Shock for Life and HeartSine® Technologies Now Exclusive Providers of Lifesaving AED Solution to Wegmans Food Markets

NEWTOWN, Pa., Aug. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- HeartSine® Technologies, Inc. (www.heartsine.com), a world leader in personal and public access defibrillators, announced today that Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. has selected  the HeartSine Automated External Defibrillator (AED) as the exclusive AED in its facilities.  

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a major regional supermarket chain and one of the largest private companies in the U.S. with 2010 annual sales of $5.6 billion and over 41,000 employees.

By the end of 2011, the HeartSine samaritan® PAD 300P Public Access Defibrillator will be available in all 79 Wegmans stores should an employee or customer suffer from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). Designed for use on children and adults, its simple two-button operation and voice/visual prompts with clear instructions will guide rescuers through every step, including pad application, shock delivery and CPR.

Each Wegmans store ranges from 80,000 to 140,000 square feet in size. As part of the implementation, a comprehensive evaluation of each Wegmans store has been conducted, including the parking lots. This will help to ensure that a HeartSine PAD is easily accessible in a cardiac arrest emergency.

Quick response times are critical for the best possible outcome for recovery. When sudden cardiac arrest happens, the American Heart Association recommends that defibrillation treatment begin within three minutes. After 5 minutes and every minute thereafter, a victim loses 10% of their brain function due to loss of oxygen. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a SCA event occurs once every 34 seconds.

"The criteria that companies look for when selecting a viable AED program include a comprehensive training solution, exceptional lifesaving technology, best-in-class reliability, product durability, and ease of use for their employees," said Marc Lawrence, HeartSine senior vice president. "The HeartSine samaritan PAD exceeds these criteria with the highest clinical standards backed by years of research and innovation. Our superior technology, 10-year warranty and 4-year Pad Pak™ life provides our clients with the power to save a life, at the lowest overall cost of ownership."

Shock for Life, a channel partner of HeartSine products and an American Heart Association authorized training center, is responsible for installation of the AED devices in Wegmans stores and for training employees on how to use the HeartSine 300P PAD to administer lifesaving treatment.  

"Our nationally standardized training program follows American Heart Association guidelines," said MaryBeth Barber, RN, BSN, CEO, Shock for Life. "For the Wegmans implementation, we'll be conducting 'Hands On' CPR/AED training in all of their stores, teaching employees how to recognize and care for breathing and cardiac emergencies, and how to use the HeartSine defibrillator for treatment."

Wegmans stores are located in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland.  Its first New England store will open in Northborough, Massachusetts in October 2011. The family-owned company, founded in 1916, is recognized as an industry leader and innovator. Wegmans has been named one of the '100 Best Companies to Work For' by FORTUNE magazine for fourteen consecutive years. In 2011, Wegmans ranked #3 on the list.

About HeartSine Technologies

A world leader in personal and public access defibrillators, HeartSine's mission is to advance the deployment of lifesaving defibrillation therapy in non-traditional areas of care. HeartSine® samaritan® PAD (Public Access Defibrillator) is the only medical device specifically designed for public access use to administer lifesaving treatment for Sudden Cardiac Arrest. It's lifesaving, pure and simple.

For more information, please contact [email protected], call (866) 478-7463, ext. 112, or visit www.heartsine.com.

Download a high-res photo of the samaritan® PAD 300P: http://www.ggcomm.com/HeartSine/PAD300P.jpg

121 Friends Lane
Suite 400
Newtown, PA 18940
Phone: 215.860.8100, ext. 112
Contact: Stacey Lock
[email protected]

SOURCE HeartSine Technologies, Inc.