Sonoma Winery with AED Saves Tourist

by Survival CPR & First Aid, LLC

This misfortune could have happened anywhere to this gentleman, but fortunately his heart stopped beating at Viansa Sonoma Winery, one of the beautiful properties owned by Vintage Wine Estates (VWE) of Santa Rosa, California. A tourist was enjoying a relaxing day when he suddenly collapsed. It could have been a tasting room employee, a worker in the cellar or in the office, but on this day, it was the customer.

Employees and bystanders became instant lifesavers thanks to a safety program put in place at all VWE properties. The company partnered with Survival CPR & First Aid, LLC of Santa Rosa to provide training, install automated external defibrillators, or “AEDs” at each property and to provide ongoing support and compliance to keep owners, employees and bystanders free from liability. Eric Thomson, CEO at Survival CPR & First Aid warns, “Most people don’t even realize that a medical prescription is required for AEDs that are available for public use”. His company employs first responders who are local experts on AEDs and compliance. They help companies like VWE to become safer for employees and customers while at the same time becoming compliant with local, state and federal regulations. As a side benefit, safety programs help to reduce workers compensation premiums; however, this winery put their safety program into place not because of a regulation or to save money, but because it was the right thing to do! Survival CPR & First Aid can put a program in place for your family, school or work. You can become a lifesaver today!

On this day, bystanders and trained staff from the winery started CPR, while other staff immediately brought their AED to the patient’s side. Employees knew about the AED because Viansa Winery General Manager, Christopher Sebastiani, had just reminded them during a safety briefing two weeks earlier! The device worked as designed, giving two shocks while verbally prompting the bystanders to perform good CPR. Survival CPR & First Aid is a local authorized distributor of the Zoll AED Plus, the only AED on the market designed for lay rescuers with a built-in feedback device that monitors the depth and rate of CPR compressions and then coaches bystanders to perform the highest quality CPR. There is also a screen that displays the patient’s heart rhythm and other critical information for professional medical personnel.

According to Tuck Bierbaum, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Survival CPR & First Aid, “A large percentage of time, heretofore unknown heart disease presents not with chest pain, but sudden death: a potentially lethal cardiac rhythm like ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia. When a patient has chest pain…. but the heart keeps on beating… there is a chance for doctors to recognize and treat the heart disease to stave off a lethal event. However, when the heart suddenly stops beating, the ONLY meaningful chance for survival is good CPR and the early application of electricity (the AED). The patient, who was in deadly ventricular fibrillation, was converted to a pumping rhythm and regained consciousness before the fire department and ambulance arrived to transport him to a local hospital. We understand he is now home with his family”!

Survival CPR & First Aid can provide training and/or legal compliance for companies who already have an AED.

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Sonoma Winery with AED Saves Tourist | Survival CPR & First Aid + AED Sales