Dépêches

Madrid-Barajas Airport AED Deployment Adds to Defibtech’s Outstanding Transportation Track Record

Dépèche transmise le 14 juillet 2009 par Business Wire

Madrid-Barajas Airport AED Deployment Adds to Defibtech’s Outstanding Transportation Track Record

GUILFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The recent deployment of 65 Defibtech Lifeline® automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at the Madrid-Barajas Airport, which serves 130,000 passengers a day, adds to the company’s outstanding track record of transportation-related deployments.

Defibtech Lifeline and ReviveR™ automated external defibrillators protect travelers and transportation workers from sudden cardiac arrest in some of the world’s largest and busiest airports, rail networks and waterways. Sudden cardiac arrest strikes millions of people each year and is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association.

“Having automated external defibrillators available to travelers and transportation workers is important for two primary reasons,” said Defibtech president Gintaras Vaisnys. “First, millions of people pass through airports and train and boat stations each day. These sheer numbers make these locations among the more likely public places for sudden cardiac arrest to occur. Second, it’s impossible for paramedics to reach a jetliner at 30,000 feet or a ship out at sea. You need an AED onboard.”

Other Defibtech transportation deployments include:

• 300 AEDs in multi-story European car parks called Q-Parks.
• 250 defibrillators on Martek UK commercial vessels.
• Hundreds of AEDs on inland waterway towboats and blue water tugboats.
• More than 100 defibrillators on Boston-area trains and stations including the “T” subway, Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) commuter rail, and Amtrak.
• 65 AEDs on New Jersey Transit train platforms.
• 50 training defibrillators for the SNCF train system in France.
• 40 AEDs for Canadian Rail.
• AEDs on ferry boats connecting Italy with Corsica and Sardinia and serving Long Island and Connecticut.

Vaisnys said the Madrid-Barajas deployment adds to Defibtech’s growing list of international airport deployments, adding that the company is working to deploy AEDs in several other airports and public transportation hubs throughout the world. “Having AEDs in these public gathering places expedites the four-step chain of survival: calling 9-1-1, early CPR, early AED treatment, and early advance care,” he said. “Every minute counts – sudden cardiac arrest victims treated with an AED within five minutes usually live while those left unattended for 10 minutes usually die.”

Greater safety consciousness among transportation authorities and companies, as well as governmental mandates, has contributed to the boom in transportation-related AED deployments. “There has been a definite shift toward enhanced safety in our industry,” said Defibtech distributor Bert Cattoni of Cardiac Rescue Systems, which specializes in serving water carriers such as tugboats and towboats.

Further momentum for AED deployment comes with every life saved. For example, 36 lives were saved in Chicago airports between 2000 and 2006, and the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport reported 20 life saves using AEDs between 2000 and 2008. AED life saves also have occurred in airports in Atlanta, Detroit, Dublin, Hawaii and San Diego, according to news reports. As trains and other transportation modes begin to match the deployment history of airlines, similar life save statistics are expected.

Easy to use, affordable and durable, the Defibtech AED is well-suited to the transportation environment, Vaisnys said. For example, the AED literally “talks” to the rescuer during an emergency, giving audible instructions and confidence to users. In addition, adequately equipping large airports and rail networks with AEDs often requires the purchase of many devices. The affordability of the Defibtech AED makes the purchase of many units more realistic. Built to last, Defibtech AEDs meet U.S. military “shock and drop” specifications and can be easily updated with new software as researchers gain new insights into sudden cardiac arrest and resuscitation techniques.

About Defibtech

Defibtech relentlessly pursues one goal: making the best automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in the world at affordable prices. Defibtech designs and manufactures the FDA-approved Lifeline® and ReviveR™ brand AEDs and related accessories. 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).