EMS-TV
Corporation and Emergency Medical Systems, Inc. both moved back
to Michigan ... C. K. Coonce renamed President CEO
Parma, MI (May 1, 2009)...Emergency Medical Systems,
Inc. and EMS-TV Corporation today, together announced, that both
corporations would be moving back to Michigan. Mr. C. K. Coonce,
the founder of both corporations has been named President/CEO of
both corporations effective May 1, 2009.
According to Mr. Coonce, "Both corporations
have experienced the growing pains that many new corporations experience.
With the reconsolidation of operations in Michigan, we will be able
to refocus on our core specialties. I am very excited and proud
to again be at the helm of the two corporations which are so very
important to me. We will be announcing a new Board of Directors,
Officers, and our new Headquarters location in the next few weeks"
EMS-TV Corporation
breaks away from Emergency Medical Systems, Inc. and forms new corporation
NEW YORK , NY (October 3, 2005)...Emergency Medical
Systems, Inc. and EMS-TV Corporation today, together announced,
the formation of EMS-TV Corporation.
According to Mark J. Maloney, President/CEO of
Emergency Medical Systems, Inc “Up until today EMS-TV had
been a name used by some in referring to Emergency Medical System’s
network of EmergencyMedicalStations™. Emergency Medical Systems,
Inc. has enjoyed a tremendous response by schools, government, and
retailers, not only in the US, but worldwide. To date Emergency
Medical Systems, Inc. has contracted with over 900 school locations
in the US; America’s second largest retailer Kmart; a major
marketing and advertising firm in the EU; and most recently is in
final negotiations to place our EmergencyMedicalStations in multiple
locations throughout Thailand. Due to overwhelming customer response,
and for financing reasons, EMS-TV Corporation of Delaware will be
handling all retail operations.”
EMS-TV Corporation is a sole entity, incorporated
in the State of Delaware, in which Emergency Medical Systems, Inc
will hold a small equity position. EMS-TV Corporate office is located
at 708 Third Avenue, 29th Floor, New York, NY 10017. Mr. C. Kevin
Coonce, former President/CEO of Emergency Medical Systems, Inc.
will be named President/CEO of EMS-TV Corporation later this week.
“It became apparent that EMS-TV Corporation
would be best poised to handle the massive retail demand in the
United States, Europe, and Asia. The School Division is currently
still in negotiations, as to whether, EMS-TV Corporation, or Emergency
Medical Systems, Inc. will handle the schools.” stated Mr.
Coonce.
Mr. Coonce continued “I am very excited to
be taking the helm, and leading the team at EMS-TV Corporation.
EMS-TV is poised to become the fifth or sixth largest Television
Network in America in the next 24 months. With the first major retailer
installed, EMS-TV will proceed to increase our retailer presence,
not only in America, but in Europe and Asia as well.”
Although the exact terms are not fully disclosed
at this time; Emergency Medical Systems, Inc. has entered into an
exclusive licensing agreement with EMS-TV Corporation which allows
EMS-TV Corporation to manufacturer, and market the EmergencyMedicalStation™
for the retail roll-out. EMS-TV Corporation will be paying Emergency
Medical Systems, Inc. an initial, as well as an ongoing, royalties
for the license.
In closing Mr. Coonce stated “This is a very
good deal for Emergency Medical Systems, Inc. because the royalties
give Emergency Medical Systems, Inc. substantial revenue, while
at the same time allowing EMS-TV Corporation to begin the manufacturing
and retail installs necessary to create the fifth largest private
television network in America. Retail installs are due to begin
the second quarter of 2006.”
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EMS-TV
Selected for Lifesaving Network Implementation Across Europe
NEW YORK , NY (March 21, 2005)…EMS-TV, INC. (EMSI)
a manufacturer of medical rescue devices and producers of EMS -TV,
today announced a multi-million dollar, sole source contract with
the Lexington Group, to deploy an estimated 8,000 EMS -TV kiosks
throughout Europe within the next 18 months. The EMS -TV kiosks
contain automated external defibrillators, (AEDs). This
contract represents the largest AED purchase and program ever implemented
in history.
EMSI was selected after a lengthy process and evaluation
of various AED manufacturers and AED program providers. EMS -TV
Network is provided free of charge. EMS -TV Network is unique in
part due to the fact that at the push of a button a paramedic appears
on the kiosk's screen and interacts with the rescuer via live video
and audio. If the emergency requires the AED , the paramedic can
release the AED and alert local emergency personnel. Mr.
C. Kevin Coonce, EMSI's President and CEO said, "EMS -TV Network
allows companies and organizations to assist in the deployment of
this life-saving network through sponsorship displays which appear
on the kiosks screen when the network is not in emergency use. Companies
and organizations worldwide deeply care about the safety of not
only their own employees and customers, but about the health and
safety of the general public. I feel this is a wonderful way for
companies to give back to the community. They will actually be giving
someone back their life. It does not get any better than that".
Roger Hainsworth, President and CEO of Lexington
Group said “We are very excited to lead the way in the deployment
of EMS -TV Network in Europe . I feel MediaDailyNews said it best
when they referred to EMSI, “A manufacturer of lifesaving medical
devices is entering the media and advertising world, marking perhaps
the greatest convergence of medicine and commercialism since “ER””.
AEDs are becoming ever more popular in public access
environments. In the United States alone it is estimated that approximately
450,000 people die of sudden cardiac arrest each year. The only
treatment for sudden cardiac arrest is defibrillation. The victim's
chance of survival decrease by 10% each minute defibrillation is
delayed. Thousands of lives can be saved each year by making AEDs
available in public areas for immediate use.
Mark Maloney, EMSI's Executive Vice President said
“This contract combined with approximately 10,000 additional locations
in the U.S. is a true testament to the lifesaving value of the EMS
-TV Network. There has never been a network in existence which provides
a lifesaving service while at the same time advertising for the
sponsors. EMSI has proved it can compete aggressively in both the
media and AED industries and win”.
About The Lexington Group, Ltd
The Lexington Group Ltd., is a full service agency
and marketing consortium headquartered in London England and consisting
of 7 sister branches across Europe and Asia , providing advertising,
interactive, design and direct marketing services. The company focuses
mainly on business-to-business, consumer and consumer technology
clients. For more information visit www.lexingtongrpltd.com
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Flint,
Dearborn School Districts Sign on for Life-Saving TV Networks
PARMA, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 2005--EMS-TV, Inc. today
announced that two of the largest school districts in Michigan,
Dearborn and Flint, have signed contracts with EMSI to install a
unique life-saving television network in their schools, beginning
this spring. The network, called EMS-TV, features an automated external
defibrillator (AED) and satellite-based communications capabilities,
housed in a kiosk, which can be used for marketing, informational
and promotional purposes.
Dearborn and Flint join twenty other school districts in the state
that have already contracted with EMSI to install systems in their
schools. These districts include Ecorse, Saline, Benton Harbor,
Hartford, Wyoming, Lawrence and Webberville.
"There has been a tremendous amount of interest
in EMS-TV, not only from schools but also retailers, local businesses
and other high-traffic establishments," says C. Kevin Coonce, president
and CEO of EMSI. "The EMS-TV network raises the bar on the level
of care and emergency services that municipalities can provide citizens,
whether it's to treat sudden cardiac arrests, seizures or a broad
range of other medical emergencies."
In addition, Coonce reports that EMSI currently
has a Letter of Intent and is in final contract discussions with
one of the country's top discount retailers to install thousands
of EMS-TV network players across the retailer's store locations
nationwide. "We anticipate our first installations
for this major retailer will begin this May," Coonce adds.
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CPR, defibrillators in public places
save lives
A large multi center trial has found that twice as many people survived
a cardiac arrest in a public place when trained volunteers used
a defibrillator device and cardiopulmonary resuscitation to treat
them rather than CPR alone.
The Public-Access Defibrillation, or PAD, trial, conducted at almost
1,000 public sites in Pittsburgh and 23 other cities, also showed
that average Joes and Janes could safely and effectively use automated
external defibrillators, or AEDs.
"We were astonished and pleased at how well the AEDs performed in
the hands of laypersons," said Dr. Joseph Ornato, an emergency medicine
expert at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center who led
the study.
The researchers didn't find any instance in which an AED gave a
person's heart an unneeded shock or failed to deliver a jolt to
someone who required it.
The findings were published this week in the New England Journal
of Medicine.
The study sites included shopping malls, hotels, and athletic centers
in 21 U.S States and three Canadian cities.
Every location had response plans to alert volunteers should someone
go into cardiac arrest. The participants were trained to call 911
and do CPR, and the volunteers at half of the sites had access to
AEDs as well.
That meant more than 19,000 people had to be taught CPR for the
three-year-long PAD trial, and half of them also got lessons in
using AEDs.
"It kind of makes my legs quiver every time I think about it," Ornato
noted.
Out of 128 cardiac arrests, 30 people survived when AEDs were used.
When CPR alone was the rescue strategy, 15 people out of 107 survived.
Dr. Vince Mosesso, medical director of the University of Pittsburgh's
National Center for Early Defibrillation and leader of the PAD trial's
local arm of 60 locations, said the findings confirmed experts'
expectations that AEDs improve survival.
The volunteers were also trained to use the devices and to perform
CPR, he noted. It might not be sufficient to make AEDs more available
if the public is untrained, unaware of or reluctant to use them.
"We can't extrapolate and say that just hanging an AED on the wall
will provide benefit," Mosesso said. "That bystander is truly the
difference between a person's life or death most of the time."
A person whose heart stops beating is very likely to die if someone
doesn't intervene immediately. According to the American Heart Association,
fewer than 5 percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside
of a hospital survive.
Mosesso and his colleagues have been trying to make CPR and AED
training a part of the school curriculum, so that it eventually
becomes part of the culture.
"No one should graduate from high school without being trained in
CPR and how to use an AED and recognizing an emergency and calling
911," he said.
Dr. Vinay Nadkarni, a heart association spokesman and emergency
medicine expert at the University of Pennsylvania, said a common
concern is causing harm while trying to help.
"People don't want to risk doing the wrong thing," he said. "[But]
when someone is lying dead before you, there is very little you
can do that's wrong, other than doing nothing."
Nadkarni noted that much effort is being spent now to prepare for
terrorist attacks.
"As scary as that is, that is a very unlikely event compared to
the sudden cardiac arrest of a loved one, which occurs a thousand
times a day," he said.
Another PAD trial investigator is doing a cost-benefit analysis
in the coming months that might shed light on issues such as the
need for greater CPR training in the general public, Ornato said.
He said roughly 85 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur
in homes, not in public places. Another trial is under way in which
AEDs are put in the homes of heart attack survivors.
Recently, an AED manufacturer asked federal authorities for permission
to sell the device without a doctor's prescription, as is now required.
The doctor orders it for a location, not individual patients.
Ornato and the heart association support removing the prescription
requirement.
Unlike typical medical equipment, "what we're really envisioning
is that [AEDs] are public safety devices like fire extinguishers,"
Ornato said.
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Bystanders
Saving Lives
Bystanders performing CPR and using automated external defibrillators
(AEDs) save as many cardiac arrest victims as highly trained paramedics.
The findings, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, is
the first of its kind.
It found the people paramedics save are more likely to suffer brain
damage (because they have to go to the location). 78% of those saved
by bystanders without paramedics survived with excellent brain function
vs. 68% ot those treated by paramedics.
The study found the survival rate of cardiac arrest victims jumps
from 14% to 23% when bystanders use an AED to deliver a shock before
paramedics arrive. Each year about 60,000 people in the USA suffer
a short-circuit of the heart that can be reversed by such a shock.
In San Antonio, all Racquetball and Fitness Gyms recently put in
AEDs. The machines are already in area malls and the airport.
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Heart
Attack Victim Saved by T.O.M Police
Early bird exercisers at the New York Sports Club last
Tuesday, July 13, were jolted from their morning routines when fellow
club member Joseph Beck descended from the StairMaster and collapsed
unconscious onto the floor, a victim of a heart attack. Larchmont
mother Kim Larsen, who was exercising next to Mr. Beck, reported,
“I ran screaming to the front desk to tell them to call 911.”
Two minutes after receiving the call at 6:41 am, Town of Mamaroneck
police officer Anthony Hoffmann arrived at the scene with Officer
George Valentzas and Lt. Michael Cindrich. According to the police
report, Officer Hoffmann attached an automated external defibrillator
(AED) to Mr. Beck, who was not breathing, and began rescue breathing,
while Lt. Cindrich began CPR. A shock from the AED was then applied.
By the time the Volunteer Ambulance Corps (VAC) arrived, Mr. Beck
had regained a viable pulse, and the VAC crew transported him to
Sound Shore Medical Center.
According to his wife Bonnie, Mr. Beck did not regain consciousness
for 26 hours. He was subsequently transferred to Lenox Hill Hospital
and released on Thursday, July 22 with a clean bill of health. Mrs.
Beck reported: “Joe was without oxygen to his brain, and his heart
ceased pumping for four minutes, but he has no damage to the heart,
and he didn't experience any brain damage.” She concluded, "It's
a miracle."
Police Chief Richard Rivera said, “The quick response, skill and
training of the officers, along with the AED, were instrumental
in reviving this patient.” Mrs. Beck couldn't agree more. She described
Officer Hoffmann as “a hero in our family” and said she believed
that the fast response of the Town of Mamaroneck police and the
availability of an AED “saved my husband's life.” The unit used
was one of four defibrillators purchased six months ago by the Town
and placed in patrol cars. Defibrillators are electrical devices
used to counteract fibrillation of the heart muscle and restore
normal heartbeat by applying a brief electric shock. They are used
in conjunction with cardiopulmonary resuscitation ( CPR.)
According to Susan Gerson, spokesperson for the New York Sports
Club, “AED's are not standard and not required, but we will be equipping
all of our clubs with defibrillators by the end of the year.” A
New York State bill that would require health clubs with 500 or
more members to have at least one AED readily available on site
has been passed by both the Senate and Assembly and will be sent
to Governor George Pataki for his approval. The bill would also
require these clubs to have at least one staff member trained to
use the AED and perform CPR. Ms. Gerson asserted that currently
“all of our managers and trainers have to be certified in CPR.”
Large public school districts are already required to deploy AED's
and Mamaroneck has a number of them in place.
The American Heart Association has reported that a victim's chance
of survival decreases by 7 to 10 percent for every minute that passes
without defibrillation. They have estimated that 250,000 Americans
die each year from sudden cardiac arrest outside of the hospital,
and that a quarter of these deaths could have been prevented if
a defibrillator was available for immediate use.
Mr. Beck, a principal with Shattuck, Hammond Partners, an investment
banking firm in New York City, had just turned 50 the Thursday before
the incident and was in excellent shape. A daily exerciser, Mr.
Beck had been to his doctor for a complete physical exam two weeks
before his heart attack. Doctors discovered that his heart attack
had been caused by a 98% blockage of one of his major arteries,
a problem identical to one his brother experienced a few years ago.
A barium stress test taken two weeks before the attack failed to
detect any heart problems in Mr. Beck.
Several eyewitnesses at the sports club reported that there was
a period of confusion following Mr. Beck's heart attack, when club
attendants tried to find a doctor or nurse in the building. The
police report noted that Joanne Shaw, a registered nurse who was
taking a spinning class in the basement, came to assist Mr. Beck
before the police and VAC arrived. “When I walked in he was lying
on the ground,” recalled Lehigh College sophomore Cara Weisberger;
who noted that the police came shortly thereafter. She added, “It's
not what you want to wake up to at 6:45 in the morning.”
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EMS-TV,
INC. Pays Belmont-Harrison
Parma, MI (PRWEB) July 4, 2004 -- EMS-TV Inc. recently
inaugurated a program at Belmont-Harrison Vocational School in St.
Clairsville, Ohio. The program includes training, and the outfitting
of Belmont-Harrison Vocational School District with cost-effective,
life-saving AED (automated external defibrillator) equipment. This
is part of EMS-TV Inc. nationwide campaign to expand the life-saving
power of public-access defibrillation.
"Every day, nearly 1,000 Americans suffer sudden cardiac arrest,"
said Mr. C. Kevin Coonce, the President and CEO of EMS-TV Inc. Their
best chance for survival is if someone nearby has access to an AED
and knows how to use it. That's the essence of public access defibrillation.
"It's really the public-health responsibility of every business
and school to install an AED and learn how to use it. Every minute
that goes by without receiving a defibrillation shock decreases
a person's chance of survival by 10 percent. AED's have a 97 percent
success rate in terminating ventricular fibrillation. However, fewer
than half of the nation's ambulance services, less than 15 percent
of emergency service fire units and less than 2 percent of police
vehicles are currently equipped with AEDs," continued Mr. Coonce.
"I congratulate all the people at Belmont-Harrison Vocational School
District who are now ready to save lives. They really are the heroes
of this story."
The first person on the scene of a cardiac arrest is usually not
the paramedic. Since every minute counts in saving the victim's
life, schools, small businesses, office buildings, malls, health
clubs, restaurants, and other venues should all have an AED. "Defibrillators
should be like fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, or first-aid kits,"
says Mr. Coonce.
Belmont-Harrison Vocational School District will now be equipped
with the most state-of-the-art system currently on the market anywhere
in the world. Upon activation of the EmergencyMedicalStation, a
licensed paramedic appears on the screen and "walks" the rescuer
through any type of medical emergency. This occurs with the simultaneous
notification of local EMS as to the location, nature, and status
of the emergency.
"For all the sophisticated electronics and clever design in these
devices, they are now available to customers at no cost whatsoever,"
says Mr. Coonce. "EMS-TV, Inc. actually pays schools, retailers,
and other commercial locations approximately $1,000 per EmergencyMedicalStation,
per year, just to install the EmergencyMedicalStation on their premises.
This is possible through national, regional, and local business
that sponsor this life-saving equipment."
Defibrillation is the proper response for a victim in "ventricular
fibrillation," while CPR is the proper response for a person suffering
from "cardiac standstill." The problem is that, to the observer,
these conditions look the same. These new AED's, however, determine
which condition is occurring, and advise the rescuer how to proceed.
"They essentially are an on-the-spot, nick-of-time refresher course
for the rescuer's training," said Mr. Coonce.
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EMS-TV,
Inc. pays Quality Inn of Lansing
Parma, MI (PRWEB) July 5, 2004 -- EMS-TV, INC, (EMSI) of Parma,
Michigan, recently inaugurated a program at Quality Inn of Lansing,
Michigan. The program, including training, paramedic assistance,
and the outfitting of QUALITY INN with cost-effective, life-saving
AED (automated external defibrillator) equipment, is part of EMSI's
nationwide campaign to expand the life-saving power of public-access
defibrillation.
"Every day, nearly 1000 Americans suffer sudden cardiac arrest,"
said EMSI's President and CEO Mr. C. Kevin Coonce. Their best chance
for survival is if someone nearby has access to an AED and knows
how to use it. That's the essence of public access defibrillation.
"It's really the public-health responsibility of every business
and school to install an AED and learn how to use it. Every minute
that goes by without receiving a defibrillation shock decreases
a person's chance of survival by 10 percent. AEDs have a 97 percent
success rate in terminating ventricular fibrillation, yet fewer
than half of the nation's ambulance services, less than 15 percent
of emergency service fire units and less than 2 percent of police
vehicles are currently equipped with AEDs," continued Mr. Coonce.
"I congratulate all the people at QUALITY INN who are now ready
to save lives. They really are the heroes of this story."
The first person on the scene of a cardiac arrest is usually not
the paramedic. Since every minute counts in saving the victim's
life, schools, small businesses, office buildings, malls, health
clubs, restaurants, and other venues should all have an AED. "Defibrillators
should be like fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, or first-aid kits,"
says Mr. Coonce.
Quality Inn will now be equipped with the most state-of-the-art
system currently on the market anywhere in the world. Upon activation
of the EmergencyMedicalStation, a licensed paramedic appears on
the screen and aids the rescuer through any type of medical emergency,
while at the same time notifying local EMS as to the location, nature,
and status of any type of medical emergency.
"For all the sophisticated electronics and clever design in these
devices, they are now available to customers at no cost whatsoever,"
says Mr. Coonce. "EMSI actually pays schools, retailers, and other
commercial locations approximately $1,000 per EmergencyMedicalStation,
per year, to install the EmergencyMedicalStation on their premises.
This is possible through national, regional, and local business
that sponsor this life-saving equipment."
Defibrillation is the proper response for a victim in "ventricular
fibrillation," while CPR is the proper response for a person suffering
from "cardiac standstill." The problem is that, to the observer,
these conditions look the same. These new AEDs, however, determine
which condition is occurring, and advise the rescuer how to proceed.
"They essentially are an on-the-spot, nick-of-time refresher course
for the rescuer's training," said Mr. Coonce.
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EMS-TV
Retains The Jeffrey Group
PARMA, MI (August 19, 2004) – EMS-TV, Inc. (EMSI), today
announced it has retained The Jeffrey Group, a New York-based marketing
consultancy, to provide marketing and business development support
for EMS-TV, a kiosk-based satellite network that combines a life-saving,
automated external defibrillator (AED) device with full-motion video
advertising, as well as branded health information, coupons, rebates
and other promotional materials.
"The Jeffrey Group will be instrumental in helping
us attract national advertisers to this innovative network, which
uniquely blends a marketing medium with life-saving equipment,"
says C. Kevin Coonce, president and CEO of EMSI.
It is estimated that nearly 1,000 Americans suffer
sudden cardiac arrest daily, a large number of whom can be saved
by AEDs. According to USA Today (August 12, 2004), "the survival
rate of cardiac arrest victims jumps from 14 percent to 23 percent
when bystanders use an AED to deliver a shock before paramedics
arrive. And each year, about 60,000 people in the USA suffer a short-circuit
of the heart that can be reversed by such a shock."
The EmergencyMedicalStation units, which feature
17-inch LCD screens, are being placed in the pharmacy areas of retailers,
as well as in schools and other locations.
Mr. Coonce explains that should an emergency occur
in a location with an EMS-TV installation, a passer-by pushes a
prominent red button on the kiosk and a paramedic appears -- in
real-time -- on the network screen. The paramedic can assess the
situation via two-way audio/visual communications and, if warranted,
provide access to the defibrillator stored within the kiosk. Local
EMS sources are simultaneously alerted.
EMSI pays an annual fee to retailers, schools and
other public facilities, with costs of the AED device and associated
training covered by advertisers. "Our advertising and health information
network will allow retailers throughout the U.S. to have a minimum
of one AED per store and AED training at no cost," Mr. Coonce said.
"Most importantly, the EMS-TV media vehicle will save thousands
of lives."
Mr. Coonce noted that EMSI is currently selecting
from among two manufacturers of AED equipment as the official "brand"
of EMS-TV.
The Jeffrey Group, which specializes in retail
and non-traditional media formats, is led by President Jeffrey McElnea,
former Chairman and CEO of WPP promotion agency Einson Freeman,
and president of Satmark Media Group.
"The combination of EMSI's unique and targeted
network, The Jeffrey Group's in-store media expertise, and the retail
pharmacy environment clearly positions EMS-TV as a competitive communication
vehicle for marketers of pharmaceutical, over-the-counter and consumer
packaged goods interested in reaching the health-conscious consumer,"
Mr. McElnea said. "Further, the pharmacy
provides an implied pharmacist endorsement for all advertisers,"
added Mr. McElnea, who is an inductee into the Association of Promotion
Marketing Agencies Hall of Fame.
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Schools
Get Free Defibrillators
Defibrillators, those machines that jump-start a stopped
heart, occasionally are seen in airports, stores, businesses and
even at beaches.
Some people think schools should be next.
Wyoming administrators are preparing to install 53
first-aid machines they are being given for free by a Michigan company,
EMS-TV of Parma. Wyoming also gets $4,700 in cash for the machines'
annual upkeep
"When you look at an opportunity like this to get
these units, it's worth a try," Superintendent Jon Felske said.
But there's a catch. The $6,000 machines come with
a 17-inch video screen that subjects students and teachers to a
constant stream of 15-second commercials.
The advertising has been a deal-breaker for other
local schools.
"This commercial stuff would be on all the time,"
Cedar Springs Superintendent Andrew Booth said.
Wyoming's superintendent says the benefits of the
lifesaving devices are worth it, and adds that the company gives
them a say in what advertising is allowed
Within weeks, EMS-TV will bring Automated External
Defibrillators to Wyoming's 14 buildings. The company will install
them for free and provide $900 per unit for maintenance.
Each unit is 3 feet tall with a big red button on
the front that activates a two-way communication system to two paramedics.
They assess the situation, contact area emergency medical services
and provide first-aid advice to the caller, according to Mark Maloney,
executive vice president for the company.
If the paramedics determine that a defibrillator
is needed, they trigger the case to open and talk the helper through
using the paddles.
"These units can literally be the difference between
life and death," Maloney said. It is impossible for someone to be
shocked accidentally because defibrillators in public places are
programmed to work only if they sense a heart in distress, he said.
The company also signed up Benton Harbor schools,
but Wyoming is its largest contract so far. The company's units
are not yet installed in any schools or other locations, Maloney
said.
Beyond saying that there would be no alcohol, tobacco
or advertising inappropriate for children, Maloney would not identify
what ads would be placed on video screens or what revenue they provide
his company. A commercial for M&Ms appears on a company's Web
site demonstration.
Schools can post announcements on the monitor and
may even raise money by selling advertising to local companies for
up to 15 percent of the display, Maloney said.
But advertising has been a hot-button issue nationwide
in schools, which have been criticized for making money on products
like Coke or accepting free computers and other products that come
with commercials.
Some local administrators say they want no part of
the deal if advertising is required.
Cedar Springs and Hamilton superintendents aren't
interested. "We're trying to protect our kids as much as we can,"
said Booth in Cedar Springs.
"I don't think we'd be interested in something that
brings advertising into the schools," Hamilton Superintendent James
Kos said.
Grand Rapids Public Schools is taking a very preliminary
look at the offer, nurse coordinator Stephanie Painter said.
"Would they be nice? Yeah, they'd be nice," Painter
said. "But we have to be very selective about what we present to
our students."
While defibrillators are not as ubiquitous as fire
extinguishers, they are a piece of life-saving equipment that all
schools should have, according to Kelly Swieter, Forest Hills aquatic
supervisor, who oversees training for the district's defibrillators.
"It's like seat belts and bike helmets are now. We
just know better," Swieter said. Permanent brain damage occurs within
six minutes after a heart stops, he added.
The machines increasingly are being installed in
police cars, fire departments, libraries and other public places.
The city of Saugatuck this year purchased a device for Oval Beach
on Lake Michigan.
Forest Hills parents last year took donations from
businesses and alumni and now has three defibrillators that cost
about $3,100 each. The district plans to buy eight more.
Swieter said the units at his school have never been
used and he aims to keep it that way.
"I hope they rot on the walls and I'm criticized
years from now for spending money on these things. But we have a
duty to have them and know how to use them."
Maloney said that most often his company's machines
in schools will be used for first aid and slips and falls rather
than heart attacks, which more than makes up for any intrusion from
advertising, he said.
Maloney argues that the video monitors are silent,
making their ads no different than a school pop machine emblazoned
with Coke or Pepsi.
Wyoming's superintendent said that in the end, if
the machines don't work out, he'll simply have them removed.
Felske couldn't recall any time in his schools a
defibrillator was needed, but said the machines benefit anyone who
comes into a school building, such as a grandparent attending an
elementary school play.
Felske also noted that a pending bill in Lansing
calls for defibrillators in all school buildings. Now stalled in
a Senate education committee, the legislation was introduced by
Sen. Jim Barcia, D-Bay City as a way to get discussion rolling on
the issue, according to Barcia's staff.
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