator (AED) can mean the difference between life and death. Easy to use and safe, anyone can operate an AED to resuscitate a cardiac arrest victim. No training is required to use one. Once the electrodes are attached, the device analyzes the victim's heart rhythm, determines whether a shock is needed, and provides audio and visual instructions to guide the user through the process.

For the 2025 Heart Month campaign, the Foundation has garnered support from major media outlets, including Cogeco stations, ensuring widespread message dissemination across Quebec.

About the Jacques-de Champlain Foundation

The Jacques-de Champlain Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to increasing survival rates for cardiac arrest victims by optimizing access to and use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). The AED-Québec app is free and available on the App Store and Google Play.

Website: www.jacquesdechamplain.com
Facebook: facebook.com/fondationJdC
AED-Quebec App: https://www.jacquesdechamplain.com/en/projet-dea/
App Store Link: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/aed-quebec/id1021844069?l=en-CA
Google Play Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fjdc.dea&hl=en_CA

SOURCE The Jacques-de Champlain Foundation