Mr. Speaker, we are nearing the end of the discussion and debate on the motion I was privileged to move in the House. It is not every day that we, as members and legislators, have the opportunity to move a motion or introduce a bill in this magnificent nation-building place. Today, as I think of all the work that has been done in Canada's Parliament on this file since I was elected a year and a half ago, I feel deeply moved.
Before I conclude the debate, I would like to thank each and every person who rose in the House to debate this issue, which I feel is of vital importance. The goal is to ensure that all emergency vehicles are equipped with defibrillators to save lives. I would like to thank the members of all political parties who took the time to participate. I would also like to thank all of the members and their staff who contributed to the debate by preparing notes and doing the necessary research. I know that everyone took this very seriously. I would also like to thank the members of all parties who offered me their support and told me they would support the bill when it comes to a vote, which I hope will be completely non-partisan.
I decided to introduce this bill in the House because before becoming an MP I was a mayor and I experienced firsthand how access to a defibrillator can make a difference. It helped save the life of one of my friends. He would not be alive today if some people had not bought this small device, which is worth about $1,000, and installed it in an arena. With this device, first aid was administered quickly and the shock revived my friend Stéphane Campagna.
After this incident, in my capacity as mayor, I decided to launch an initiative in my municipality. With the powers at my disposal and the help of council members and my staff, we equipped all the municipality's emergency vehicles. We worked with the Quebec provincial police, the municipal police, firefighters, paramedics, and volunteers who drive emergency vehicles in order to make defibrillators available at all times and as quickly as possible and to take them directly to peoples' homes.
It is important to note that 85% of cardiac arrests happen in people's homes. Once defibrillators are available in all vehicles, whoever arrives on scene first, be it the police, firefighters, or paramedics, can provide first aid as quickly as possible.
Let us keep up the momentum. Defibrillators have been placed in government buildings, sports centres, and offices in most municipalities. The next step is to put them in all vehicles so that people in the regions and people on vacation have the same chance of survival in the unfortunate event of cardiac arrest.
The motion proposes putting a defibrillator in all RCMP vehicles, the RCMP being the federal police force. Since the RCMP is not present in every region, I added item (b), which calls on the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security to undertake a study to determine the availability of AEDs in first responder vehicles across Canada and ensure that the necessary measures are taken following discussions with other levels of government, the municipalities, and the organizations in question, while respecting all jurisdictions.
Naturally, respecting jurisdictions at every level is something that is very important to me. I hope the committee will embrace that. I know that some people are concerned about that. However, I think the scope of the study called for in the motion needs to go beyond RCMP vehicles.
There are an estimated 40,000 heart attacks every year. The chances of surviving a heart attack diminish by 7% to 10% with each passing minute. In other words, there is a maximum window of 10 minutes for saving a person's life. Things only get worse with every minute and the chances of regaining a normal heartbeat and not having permanent damage from a heart attack and CPR diminish. I hope that, when it comes time to vote, members will think about all their constituents, a brother, sister, father, mother or friend who might end up in this situation. I hope that we can save lives through this motion. That is what I hope from the bottom of my heart.