Guilford-Based Defibtech Donates Lifesaving AEDs to New Haven Fire Department, City Senior Centers

NEW HAVEN, CT — Defibtech, the Guilford-based manufacturer of automated external defibrillators, donated eight AEDs to the City of New Haven last Friday.

The donation, which marks National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month, provides four Defibtech Lifeline AEDs to the New Haven Fire Department and four Lifeline VIEW dual-language, English/Spanish, AEDs to four city senior centers: Atwater, Dixwell/Newhallville, East Shore, and Trowbridge Recreation Center.

On hand for the presentation were Mayor Justin Elicker and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro.

"When someone is experiencing cardiac arrest, every minute counts. It’s important for residents to know the signs and to be in a position to take quick action. Now, new AEDs will be available at each one of our senior centers and the fire department’s ladder trucks, ensuring lifesaving help is close at hand," Elicker said.

AEDs save lives

According to the National Institutes of Health, sudden cardiac arrest strikes more than 350,000 Americans outside hospitals each year. For every minute without defibrillation, the chance of survival drops by 7 to 10 percent. When a bystander uses an AED before emergency medical services arrive, survival rates can more than double.

"These AEDs will save lives, and we’re incredibly grateful to Defibtech for their generosity and commitment to the City of New Haven," Elicker said.

DeLauro noted that New Haven's bravest "put their lives on the line every day, making our communities safer."

"Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time, and our community deserves the resources necessary to be safe, especially when every second counts," she said. "I am glad that Defibtech, a local company saving lives and employing our neighbors, is investing these critical resources into New Haven—making our community that much safer. It is these types of public-private partnerships that make a difference in people’s lives."

'The best resuscitation technology'

Defibtech, founded in Guilford in 1999, has one mission, its CEO AJ Pace noted: "To put the best resuscitation technology in the hands of anyone who might need it."

"We’ve shipped more than 700,000 AEDs worldwide, but the work that matters most is always the work closest to home," Pace said. "New Haven is our neighbor. There’s no better place to put our mission into action than right here in New Haven."

At the presentation, New Haven Fire Chief Daniel Coughlin accepted the four Lifeline AEDs, one for each of the city's four ladder trucks.

Chantel Cave, Management and Policy Analyst with the City's Department of Elderly Services, accepted the four Lifeline VIEW dual-language AEDs on behalf of four New Haven senior centers—Atwater, Dixwell/Newhallville, East Shore, and Trowbridge Recreation Center.

The event concluded with a live demonstration by the Defibtech team.

"A lot of people are afraid to use an AED, so we build ours so anyone can," said Joseph Mullally, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations at Defibtech. "They guide you step by step with voice and visual prompts, and they only deliver a shock if one is needed. In those first few minutes, the person standing nearby is the most important responder there is."

According to the company, the donation "reflects Defibtech's ongoing commitment to giving back to its home state."

In October, Defibtech donated five dual-language AEDs to three Hartford nonprofits serving residents experiencing homelessness, housing instability, and behavioral health challenges. The company also honored two Madison Police Officers who used Defibtech AEDs during two separate cardiac emergencies. In September, Defibtech donated four AEDs to the Hartford Yard Goats for Dunkin' Park. In addition, each employee can request one AED donation per year on behalf of a nonprofit organization.

"An AED can only help save a life if it’s available when needed, so our goal is to place these easy-to-use devices in as many public spaces as possible," Mullally said. "Sudden cardiac arrest doesn’t discriminate, but access to help often does. Older adults, residents who speak a language other than English, and people in the least-resourced neighborhoods often lack access. That’s why these senior center AEDs provide instructions in English or Spanish at the push of a button. With these devices in place, we can reach even more people who need them."

About Defibtech

Defibtech, headquartered in Guilford, is a leader and innovator in the design and manufacture of life-saving resuscitation devices, including AED's, mechanical chest compressors, and related accessories that the public and healthcare professionals depend on every day. With more than 700,000 AED units shipped worldwide, Defibtech is committed to saving lives by producing the best AEDs that advanced medical technology has to offer.

For more information about Defibtech and its products, visit www.defibtech.com.