Donation will help Penticton Search and Rescue save lives

PENTICTON – Penticton Search and Rescue received a welcome gift from a North Vancouver company this week.

MediQuest Technologies donated two automated external defibrillators to the local search and rescue organization in an unexpected act, Penticton Search and Rescue spokesperson Randy Brown says in a media release.

Search and rescue medical coordinator Scott Pettendreigh says the donation now allows the search and rescue group to have an AED in each of its response units, eliminating the need to move equipment from unit to unit depending on the call.

“It’s a wonderful piece of equipment that has proven to save lives everywhere it has been deployed, and we’re so grateful to MediQuest,” Pittendreigh says.

MediQuest’s Chris Metcallfe says the two units have been used previously but have no end of life date because of the ability to upgrade each unit’s software.

“As an organization, we are happy to help out,” he says, adding the search and rescue unit depends on volunteer effort and community and corporate contributions to make it effective.

Most Penticton Search and Resuce volunteers are trained first responders with both AED and spinal endorsements.

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