5-year-old’s life saved by trained and prepared lifeguards.

A group of young lifeguards were honored as neighborhood heroes recently by the Denver police department and the Daniels Fund.

Alaina Larson (20), Myrisa Garcia (15), Zach Stout (19), and Anita Muniz (21) worked together to save a 5-year-old girl after a 6-year-old girl from the same daycare alerted the lifeguards that her friend had sunk to the bottom of the pool. As Alaina and Myrisa performed CPR, Anita called 911 and relayed the information to the rescue team as they were en route. Zach Stout stood by, defibrillator properly prepared in case it was needed.

“This outcome could have been tragic if not for the quick actions of the 6-year-old girl and the teamwork and professionalism of all the lifeguards involved,” according to a statement from Denver police spokeswoman Vicki Ferrari.

Being properly trained with an Emergency Response Plan in place can mean the matter of life and death. If you’re not trained in first aid or CPR, check out Think Safe’s certified Online Training! The American Lifeguard Association (ALA) endorses the First Voice Emergency Instruction Device; see why it’s the key element of being prepared for anything.

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Source: Denver Post

Press Release: First Voice Handling the Elements with Rugged First Aid System

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Leading the way in multilingual workplace technology-aided first aid response

Hiawatha, Iowa, August 24, 2009 – Think Safe delivers state-of-the art upgraded first aid innovations consistently, while maintaining its track record of meeting and exceeding industry standards. The Rugged+AED Self-contained Emergency Treatment (SET) System is one of those innovations, providing a compact and low cost-of-ownership rugged AED, color-coded first aid supply bags, and the highly endorsed Emergency Instruction Device (EID) – all packaged in a rugged, waterproof Pelican case made to handle the toughest situations.

Donald Linder, doctor of emergency medicine at St. Luke’s Hospital – one of the nation’s

Dr. Donald Linder with the Emergency Instruction Device outside his hospital in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Top 100 Heart Hospitals – says that the system is comprehensive and a key first aid tool to supplement CPR and first aid training. “With over 3.8 million disabling workplace injuries and over 250,000 Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) deaths in the US annually, and first aid and CPR skills studies showing only a six-week retention, First Voice provides a quality solution for the retention problem and the failure to have the right supplies immediately accessible.” In a SCA event, studies show that a 4-minute or less time to defibrillation is one of the keys to survival and recovery of the victim.

“Our Rugged+AED SET System adds high value by its tough versatility and easy to find color-coded supplies matching our First Voice EID’s audible and visual coaching prompts,” says CEO/President of Think Safe Paula Wickham. “This system is designed for any rough environment that is subject to the elements, or venue that is expected to comply with OSHA’s general industry and workplace first aid and AED requirements or recommendations.”

First Voice Rugged+AED SET System

The Rugged+AED SET System steps a responder through all major and minor first aid events with clear and calm multi-step instructions utilizing the EID and the coordinating first aid supplies, all housed (including the rugged AED**) in the Pelican case. The system is available from select distributors including CPR and First Aid Training Centers or first aid supplies and safety distributors nationally. More information can be found online.

All protocols within the system are compliant with 2005 approved ECC/American Heart Association and American Red Cross First Aid and CPR protocols. With a recently added new EID “Language” button responders can now hear emergency instructions in Spanish or English, with the capability of 20 or more additional languages available. The contents of the color-coded first aid supply bags allow the Rugged+AED SET System to meet and exceed OSHA and ANSI’s newly updated 2008 first aid compliance standards.

**AED is optional, added to fit specific needs

To learn more about the First Voice SET Systems, visit us online or feel free to call one of our experts today at 888.473.1777 today!

CPR Facts & Statistics

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• About 75-80% of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home, so being trained to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can mean the difference between life and death for a loved one.
• Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after cardiac arrest, can double a victim’s chance of survival.
• CPR helps maintain vital blood flow to the heart and brain and increases the amount of time that an electric shock from a defibrillator can be effective.
• Approximately 95% of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital.
• Death from sudden cardiac arrest is not inevitable. If more people knew CPR, more lives could be saved.
• Brain death starts to occur four to six minutes after someone experiences cardiac arrest if no CPR and defibrillation occurs during that time.
• If bystander CPR is not provided, a sudden cardiac arrest victim’s chances of survival fall 7-10% for every minute of delay until defibrillation. Few attempts at resuscitation are successful if CPR and defibrillation are not provided within minutes of collapse.
• Coronary heart disease accounts for about 450,000 of the nearly 870,000 adults who die each year as a result of cardiovascular disease.
• Approximately 310,000 of all annual adult coronary heart disease deaths in the United States are suffered outside the hospital setting and in hospital emergency departments. Of those deaths, about 166,200 are due to sudden cardiac arrest.
• Sudden cardiac arrest is most often caused by an abnormal heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF). Cardiac arrest can also occur after the onset of a heart attack or as a result of electrocution or near-drowning.
• When sudden cardiac arrest occurs, the victim collapses, becomes unresponsive to gentle shaking, stops normal breathing and after two rescue breaths, still isn’t breathing normally, coughing or moving.

Get CPR certified through our Online Training, or keep step-by-step instructions on how to handle an emergency CPR event with our CPR Coach iPhone App!

Family talents lead to a fun weekend!

My husband’s cousin Carol Wickham was one of the individuals among the Woodstock masses 40 years ago. In honor of the historical cultural event in New York her son, Aaron Wickham, threw an honorary historical event for the family band – Genevieve’s New Hip – in Allison, Iowa on Saturday, August 29, 2009. It will live in infamy as band members came from the Northwest, Southwest and Midwest United States to satisfy the entertainment starved masses that gathered and intensified into the evening. Wickstock 2009!

It started with kids playing some rock together as cousins (I believe the band originally was called The Rave) – yet years later they can gather and kick out great tunes and have this unspoken common ground. Now grown with adult lives and different professions such as teacher, government employee, school counselor, accountant, US soldier, restaurant manager – they came together to create something that cohesively bonded their audience, their families, and themselves. The last time they played together was about a year ago at Uncle Jay’s funeral, our Purple Heart WWII family hero. And, played very well they did despite it being with a kids drum set, an old acoustic guitar some family member dusted off from the basement, and a local pawn shop guitar purchase the day before the funeral. It was a brilliant tribute to Uncle Jay’s presence on this earth and what he left behind. The time before that was 10 years or maybe a bit prior! The morning after Wickstock 2009 we sat around drinking coffee and chatting about life, I asked the drummer how long since he had played. You guessed it – at Uncle Jay’s funeral. This is amazing to me…he said it was likeriding a bike. However, what he did not say is that I bet it took lots of earmuffs by his mother and effort during the years of practice to get him to that level.

I believe each individual human has God-given talents and be it sports, writing, competitive strategy, people skills, musical or singing, or interpretive dance talents –  how with just a little hard work or application these talents can be tapped into time and again during a lifetime of building relationships and family bonds. The beauty of talents is truly achieved when we are able to and decide to put those talents to use for the enjoyment and betterment of society or family. Isn’t this really what life is about?

Leave your thoughts below!

Think Safe President/CEO, Paula Wickham

September is National Emergency Preparedness Month

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MONTH
How you can prepare for, plan, and be informed during emergency situations

Hiawatha, Iowa, September 10, 2009 – Emergency scenarios can happen at any time, in any place, and it’s crucial that the right tools are on hand so no time is wasted in dealing with a situation. For natural disasters and mass disasters, it is interesting to look at the Top 10 Myths that exist. While organizations such as National Safety Council and Ready.gov focus on providing tools and promoting preparedness it is ultimately up to each individual to plan and be prepared. September marks a month-long focus on the importance of emergency preparedness, headed by FEMA.

“National Preparedness Month 2009 (September 2009) will focus on changing perceptions about emergency preparedness and will help Americans understand what it truly means to be Ready.“*

For medical emergencies, certain emergencies demand a 4-minute or less time to respond appropriately for survival and recovery of the victim. It is important to work with organizations that understand the importance of being ready and offer comprehensive medical emergency training and tools. The American Heart Association’s chain of survival for Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) – the leading killer of Americans each year – is an example of one such organization that is educating and promoting preparedness and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) placements to improve 5% survival rates out-of-hospital from SCA to over 60% due to defibrillation during those first vital minutes after the event.

Dr. Donald Linder, doctor of emergency medicine at St. Luke’s Hospital – one of the nation’s Top 100 Heart Hospitals – says that AEDs are a key tool but is quick to also support adequate training and smart devices such as the American Lifeguard endorsed First Voice Emergency Instruction Device** (EID) for total medical first aid preparedness. “With over 3.8 million disabling workplace injuries in the US annually, and first aid and CPR skills studies showing only a six-week retention, EIDs provides a quality solution for the retention problem.”

“We’re in the business of saving lives. People need to take appropriate measures to be prepared for the unexpected, and our mission is to make sure there are products out there that offer the best assistance in an emergency first aid situation,” states Paula Wickham, CEO of Think Safe – a technology newcomer to the first aid industry that provides not only protocol compliant training products but real-time devices such as the First Voice EID and ResQr iPhone first aid apps.

The recent Macworld review of the ResQr First Aid &  CPR Coach iPhone app by certified American Red Cross CPR/ lifeguard, Lisa Schmeiser, wrote, “iPhone [or iPod Touch] apps provide a handy way to refresh a memory that’s gone blank in the face of an emergency or to provide first-aid knowledge you never thought you’d need… [ResQr First Aid & CPR Coach is an app that] Red Cross card-carriers and rookies alike can appreciate.”

As National Emergency Preparedness Month enters its second week, the goal of every citizen of the United States should be to think about what they are doing to be prepared. Whether it is training, researching and purchasing survival, first aid or other disaster preparedness products the key is to go through the exercise and understand what the risks are and using the resources available through any number of organizations to better protect themselves. The key to preparedness is being prepared.

*www.ready.gov **endorsed by the American Lifeguard Association (www.americanlifeguard.com)

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 first aid and CPR training, Think Safe Inc products and services are a good fit for corporate and industrial environments, parks and recreational facilities, schools, convention and sport centers, remote or high-risk locations, and a host of other public gathering places. Think Safe Inc offers its patent pending systems in a variety of models, from a dedicated portable unit to software for computers and mobile devices. 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 Mittan at 319-377-5125 or visit www.think-safe.com.

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Random Canoer Gets Help from Paula and the First Aid Cube

I grew up in Northeast Iowa, just minutes from the Minnesota and Wisconsin borders in Allamakee County. “Home” for me is nestled in the middle of corn and hay fields, dairy or beef cattle farmers, and the hills and valleys of numerous tributaries to the Mississippi River and the mighty Mississippi itself.

Northeast Iowa, in the heat of summer, has its benefits – like an outing with the old girlfriends for a Saturday kayak and canoe trip down the Upper Iowa River. With age and kids the planned gatherings have lessened and mainly they are limited to weddings, funerals and class reunions. A couple weekends ago I found myself drifting to the lazy current of the Upper Iowa River, struggling to steer the canoe, but lucky enough to be in the company of nine old high school friends. It was a girl’s day out with the old gang thanks to the return of Amy Schaller-Hacker, an Ohio resident now, to her native Iowa.

It only takes seconds to feel at home with old friends – it is like you just spoke yesterday when it really was years. Mostly I just listened, taking deep relaxing breaths that stirred up the good old simpler times, strikingly funny old memories, our old creative songs and chants, and I relished the beautiful scenery and companionship.

First Voice First Aid Cube, the multi-dimensional first aid kit!

The Upper Iowa has many bends… And around each corner, and with every straight-away, we met a new troop of people, most of them tubing (including a band of pirates in full costume!). In laid back Allamakee County we would join these other floaters, talk like we were old friends and eventually paddle on past. One meet-up even allowed use of the First Voice First Aid Cube! (Severe cuts on the palm from a canoe with sharp edges or something glass that needed stitches but the triple antibiotic, waterproof tape, steri-strips and gauze bandages in the Cube bode him much more comfort than the soaking wet t-shirt being used as a compression bandage.) Yes, I took the Cube and the First Voice in my submersible Aloksak waterproof protection bag – appropriate equipment for the outing.

Big thanks to my friends for planning and partaking in that awesome daytrip! No matter how busy you get – or if you have the chaos of raising kids and growing a company like I do – it’s crucial to take time to relax and enjoy some quiet moments with friends.

Stay organized with your first aid, the Doc says.

When you find yourself in a high-stress situation, one of the last things you want to do is fumble through piles of supplies in your first aid kit. In our Responder Kits and SET Systems we have our supplies in color-coded bags to match the type of emergency first aid event that’s taking place, or that you’re training on.

“When you get thrown into a first aid emergency and you’re not trained in how to handle it, you may feel overwhelmed and doubt your ability to help. The feeling is amplified when you’re dealing with a loved one. Having step-by-step instructions coaching you through a situation, backed by an easy-to-understand first aid supply storage system, allows you to have peace of mind in dealing with the emergency. Most importantly, because you’re being walked through the event calmly, you aren’t going to miss any essential steps – as long as you’re following the instructions.

From what I’ve seen available in the marketplace, the First Voice products are the best choices for emergency first aid situation coaching.”

-Dr. Linder

Check out the First Voice products, or contact our First Aid Preparedness Experts today at 888-473-1777!

When you find yourself in a high-stress situation, one of the last things you want to do is

fumble through piles of supplies in your first aid kit. In our Responder Kits and SET Systems we have our supplies in color-coded bags to match the type of emergency first aid event that’s taking place, or that you’re training on.

“When you get thrown into a first aid emergency and you’re not trained in how to handle it, you may feel overwhelmed and doubt your ability to help. The feeling is amplified when you’re dealing with a loved one. Having step-by-step instructions coaching you through a situation, backed by an easy-to-understand first aid supply storage system, allows you to have peace of mind in dealing with the

JumpBag Self-Contained Emergency Treatment System

emergency. Most importantly, because you’re being walked through the event calmly, you aren’t going to miss any essential steps – as long as you’re following the instructions.

From what I’ve seen available in the marketplace, the First Voice products are the best choices for emergency first aid situation coaching.”

-Dr. Donnie Linder, Linn County Medical Examiner

Check out the First Voice products, or contact our First Aid Preparedness Experts today at 888-473-1777!

Macworld Review of ResQr First Aid & CPR Coach!

On July 14th Macworld released it’s review of ResQr First Aid & CPR Coach for iPhone and iPod Touch, giving it a 4.5 out of 5 mice! Making it as the highest-rated first aid app for iPhone according to Macworld!

Here are some links to check out to learn more:

Macworld’s review of ResQr First Aid & CPR Coach

Macworld’s comparison of ResQr to other first aid apps

ResQr First Aid & CPR Coach review by The App Podcast

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Only $5.99 in the iTunes App Store!

First look at CPR Hero – Our upcoming CPR iPhone app!

CPR Hero will be a free app offered by ResQr software in the iTunes App Store soon. This app gives you certified audible directions on administering adult CPR with visual pacing cues!

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