3 - Wednesday, January 1, 1986 - North Shore News Taking time to save lives SAFETY COURSE AIMED AT LOCAL RESTAURANTS FOOD can be fatal. By TIMOTHY RENSHAW Carelessly swallowed, it is one of the major causes of obstructed breathing airways and ‘cafe coronaries’. North Vancouver firefighter Doug Potter recently combined his traia- ed reactions with his know!l- edge of clearing obstructed airways to save the life of a 50-year-old woman. Potter was enjoying a few off-duty beers in North Vancouver's Rusty Gull pub when! a woman. collapsed while eating food. A #1 Though he found no large chunks of food in’ the woman's throat. Potter said he removed existing debris from her windpipe and initi- ated mouth-to-mouch resuscitation until am- bulance crews arrived, by which time she was in full cardiac arrest. WOMAN UNCONSCIOUS Who is now Lions Gate The woman, improving in Hospital, had reportedly been unconscious for ap- proximately five ininutes be- fore Potter was alerted to her condition by pub patrons BABY CLINTON Chaloner has big plans for New Year's Day. The North Van resident is celebrating his first birthday. Clin- ton was the North Shore's first baby of 1985 when he was born at 3 p.m, last Jan. 1 at Lions Gate Hospital to Stan and Lois Chaloner. COVER PHOTO WAVES of fog disguise the view of Vancouver nor- mally geen from the Cypress Park Road look-out. The setting sui puts 4 golden glow on the landscape as 1985 we [ ‘Tolls toa close. Cover photo i is by Inn Smith. ‘ unsure of what to do in the situation. The episode graphically underlines ue need for public awareness of the speed and finality with which choking can. strike, says North Vancouver City firefighter Paul Bouchard. In order to spread that awareness, Bouchard is spearheading a new pro- gram, offered in conjunction with the St. John Am- bulance arganization, to educate North Shore restau- rant personnel in how to recognize choking symptoms and how to clear blocked airways. He quoted statistics com- piled by St. John Ambulance that state ‘tevery person will either witness an obtructed airway or be a victim of one.” CUSTOMERS PANIC Explaining the term ‘cafe coronary’, Bouchard — said people in restaurants panic when their windpipes become suddenly clogged with food. But rather than transgress the rules of eti- quette and make public spectacles of themselves, they escape to washrooms where they dic. breathlessly clawing actheir throats. St. John Ambulance train- ing supervisor David White explained that, meat is the food most likely to’ cause choking deaths. in restau- rants and denture wearers are the most common vic- tims, He. added’ that most choking victims ‘are’ intox- icated. The importance. educating the public, especially .those -in the hospitality industry, can not be overemphasized, White said. ‘ TRAINED STAFF “From a publicity point of view alone, ‘if a restau- rant's staff is trained to deal with obstructed ‘airways, its reflects well on, that restau- rant and makes..it a more place’ to. desirable patronize,’ White said. Apart from providing people’ with’.the sibility’ to save. lives, airway .ubstruc- tion removal, techniques ‘also provide people with the abil: ity to act. “Even if i, were not suc cessful,” White said, “to have done something’, and failed is far better than to have watched helplessly while someone dies, kiowing that maybe you could have saved a life if /you had known what to do!" ' Bouchard said he sent out 12 letters to North Van- couver restaurants inviting management to’ enrol their various staffs in the fire department's © obstruction removal course, He received a single response. “Pothink that’s especially considering course is free." Bouchard gave his first obstructed airways course at Benningion's restaurant on Dec. 17. terrible, the o7th year of service to tens of thousands of domestic & foreign car & light truck owners .C.B.C. vendor BCAA approved A.R.A. certified Quality workmanship — Trustworthy service +74 Pemberton Ave, N. Van 985-7455 of. ar LM . NEWS photo lan Smith BENNINGTON'S restaurant employees Richard Lewis, sitting,” and Kraig Short were given a recent lesson on-how to save a life. North Vancouver City firefighter Grant Frost gave a short course on how to clear a blocked air passage to restore normal breathing. it 2 Intani Wear, 75-9967 , Bradbrooke, Crawford & Green Complete Legal Services Lonsdale Quay Free initial consultation | Suite 600 -| 171 West Esplanade North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 3J9 ° (604) 980-8571 > Sousa a — D @ ANTIQUE = POLISHED”. /: >.” "BRASS, “WHITE & PALETT NORBURN LIGHTING CENTRE nc F148 2 (eDUtabon of espenenced sEnnie afe sine nates 22 Western Canaga Sngedcsony alge wag tetas of yQu are Duvte-ng or remodeling —ar jist Gu? te pegne vO a dark Comer— jon tad ine cignf rgmt at liotmarn WHOLESALE AND RETAIL FREE CATALOGUES AVAILABLE HOURS: MONDAY THAU SATURDAY 8:30 . 5.00, FRIDAY 8:30 - 9.00 4600 EAST HASTINGS, BURNABY. TEL. 299- 0666