Sports Corner

I was reading about Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jiri Fischer who died and came back to life on the bench on Monday during a game. Doctors still don't know what caused the seizure that stopped his heart, but apparently, as of Wednesday, he was doing just fine.

What struck me in the coverage, however, was a quote by team doctor Anthony Colucci. He said Fischer was saved by an automated external defibrillator on the bench -- he was shocked twice to return his heart to its normal rhythm.

"Any person can apply an [AED], it's that simple," said Colucci. "They should be in all public places."

Those of us who grew up with "Emergency," the '70s TV show about California paramedics Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto, will heartily concur.

I've always wanted to defibrilate someone and I'm sure I could do it. You just have to rub the two paddles together, peer at some dial or screen or something until you get some sort of signal that means it's time, then you yell, "Patient is in V-fib! Rampart, we have lost the victim's pulse, beginning CPR. We're defibrilating victim, Rampart. Rampart, we have defibrilated victim, he has sinus rhythm."

Nothing to it.