Letter from the CEO: Why step-by-step instructions are so important in real-time emergencies.

March 26, 2009

At Think Safe Inc we care about people and this is shown in our products. The standard we work by is nothing short of our best, quality work because we know that someone’s life can be saved as a result of our products.  We are passionate about first aid, emergency medicine and saving lives!

Paula Wickham, our president and CEO, is passionate about live-saving technology and the people who use it and recently wrote a letter that we’d like to share with you:

It is an imperative in today’s world that a “Good Samaritan” perform the correct tasks to not only potentially save someone’s life, but to protect themselves from legal action. While Good Samaritan laws do protect the rescuer, it is important for the citizen acting in good faith to be careful as to how much they do and to protect themselves as well.

That said it is important to know when it is OK to give minor first aid treatment, or to immediately call 911 and wait for EMS to arrive. Most people do not understand the difference between these situations and what they should be doing. For example, you should never splint a victim’s fracture if they do not have to be moved; wait for the EMS to arrive and let trained staff attend the victim to reduce long term complications. Now there are situations, like hiking in the woods where you will need to move the victim, which in this case a splint applies and is necessary.

At Think Safe, we know that people are in both situations, a place where they can receive immediate 9-1-1 medical attention or far away from professional aid, and we want to enable people to be Good Samaritans and be able to help those in need. Not only do we create life-saving technology, but we created our products in such a way to enable a citizen to become a Good Samaritan acting in the best interest for the victim. We created products to give the citizen all the first aid and emergency information in an easy to understand way. With our yes and no questions, we make sure the Good Samaritan does not try to aid the victim any more than the situation requires – we know that the best aid for the injured person will come from the EMS and other first response trained staff. If you are a parent (like I am), obviously you will want to do above and beyond Good Samaritan protection but we built the software to be comprehensive and cover all situations. Remember that motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of unintentional injuries? We all could come across an injured motor vehicle driver or passenger at any time and it is human nature to want to help. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a tool that walks you through that situation, step by step?

Perhaps this seems over the top to you, but as a company that takes personal safety seriously, it is our mission and philosophy to turn comprehensive first aid science into technology solutions that can be used in almost any situation by many different users. We feel like we have produced products that can do just that – we want to help people save lives, do the right things and not do the wrong things in emergency situations.

Think Safe – Making Minutes Matter…thanks for your quick minute.

Think Safe President, Paula Wickham


ResQr Giveaway!

March 21, 2009

Think Safe Inc will be having a giveaway week on Twitter,  March 23rd -27th, for our first aid iPhone app,  ResQr.

Left to Right: Nearest ER, Injury Categories, CPR step-by-step walkthrough

Left to Right: Nearest ER, Injury Categories, CPR step-by-step walkthrough

Follow us on Twitter and keep your eye out for updates on your chance to win!


Pixar’s Up-isode #2: First Aid

March 20, 2009

I love Pixar films. Their next feature is called UP and is an animated comedy adventure about 78-year-old man and an 8-year-old boy on a hilarious journey into a lost world. Pixar is putting out short clips online cleverly called “Up-isodes”, and the second one features the boy trying to apply a bandage to a scrape on the old man’s finger. Good thing everyone here at Think Safe knows how to use a bandage…I think 😉 If not I’ll just use our Emergency Instruction Device and we won’t have to worry about anything.

Enjoy!

Looks like Pixar has another great film coming our way this summer! Have you ever had a funny first aid experience like this?


Stories: Downed Line and Life

March 19, 2009

A downed power line in Dallas, Texas puts a utility man into ventricular fibrillation.

This week’s story is told by James Moroney, who wrote the previous story.

I have a great Utility Customer in the Dallas, TX area.  He is a very strong believer in AEDs and wishes this there where a mandate for all Utility Trucks to purchase AEDs.  He and I have formed a very strong bond because I have sold him over 15 AEDs and provided him with the right material and resources to understand the importance.

He called me last week to let me know that just 25 miles from the utility company he works for there was a 29 year old gentleman who was employed by a different utility company out in the repairing a down power line. He had the understanding the power had been disabled and the power line was not active so he reached down to grab it and zap! his life was about to change forever.

The gentleman was shocked and sent his heart into VF.

His co-workers immediately began CPR it wasn’t long before they realized that wasn’t going to do anything so they grabbed for the AED and administered the pads to the chest where the vitals read a shock able rhythm and prompted the workers to hit the shock button.  Within seconds the young man’s heart was shocked back into a normal rhythm and he tried to get up and walk it off.  The ambulance crew showed up and took the man to the hospital and was kept over night for precautionary reasons; he was sent home the next day andwas back to work within 10 days.

This is just one of many stories that I hear however. It continues to amaze me that more people are not buying these devices.  I can’t think of a better feeling then heading up the purchase and educating your co-workers on the importance of AED’s and then have it save co-workers, yourself, or even a stranger.

AEDs are important!  Make sure your business and facilities are properly equipped and your staff is appropriately trained.

Do you have a story about being saved by or saving someone with the help of an AED?  Leave a reply and let us know or write a guest post!

Wishing you a long and healthy life!

Think Safe, making minutes matter.


Stories: AED saves a life 3 times

March 17, 2009

Do you think that you’ll never have the need for an AED – and even if you did, never more than once in your lifetime?  This week’s story is about an Idaho man who has been rescued three times thanks to well equiped health facilities and trained staff.

The story is told by James Moroney, who received the shock of his life when talking to Dale Irvin, a personal trainer and employee in charge of safety products at a chain of health clubs in Idaho.

Dale told me that “it is a good thing we purchased these [AEDs] or else I wouldn’t be here.”  So I inquired “what do you mean Dale?”

He proceeds to tell me one of the craziest things I have heard in my time at Think Safe Inc. He himself has been saved three times by AED’s.

He has a rare heart condition that causes his heart to flat line during his training sessions and the only thing that will bring it back to a normal rhythm is an AED.

I was so intrigued by this gentleman that I proceeded to talk with him about this heart condition for an hour. We chat via email and on the phone monthly and every time we start a conversation it begins with me asking Dale if he had a AED used on him since last time we talked!

Do you have a story about being saved by or saving someone with the help of an AED?  Leave a reply and let us know or write a guest post!

AED

Automated External Defibrillator

Wishing you a long and healthy life!

Think Safe, making minutes matter.



Stories: EIDs in rural Iowa

March 9, 2009
Rural Iowa, by Bryce Moore

Rural Iowa, by Bryce Moore

This week’s story is about a manufacturing facility in small town Iowa which purchased its first ever AED and EID (Emergency Instruction Device).  Paula, the current CEO and President of Think Safe Inc, relates the story.

The town the facility is located in has about 5,300 residents and the plant is located in an industrial park where approximately 5-6 other “major employers” have their operations.

The veteran onsite trainer and occupational health nurse purchased the new system based upon the need for an updated AED. She was truly pleased at the level of confidence it added to their 18 person 3 shift volunteer responder team that trains annually on CPR/AED and First Aid procedures.

They had been referred by their local hospital 4 years ago to purchase their first AED, which was admittedly rather “complex” – ECG functions, larger in size and rather expensive to maintain and no CPR pacing instructions or reminders.

I watched as a small group of responders picked up the EID and with ease ran through a Chemical Burn injury incident on the EID in about 3 minutes while the responders nodded their heads and listened attentively. I showed them how the CPR button refers to when to grab and turn on the AED and when to pause the First Voice EID and use the AED instead.

With the 2nd responder group we ran through a Chest Pain medical emergency incident and one supervisor/responder stood up and stated “this is a relief and really will calm me down”.

Giving them tools to confidently and more easily address minor or traumatic emergency situations can only benefit everyone involved.

EIDs are not replacements for CPR and first aid training! But, an EID  reduces the “panic factor” that accompanies traumatic situations and enables anyone at the scene to take quick and decisive action until profession help arrives.

EID

Emergency Instruction Device

Wishing you a long and healthy life!

Think Safe, making minutes matter.


HeartSine samaritan cameo in The Office

March 6, 2009

This is funny. We work with the great people at HeartSine a lot, so it was very cool – and hilarious – to see the HeartSine samaritan used by Michael Scott (Steve Carell) as a way of “stress release.”

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “HeartSine samaritan cameo in The Office“, posted with vodpod

Certainly not how I like to relax. 🙂 How do you guys like to take five and get your mind off things? Tells us in the talkbacks!


First Voice Launches ResQr iPhone Application

March 3, 2009

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HIAWATHA, IOWA, March 3rd, 2009Think Safe Inc announced today the release of the First Voice ResQr First Aid & CPR Software app for the iPhone, which is the only interactive first aid software on the market.

Available at the iTunes App Store, the ResQr iPhone application allows users to take advantage of the advanced capabilities of the iPhone and iPod touch user interface.

Left to Right: Nearest ER, Injury Categories, CPR step-by-step walkthrough

Left to Right: Nearest ER, Injury Categories, CPR step-by-step walkthrough

With only 21 percent of people knowing how to perform CPR it is imperative that people are fully prepared to react to a trauma event,” says CEO/President of Think Safe Inc, Paula Wickham.

Features of the ResQr iPhone application include:

  • Yes/No questions to deliver step-by-step instructions for over 30 medical emergencies within 12 trauma categories

  • Nearest emergency room locator

  • Easy 9-1-1 dialing

  • Easy access to CPR assistance

  • Emergency response, cardiac and stroke intake question list

The ResQr iPhone application syncs via GPS or the user’s cellular network to find the nearest emergency room in the area.

Compatible with any iPhone or iPod touch with operating system version 2.0, the application was designed and developed by Think Safe Inc.

This copyrighted software will quickly help you assist victims for over 30 of the most common emergencies, including homeland security events. ResQr: Rescuer Software is an inexpensive training tool and emergency coach in the 12 trauma categories:

There are 12 categories to start your trauma walkthrough

Multiple Injury | Head/Neck/Spine | CPR/Unconscious | Breathing/Choking/Drowning
Heart/Chest Pain/Stroke | Bleeding/Childbirth/Shock | Burn/Electrical | Fracture/Sprain
Eye | Seizure/Diabetic | Heat/Cold Overexertion | Other

About Think Safe Inc.

Think Safe Inc. is committed to setting new standards for comprehensive emergency readiness and response. Manufacturing products for complete injury management and providing services that improve access to emergency instructions and training, Think Safe Inc. products and services are a good fit for parents, childcare providers, elderly caregivers, corporate environments, schools, convention and sport centers, and a host of other public gathering places.

Think Safe offers its patent pending systems in a variety of models, from a dedicated portable unit (pictured) to Windows-compatible software for laptops, desktops, and pocket PCs. A selection of lightweight, portable cases and bags is available to meet various space, use, and environmental needs. For details about Think Safe Inc. and its products, call Jen at 319-377-5125 or visit www.think-safe.com.

This press release, and promotional images, can be downloaded at the Think Safe Newsroom.