Vancouver School Board one step closer to installing AEDs

The Vancouver School Board is one step closer to installing automatic external defibrillators in local schools.

The Vancouver School Board is moving closer to installing automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) in local schools.

At a meeting Monday evening, school trustees voted unanimously for staff to finalize a plan by September – and they’re hoping the provincial government will fund it.

That plan must include a timeline, cost analysis and options for funding.

If the province won’t fund AEDs, trustees want to pull $250,000 from the school board’s contingency reserve.

“Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone and it’s about saving life,” trustee Preeti Faridkot told CTV News on Monday. “We talk about creating a safe environment for students, the children, the parents and installing AEDs is one step forward to actually doing that promise.”

This comes after a push from some Point Grey Secondary students who have demanded AEDs in schools following a classmate’s 2022 cardiac arrest death during basketball tryouts.

At Monday’s meeting, staff outlined some of the costs associated with bringing in AEDs. They said it would cost $250,000 initially, followed by annual maintenance costs of $50,000.