Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, November 7, 2007

REPULSE BAY - The community of Repulse Bay is now able to react better to life-threatening situations, thanks to the efforts of instructor Brad Loewen and Keewatin Air Ltd.

Goldstar cadet Jolene Angotingoar works with the dummy during a CPR course in Repulse Bay this past month as instructor Brad Loewen follows her progress. - photo courtesy of Leonie Aissaoui

The airline picked up the tab to send Loewen, of the Winnipeg-based Find First Aid Inc., into Repulse to teach CPR and first-aid courses over a three-day period this past month.

Loewen completed CPR training for eight staff members of the local health centre, as well as CPR and first aid for 13 day care staff members.

He also conducted CPR training for seven teachers at Tusarvik school, 11 hamlet staff members and eight cadets.

Penny Triggs, vicepresident for air medical operations, said Keewatin Air does this because it can be tough for Kivalliq communities to get first aid, CPR or advanced training.

"The day care first contacted us about training and then the school, health centre, hamlet and cadets all expressed interest," said Triggs.

"So, we decided to send an instructor to maximize the number of people we could get trained in three days.

"We've done this before in Arviat, Baker Lake and Coral Harbour.

"We're also going to be doing it in Whale Cove in December or early in 2008."

Triggs said Keewatin Air is committed to ensuring health centre staff members across the Kivalliq are trained in the latest CPR techniques.

She said Loewen's trip will ensure Repulse residents have access to people with up-to-date training in CPR and first aid.

"Sponsoring this training cost Keewatin Air about $3,200," she said.

"Our airline picked up everything except Brad's (Loewen) hotel costs.

"There seemed to be no end to the people who wanted to be trained, and Brad did his best to accommodate what was a very enthusiastic group of people in Repulse."

Triggs said CPR requires annual recertification, so the airline sends an instructor into the communities every year.

She said most first-aid training is good for four years and the frequency an instructor is sent in depends on the number of requests the airline receives.

"Repulse took the initiative to call us for help and, hopefully, everyone's better off for it," she said.

"We hope to do the same thing for Whale and, possibly, another community in the near future.

"It would be great if we could do two or three communities every year."