In Montreal, all 68 metro stations spanning the city will soon have defibrillators readily available to the public in the event of medical emergencies.
The city’s public transit authority announced the move Monday morning, saying the installation of the potentially life-saving devices will take place over the next five weeks.
Philippe Schnobb, chairman of the board for the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), says access to a defibrillator “will be less than five minutes away” for commuters.
“That can make a huge difference to a survival prognosis,” Schnobb said in a statement.
Under the plan, the STM will install 76 defibrillators at all metro stations. The machines are being installed next to fare booths.
The devices are “user-friendly” and can be used by people who do not have medical training, according to the STM.
“The defibrillator analyzes the patient’s heart rate and determines whether or not an electric shock needs to be administered, providing spoken and visual instructions to guide the user through the process,” the STM said.
The transit authority says it acquired 209 of the devices for its network following a call for tenders. As part of the rollout, they have also been installed in the STM’s workplaces, offices and bus garages.