Chicago Residents are now debating whether the availablity of a defibrillator on the Chicago Metra Train might have saved a man that died from cardiac arrest on October 9th, 2009.

Two nurses rushed to assist Metra crew members who tried to help the 63-year-old Barrington Hills man with heart attack symptoms. They attempted CPR. Emergency responders who met the train at the Palatine station also tried to save the man, but died.

The tragic story quickly raised questions among some regular passengers and medical authorities, who questioned why the Metra trains, unlike passenger airplanes, don’t have defibrillators on board. It also came to light that neither the CTA buses and trains have them available.

Defibrillators are becoming more common on mass transit systems, not just in the United States but all over the world. Why a major transportation system like the Metra has thus far failed to provide AED remains a mystery.

What do you think?