Defibtech, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association Continue to Donate AEDs in Critical Areas

WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 1, 2009 – For the second straight year, Defibtech and the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA) will donate automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to help communities with critical needs to strengthen the “chain of survival” from sudden cardiac arrest, which kills up to 1,000 Americans each day.

Announcing the effort during National Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Awareness Week (June 1-7), Defibtech CEO Dr. Glenn W. Laub said the success of last year’s effort was made possible by the initiative of local SCAA chapters and affiliates, which recommended the community organizations that received the AEDs. “These dedicated people make consistent efforts where they matter most,” he said. “They did a great job helping us to place defibrillators where they can make the difference between life and death from sudden cardiac arrest.”

Over the past year, the Defibtech/SCAA program provided AEDs to many organizations, including the following through SCAA chapters or affiliates:
• Austin (Texas) City Hall (SCAA Austin Chapter)
• Cape Code (Mass.) Challenge Club for children with disabilities (SCAA affiliate Connecting Hearts, Inc.)
• Urbandale (Iowa) Middle School (SCAA affiliate AED Access for All)
• Nassau County (N.Y.) Little League Field (SCAA Long Island Miracles Chapter)
• Salvation Army, Lubbock, Texas (SCAA Lubbock Chapter)
• Lorain County (Ohio) Fairgrounds (SCAA Northeast Ohio Chapter)
• DeLagoon Ballpark, Fegus Falls, Minn. (SCAA Ottertail County Northwest Minnesota Chapter)
• St. Mary’s Primary School, Taunton, Mass. (SCAA Southeast Massachusetts Chapter)
• Naugatuck (Conn.) Senior Center (SCAA Southwest Connecticut Chapter)
• Oakdale Country Club, Mexico, Maine (SCAA affiliate Med-Care Ambulance)
• Sts. Simon and Jude School, Pittsburgh, Penn. (SCAA Western Pennsylvania Chapter)

Chris Chiames, SCAA executive director, said the association will again work through its local chapters and affiliates to find community organizations that lack onsite AEDs and show financial need. As organizations are identified, donations will be made appropriate to the need, he said.

Defibtech Vice President Greg Slusser added that many of the organizations chosen for donations are busy community gathering sites located far from hospitals or where average EMS response is prolonged due to drive time. Having an AED onsite is important because immediate resuscitation is vital. Studies show that more than 70 percent of victims defibrillated within a minute or two after arrest survive. If defibrillation is delayed for more than 10 minutes, only 5 percent live.

In addition, to help reach the American Heart Association’s (AHA) goal of training 1 million people in CPR, many AHA National Training Centers, including Defibtech distributors Annuvia, Cintas, Code Red and LifeSavers, Inc., are offering special AED and/or AED/CPR training promotions in honor of National CPR and AED Awareness Week, Slusser said.

About Defibtech

Defibtech relentlessly pursues one goal: making the best AEDs in the world at affordable prices. Defibtech designs and manufactures the Defibtech™ AEDs which include the Lifeline™ and ReviveR™ models. Defibtech’s products are sold through its network of distribution partners in the United States and around the world. Defibtech is headquartered in Guilford, Conn., and manufactures all of its defibrillators in the United States in a state-of-the-art ISO 13485:2003 certified facility. For more information about Defibtech and its products, visit www.defibtech.com or call 1-866-DEFIB-4-U (1-866-333-4248).

About the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association
The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA) is an organization singularly focused on sudden cardiac arrest. SCAA identifies and unites survivors, those at risk of sudden cardiac arrest, as well as others who are interested in being advocates on SCAA issues in their communities and beyond. The membership is dedicated to promoting solutions to prevent sudden cardiac death, including increased awareness, immediate bystander action, public access to defibrillation (PAD), and access to therapies (principally ICDS--implantable cardiac defibrillators). To learn more, go to www.suddencardiacarrest.org or call (866) 972-SCAA (7222).