Think Safe has been awarded a Best of 2015 Award by Thumbtack because of our great customer reviews!
We appreciate our clients and love hearing that they are happy with our services. That’s why we’ll continue to make top-grade first aid and CPR training and emergency response products available, affordable, and user-friendly.
If you haven’t already, find out what all the buzz is about by visiting our website at http://think-safe.com/ or checking us out on Facebook.
And thank you for helping us every day to make minutes matter.
Interested in finding out how Think Safe’s products and training options can benefit your workplace? Simply contact Think Safe at 888-473-1777 or click on the More Information button, and we’ll be happy to contact you. Or, if you like what we do, refer us to a friend!
If you witness someone experiencing cardiac arrest first call 9-1-1 then administer CPR.
The current accepted method for untrained rescuers is “Hands Only CPR”, which involves 100 compressions per minute with no breaths. If you administer chest compressions to the beat of the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” or Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” you will achieve that rate. You should continue to do chest compressions until help arrives or the victim wakes up. It’s normal to feel pops and snaps when you first begin chest compressions, but don’t stop. You’re not going to make the victim any worse.
Thanks to the Chattanooga Fire Department for teaching us all a valuable lesson on the importance of CPR and dancing!
To learn more about online or in person CPR training fill out the form below.
Newtown, PA – January 6, 2014 –As a result of a recommendation by a responder who saved a man’s life using CPR and an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), the Flamingo Cocktail Bar in Redlands, as well as other nearby businesses, will have access to a HeartSine AED. The donation is part of HeartSine’s Forward Hearts program that enables a saved person or his/her responder to donate an AED to the organization of their choice.
The AED being donated by Anytime Fitness’s Noel Basilides to bar owner Michael Plunkett.
Noel Basilides, an assistant manager at Anytime Fitness in Riverside, was able to use his recent CPR training to save the life of a 75-year old man with a heart condition. The man, who wishes only to be known as Thomas, had just finished his daily four-mile run on the treadmill when Noel noticed that he didn’t look well. Before Basilides could react, Thomas suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and fell on to the moving treadmill before being tossed to the cement floor.
Says Basilides, “When Thomas collapsed on the treadmill, he hit his head and passed out. I thought he was unconscious due to his head injury, but realized it was more serious when he didn’t wake up and then stopped breathing.”
Fortunately for the stricken man, Basilides had just attended a mandatory CPR class the previous week, and knew to call for help, perform CPR and use the AED.
“I have to admit that I was really scared to press that shock button, but was very glad I did. After the shock, we followed the AED prompts to perform more chest compressions and thankfully Thomas started breathing.”
The paramedics arrived a full nine minutes after the call was placed. Thomas’ doctors told Basilides that he survived due to the quick response to use the AED. After a short stay in the hospital, Thomas has made a full recovery.
Adds Basilides, “After being able to save a life because the gym had the AED, I can’t talk enough about the importance of having these devices in all businesses. Frankly I can’t understand why AEDs are not required by law.“
Due to his lifesaving efforts, Basilides was asked by Thomas to choose the recipient of the new HeartSine AED. He chose the Flamingo Cocktail Bar, a popular local family-run bar in Redlands where he also works as a security guard.
Owner of the business, Michael Plunkett is pleased about the donation. “After hearing from Noel about his experience with an AED, we are grateful that he selected our business to receive the donated AED. We intend to provide our staff with CPR training, and will make other businesses near us aware of the AED should they ever need to use it.”
Noel Basilides with the AED that saved a man’s life.
HeartSine joins Think Safe, the distributor who sold the AED to Anytime Fitness, to make the Forward Hearts AED donation on behalf of Thomas and Noel. Think Safe President, Paula Wickham adds, “This is the way things should work. The Pay It Forward Program allows recognition of a life saving event and enables others to share their story and life saving victory over the disease that is the nation’s leading killer. Another life may be saved in the future, outside the gym, due to Anytime Fitness doing the right thing for their club members. Our congratulations go out to HeartSine and Anytime Fitness for another valuable life saved!”
For more information on The Pay It Forward Program or how to get an AED grant or AED donation, fill out the form below.
In April 2012, Tracy Hjelle’s world turned upside down. The 42 year old coaches women’s softball for Luther college. One morning, the team was boarding a bus to head to Wisconsin when Tracy unexpectedly fell to the ground. Head Trainer Kris Agena, catcher Kelsey Kittleson, and outfielder Shari Huber, were quick to perform CPR. A nearby AED at the college was brought over and recovered Tracy’s heart back to a normal rhythm. Tracy miraculously survived and became diagnosed with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD).
Tracy Hjelle with her husband John
Tracy is a lucky survivor because she got the help she needed within minutes. The three women who performed CPR right away, increased Tracy’s chances of surviving immensely. Having the AED on campus gave Tracy the help she needed before waiting crucial minutes for Emergency Responders to arrive.
Imagine getting the news that one of your family members suffered from SCAD or sudden cardiac arrest. Think Safe’s very own President and CEO, Paula Wickham, is actually Tracy Hjelle’s cousin. Tracy is living proof that a sudden heart attack can happen to anyone!
Tracy’s story proves that people should be educated and trained in CPR. Along with that, making sure AEDs are located in public venues. People must be prepared because when an unexpected surprise like Tracy’s occurs, they need to be ready.
It’s that time again! It is National AED/CPR Awareness Week. Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the nation’s largest killer and can happen to anyone. It kills more people annually than AIDS, breast cancer and strokes. Over 300,000 people die annually from SCA and approximately 95% of these victims never reach a hospital in time. Just how prepared are you in case of an emergency?
How can you tell if someone is having a heart attack? 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.
How can you or your organization be more prepared?
Learn CPR! By immediately giving CPR to a cardiac arrest victim, you can double their chance of survival. The logic is simple; the more number of people who learn how to perform CPR, the more lives can be saved. There are plenty of ways to learn CPR, including online or instructor led (and blended courses).
Purchasing an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is the best life insurance policy anyone can buy, increasing survival rates from 10% to over 60% — IFan AED is used within the first 2-4 minutes after a victim suffers from SCA and collapses. Contact Think Safe for a distributor nearest you and for pricing on these devices that can be bought for around $1,000-$1,500.
You may think this won’t happen to anyone you know or yourself, but think again. SCA is the leading cause of death in the United States. It could happen to any one of us, no matter what age, race, or gender. It does not discriminate!
Even President and CEO of Think Safe, Paula Wickham, has been hit close to home. Her cousin, (in her late 30’s) Tracy Hjelle- College Softball Coach, suffered a coronary artery dissection in the summer of 2012 while boarding a bus for a Luther College softball game. Luther Head Trainer Kris Agena, catcher Kelsey Kittleson, and outfielder Shari Huber, were quick to perform CPR. With the help of an AED, Tracy’s life was saved! Find out more about this young woman’s story…
You don’t really notice how significant the reality of these statistics is until it affects your personal life. It starts putting things into perspective to be prepared and get informed. Don’t become educated or take action after it is too late!
In honor of National AED/CPR Awareness week, Think Safe is offering free customized online AED Training Access to those who email or call and reference the CPR/AED WeekPromo code:AED4ME. Hurry, the offer is for a limited time only.
To take advantage of this special offer and find out more about AED programs or CPR and AED training, contact Think Safe at 888-473-1777 or complete the following form. We are here to help!
While the month of October may be ending, the nation’s leading silent killer will remain standing. Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) kills 1,000 people PER DAY in the United States alone. That is approximately 1 life every minute.
When an organization reviews their Emergency Response Plan (ERP) they should consider addressing life-threatening emergencies that are likely to occur at their facility.SCA should be a topic that is covered during review of the organization ERP if the local EMS or first responder teams can not get to the VICTIM (from time of their collapse, not from time of the 9-1-1 call) in well under 4-6 minutes. With national averages for EMS response being 8-10 minutes in urban areas and higher than that in rural areas; it is highly likely that almost any organization should consider the implementation of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) program to offset the risk of death occurring from any SCA event at their facility.
Here are some key facts on why any workplace or organization where people pass through, congregate, and work should consider AEDs.
1) Many victims of SCA did not know they were at risk, and could not recognize warning signs, if any had been present. In fact, two-thirds of SCA deaths occur without any prior indications of heart disease. Anyone can experience sudden cardiac arrest, including healthy infants, high school athletes, and healthy athletes or people in their 30s and 40s who have no sign of heart disease. There are certain populations that have been shown to be at higher risk but SCA is a silent and deadly killer that is non-discriminatory in that it will take the life of any age, any rage or any gender of person. This fact is vital because the victim can not be equipped to properly save their life if they do not know they have a heart condition.
2) CPR alone is not enough. Ninety-five percent of victims of SCA die because they do not receive medical attention in time. Currently, defibrillation delivered within the first 6 minutes of an SCA accounts for the 5 percent survival statistics. Survival can be as high as 90 percent if treatment is initiated within the first 4–6 minutes after SCA. The rate decreases by about 10 percent each minute longer. Those who receive a life-saving shock from an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) have a good long-term outlook.
3) There are Good Samaritan Laws to protect users of AEDs and organizations like Think Safe can provide you a turnkey AED Acquirer/Owner package that puts the right AED program in place at your facility to protect you from any liability risks. With the purchase of any equipment at your facility, the costs and risks of keeping it maintained have to be considered. That should not be any different with the purchase of an AED. However, easy to use cloud based SAAS self-maintenance low-cost tracking solutions such as www.firstvoicemanager.com exist to ensure that someone at your facility does the AED check regularly and has a readily available servicing log with the click of a mouse.
While good quality CPR is important to saving the life of anyone who is unresponsive, for SCA events it is important and essential to have an AED. Think Safe has AED complete packages available for close to $1,000 that include an AED Administrator Toolkit, training, servicing and any tool needed for your AED implementation and management.
Think Safe’s First Voice EID is ready for CPR/First Aid upgrades to be sent to you, our dealers and customers!
Part No. DC01: The $29 upgrade is sent in a datacard and can be easily inserted/changed by following the user instructions sent with the upgrade.
Dealers please contact us for further information on how to provide your customers easy upgrades (email:mmaly@think-safe.com).
The First Voice EID is the only Emergency Instruction Device / Talking First Aid Book / First Aid Calculator on the market for business use, containing all first aid & CPR AHA manual current protocols. The device is easy to upgrade through an accessible dataport on the back of the device as first aid & CPR protocols do change every 3-5 years through scientific studies and advances in first aid / CPR science.
2010 updates implemented in 2011 on the EID protocols include: CPR updates to include compression depth & C-A-B changes for trained rescuers and hands only CPR for untrained rescuers, education & recognition of gasping vs. normal breathing, and advised AED use for infants. First Aid updates include additional heat stroke advice, jellyfish sting updated care, clarification on aspirin use for heart attack symptoms, both US and Canadian Poison Control contact information, bleeding wound care updates (elevation, pressure points, tourniquet, compression bandage use), additional information on when to suspect head, neck or spinal injuries, and snakebite first aid care updates.
There are 5 potential budget items that affect your AED program. Note that any non-compliance, where necessary, leads to a break down in your AED program and does open you to potential for legalities. Once you have an AED program, remember to budget for these items where applicable!
1) Electrode Pads – The majority of the AED models on the market have a 2 year electrode pad life. The date of the expiration is clearly marked on the pad package, an example is shown on this posting for the Philips FRx Rugged AED. Some AED models do have 3.5 yr expiry dates up to 5 yr expiry dates, however. Dates vary due to packaging mechanisms but be sure to follow manufacturer guidelines and expiration dates provided. The electrode pads will dry out and prevent proper AED functioning/use if they are not replaced as needed. Pads range in price from $35-$120, depending on make and model owned.
2) Batteries – The majority of the AED models on the market have a 3-5 year warranty and lifespan. The date of the expiration is also clearly marked on the battery. Various models will warranty the devices for xx years AFTER initial install so be sure to clearly mark your records on WHEN you install the battery for these models. Also, the HeartSine Samaritan and Physio Conrol / Medtronic CR Plus Lifepak or Lifepak Express models have a combo pack you purchase with battery/pads being replaced simultaneously. Defibtech / Cintas does sell a model that has a suggested annual replacement of an off-shelf 9V battery (this ensures their AED performs proper self-testing). AED batteries range in price from $75-$400, depending on make and model owned.
3) Training – AED acquirer state laws many times dictate that you have to ensure expected users are trained in American Heart or Red Cross or equal CPR & AED certified courses (American Safety & Health Institute, Medic First, Health & Safety Institute, Emergency Care & Safety Institute, American Health Association, etc). These certifications range depending on which training org you use but every 1-2 years the certification expires and needs to be renewed. Courses can be obtained locally at Red Cross locations or through the American Heart Association network but also there are over 100,000 instructor throughout the US alone and there are local training centers that can provide a competitive price for CPR & AED, First Aid, and Bloodborne Pathogen or Universal Precautions plus other more advanced or supplemental add-on training classes. Various online solutions are also available. Think Safe has a listing of US training centers and online solutions; contact us at or info@think-safe.com if you would like to contact a local trainer in your area.
4) Program Manager Software / Database – AED acquirer state laws many times also dictate that the AED has to be maintained to manufacturer and industry standards. This standard generally a 30 day check. Many companies have their own database solution for ensuring equipment is checked regularly and records of these checks are kept on file (big companies). If you do not, there are online solutions that are inexpensive but key in helping to not only auto-notify your AEDs are checked to standards but also the log and records of all AEDs are filed and backed up regularly for legal protection. A nice comprehensive UNLIMITED user solution at $25-$50/location (customer) can be seen here, showing it’s full capabilities: http://www.firstvoice.us/FirstVoiceAEDManagerVideo/tabid/751/Default.aspx
5) Medical Oversight – AED acquirer state laws in approximately 20 states requires a licensed physician or “certified healthcare provider” to oversee the AED program. This is NOT an Rx! Proper Medical Oversight includes sign-off by the appropriate license owner referred to in that state law on: AED/CPR training of the organization (who is trained, how often, what they are trained on); AED placement and markings; AED communication; AED policy; AED maintenance & upkeep procedures. Contact Think Safe at if you are not sure if your state requires medical oversight. Medical Oversight costs anywhere from $75/AED to $350/AED or some companies chose to hire medical direction and pay a retainer annually. Think Safe has a national network of medical directors and can provide a quote for efficient medical oversight for your organization, charging you for locations ONLY where mandates require it. In some cases, we can connect you with a local FREE source for medical oversight. Call for more details. AED distributors/dealers are encouraged to call as well.
There are several very good points made in this article.
Of note is that these lifesaving devices can be purchased for $1000 or under and AED packages (cabinet, etc) are $1000 to $1500. And, companies and facilities should want to purchase and maintain the devices under their own lead, not based upon being MANDATED to buy.
I know of several MANDATED customers (schools, fitness clubs, gyms, etc) where they – without hand holding and an easy database solution that is inexpensive – DID NOT hold up their end of the bargain historically due to the absence of an AED program Champion. Pads expire, Batteries expire, devices go unchecked and management is crossing their fingers [and toes] that the device works when it is needed at their location (if it is even remembered to be used).
The key is that these devices save lives, they should not be mandated, they should be affordable and easy to maintain. THEY SAVE LIVES and let’s not forget that Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the biggest killer annually in the U.S.
How can you fund an AED? There are grants – email us for a copy of “THE FOUNDATION OF FUNDING AEDS” – FREE, COMPLIMENTARY and no strings attached!
EMAIL: grants@think-safe.com (subject – COPY OF FOUNDATION OF FUNDING AEDS)
How can you make sure the AED is constantly in compliance and checked regularly for under $25 – 50/yr at your location? Check out the following link; then contact us at 888-473-1777 or complete the form below and we will be happy to get in touch with you!
It seems that the answer to placing the devices are not mandates but rather, proper funding and program solutions for the long term! We can always be reached at as well at the contact info below, and we are happy to give you our technical insights into accessible funding sources and cost reductions, where applicable!
Making Minutes Matter
Think Safe Blog /grants@think-safe.com (888.473.1777)
Think Safe has been awarded a Best of 2015 Award by Thumbtack because of our great customer reviews!
Posted by Think Safe, Inc. 
Think Safe Blog 