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FIVE DAYTON PROGRESS EMPLOYEES USE RED CROSS TRAINING
& AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILATOR (AED) TO SAVE FELLOW WORKER’S LIFE
49 Year Old Employee Suffers Major Heart Attack, Colleagues Perform CPR and Use AED
Dayton, Ohio, August 1, 2007 – On June 12th, 49 year old Jim Rosengarten was participating in a manufacturing meeting in the conference room at his employer, Dayton Progress Corporation, when he suddenly collapsed. Jim showed no signs of life – no pulse, no breathing. According to paramedics and the attending emergency room physician, Jim coded four times and is alive today thanks to the quick, heroic actions of five co-workers: Pat Vande Water, Rhonda Scott, John Hollobaugh, Daniel Drake and Michael Huber. Today, these five individuals, who work in a variety of positions with Dayton Progress, including shop floor supervisor, marketing assistant and comptroller, are bound together by the common experience of saving a life.
Racing to Jim’s assistance, his coworkers immediately began administering CPR. When a portable AED, failed to detect a heart rhythm, electrical shocks were administered, literally bringing life back to Jim.
An AED is a device about the size of a laptop computer that analyzes the heart's rhythm for any abnormalities and, if necessary, directs the rescuer to deliver an electrical shock, which may help the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm of its own. AED’s are easy to operate, with voice prompts instructing the rescuer.
The employees of Dayton Progress Corporation have been training consistently with staff and volunteers from the Dayton Area Chapter of the American Red Cross since 1999. The company recognizes the importance of first aid and CPR training and has also purchased several automated external defibrillators trained through the chapter. “The heroism of our employees and the fact that Jim is thankfully still with us is proof of the priceless value of our investment,” stated Dayton Progress President Alan Shaffer.
A commendation ceremony recognizing the five employees was recently held, providing Jim with an opportunity to thank each of his coworkers for the ultimate gift. “How do I even begin to thank you all for giving me a second chance at life?”
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, claiming a life nearly every two minutes. The Red Cross is facilitating business and individual purchases of AEDs (automated external defibrillator) and including AED training in all of its CPR programs.
“What’s the value of a life?” asks Tom Fodor, CEO of the American Red Cross, Dayton Area Chapter. “There is no greater gift, and we applaud the companies like Dayton Progress that have the foresight and commitment to invest in safety, prevention and preparation.”
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Claiming another victim nearly every two minutes, more than 460,000 Americans die of sudden cardiac arrest every year. The cause of sudden cardiac arrest is not well understood. Many victims have no history of heart disease. Unlike a heart attack, which is the death of muscle tissue from loss of blood supply, many victims of SCA have no prior symptoms. SCA can strike anyone, at any time, anywhere.
Supporting its primary mission of saving lives, the American Red Cross takes a leadership role in promoting sudden cardiac arrest awareness and facilitating the purchase of and training on automated external defibrillator (AED). It is estimated that 25% (50,000) of SCA deaths could have been prevented if someone had initiated the Cardiac Chain of Survival, and an automated external defibrillator had been available for immediate use at the time of the emergency.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest Can Strike Anyone, Anywhere At Anytime!
The American Red Cross has a vision that at least one member of every household is trained in First Aid, CPR and AED, and that all Americans should be within 4 minutes of an AED. The curriculum of every Adult and Child CPR course has been updated to incorporate defibrillation skills and information. These interactive courses are taught by certified Red Cross instructors and use hands-on practice scenarios and videos that reflect a variety of situations. Class participants are taught the “cardiac chain of survival,” a series of four critical steps that significantly enhance the likelihood that a victim of cardiac arrest will survive.
- Step one: Early access to care (calling 9-1-1 or another emergency number)
- Step two: Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
- Step three: Early defibrillation utilizing an AED
- Step four: Early advanced cardiac life support, as needed
What’s a Life Worth?
To meet its mission of saving lives, the Red Cross has established relationships with AED manufacturers to facilitate the purchase of AED units for the office environment and for the personal home. The Dayton Area Chapter is also working with Guardian Finance Company, to help with special financing options for individual consumers. Utilizing 90 days same as cash and affordable monthly payments for up to three years, home/personal AED units can be purchased for $40-$50 a month.
The Dayton Area Chapter of the American Red Cross invites you to learn more about the technology and training that could save the life of a co-worker, family member or a friend by contacting us at (937) 222-0124 or visiting us online at www.dac.redcross.org.
About Dayton Progress Corporation
A subsidiary of Federal Signal Corporation, Dayton Progress Corporation, is the world-wide industry leader in the production of catalog and special punches, punch blanks and metalstamping tools. Our full line of precision metal fabricating and stamping tooling includes: head type Versatile punches, ball lock punches, retainers, die buttons (matrixes) and die springs. Dayton Progress is headquartered at 500 Progress Road in Dayton, Ohio.
About the American Red Cross, Dayton Area Chapter
The Dayton Area Chapter of the American Red Cross provides disaster preparedness and response, and health and safety education to residents of Montgomery, Greene and Preble counties, as well as assistance to families with members in the military. The Chapter also operates Emergency Housing Programs in Montgomery and Greene counties, and led by volunteers, responds to more than 200 local disaster incidents each year.
All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of local disasters in Montgomery, Greene and Preble counties by making a financial gift to the Dayton Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 517, Dayton, Ohio, 45401, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. Internet users can make a secure online donation at www.dac.redcross.org.
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