October 3, 2012 — Royal Philips Electronics announced it is donating the one-millionth HeartStart automated external defibrillator (AED) manufactured to Everett Mountain Rescue Unit (EMRU) of Snohomish, Wash. EMRU is a volunteer search and rescue organization serving Snohomish County, also the location of Philips’ HeartStart headquarters.
The one-millionth AED marks a major milestone in more than 50 years of cardiac resuscitation and innovations to combat the potentially fatal effects of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), a condition that claims the lives of approximately seven million people globally every year. Philips will also make AED donations to nine other local search and rescue organizations, including Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue (SCVSAR) and eight groups associated with the Washington Mountain Rescue Association (WMRA).
“We pride ourselves on expanding public access to AEDs so that virtually anyone can have the power to help save a life,” said Mike Mancuso, executive vice president and CEO, Philips Patient Care and Clinical Informatics. “Experts at Philips have worked with community-based early defibrillation champions and resuscitation healthcare leaders to drive early defibrillation program best practices, and have helped establish defibrillation programs at the top U.S. airlines and the nation’s busiest hospitals. We are dedicated to saving lives and overjoyed that so many HeartStart AEDs are now available across the globe for emergency situations.”
Philips is the worldwide leader for AEDs, with a resuscitation legacy dating back to 1961. The introduction of the ForeRunner AED in 1996 was one of the main catalysts for the public access defibrillation movement that also included legislation to improve public access to AEDs in the United States, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, Australia and many other countries. Philips has evolved its AEDs in response to the needs of the industry and its customers, and has continued to offer innovative solutions that reduce deployment time and are light, rugged and easy to use.
“Most of the search and rescue organizations receiving the donated AEDs have either never had one, or have earlier models, which were not built for extreme conditions,” said Richard Duncan, operations leader with EMRU and flight paramedic with SCVSAR helicopter rescue team. “Our new Philips AEDs have a rugged, reliable construction, which will aid our rescues in difficult, outdoor conditions. Washington’s mountains attract thousands of climbers and outdoor enthusiasts from around the world each year. The donation from Philips will allow us to serve them and the community more confidently than ever before.”
The complete list of organizations receiving a Philips HeartStart AED donation includes:
- Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue (SCVSAR)
- Bellingham Mountain Rescue Council – part of the WMRA
- Central Washington Mountain Rescue Council – part of the WMRA
- Everett Mountain Rescue Unit – part of the WMRA
- Inland Northwest Search & Rescue (INSAR) – part of the WMRA
- North County Volcano Rescue Team – part of the WMRA
- Olympic Mountain Rescue – part of the WMRA
- Seattle Mountain Rescue – part of the WMRA
- Skagit Mountain Rescue – part of the WMRA
- Tacoma Mountain Rescue – part of the WMRA
For more information: http://www.philips.com/aeds
July 31, 2024 
