Defibrillators installed on Grouse Grind trail in North Vancouver

Hikers on North Vancouver's Grouse Grind now have access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at key points along the challenging trail.

Metro Vancouver says it installed the devices as part of a pilot project aimed at improving safety for those who suffer cardiac arrest while tackling the 2.5-kilometre hike.

"This is the first time we've had publicly facing accessible AEDs along the grind," said Tyler Langeloo, supervisor of park operations at Metro Vancouver. 

Known as "Mother Nature's StairMaster," the Grouse Grind climbs 800 metres and includes 2,830 stairs. The trail sees more than 100,000 hikers every year, but it's also where several have suffered fatal heart attacks, Langeloo said.

Approximately 60,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in Canada each year, which is one every nine minutes, according to the province. In B.C., paramedics responded to more than 7,000 such sudden cardiac arrests between 2019 and 2020. 

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada said only one in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, but cardiopulmonary resuscitation and AED use can double the chances of survival.

Scott Merriman, team lead with North Shore Rescue, who has responded to cardiac arrest emergencies on the Grouse Grind, agreed.

"I really feel that it's going to end up saving somebody's life in the future," he told CBC News. 

But Merriman urged hikers to call 911 before using the AED.

North Shore Rescue has collaborated with Metro Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services to launch the initiative.

The defibrillators are housed in concealed, green boxes that are secured with a zip tie and located at the quarter, half, and three-quarter points on the trail, according to Langeloo. 

"The are very intuitive," the supervisor added. "When you turn the machine on, it will start giving you instructions and you just have to follow along with the instructions that it gives you."

The machines are designed for single use only and must be serviced and reinstalled after each use, he added.

The defibrillators, which can't operate in temperatures below freezing, will be removed during winter closures and when trail maintenance is being done.

The Grouse Grind is set to close for seasonal maintenance on Oct. 7 until the Nov. 4, Metro Vancouver said. It is considering extending the pilot project to additional trails across the Lower Mainland..

"I'm really curious to see how the public responds to these and what sort of reaction we have if this is successful," said Langeloo.

The local initiative coincides with a broader provincial initiative, announced by the Ministry of Health on Friday, to improve access to AEDs across B.C.

The program, launching as a pilot in Prince George before expanding to other communities, will place automated AEDs at key outdoor locations.