Defibtech Donates Defibrillator to Guilford Fire Department

When a local company decided to give back to its community, the act was not only generous, but one that may just save a life-yours.

Defibtech, the designer and manufacturer of defibrillators located at 741 Boston Post Road, donated one of its Lifeline AED (automated external defibrillators) to the Guilford Fire Department. The product is valued at $1,500.

"When it comes to saving lives in an emergency, time is of the essence," said Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Vetre. "Early intervention is crucial."

A defibrillator is a portable unit that, with clear and audible instructions that even non-medically trained people can understand, will help shock the heart of a person experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.

"They are very easy to use, durable, and waterproof," said Greg Slusser, Defibtech's vice president of sales and marketing.

Think of the importance of the product in the context of having 10 minutes to save someone's life, said Slusser.

"The call goes out to emergency personnel, but for every minute someone is in cardiac arrest, their chance for survival decreases 10 percent," said Slusser. "Our product is designed for the lay responders to increase their chance of success of saving someone's life."

For first responders such as the fire department, paramedics, and the police, a defibrillator is standard equipment on their vehicles. Vetre said a defibrillator is required for each emergency call.

Today, however, more and more facilities such as gyms, schools, corporate offices, golf clubs, and churches have a device on hand.

Public access to a defibrillator is vital, said Defibtech's Northeast Account Manager Louis Iannotti. Sudden cardiac arrest is the nation's number-one killer, ending the lives of more than 400,000 people each year, he said.

Vetre said that due to his department's recent expansion of both staff and emergency calls, a need arose for an additional defibrillator on the ladder truck.

"This is by far the best product to show people how to do this," said Vetre.

The partnership between the company and the fire department began when Guilford Economic Development Specialist Jacklyn Simonetti called on Donna Grajauskas, special projects manager with Defibtech.

"They are a local company and make a great product," said Simonetti, who feels it is important for local businesses to partner with the town.

Grajauskas said the company was founded in 1999 by Dr. Glenn Laub, a cardiothoracic surgeon, and fellow Yale graduate Gintaras Vaisnys, an engineer. Laub, who lives in New Jersey, and Vaisnys, who lives in Chicago, recruited Giovanni Meier of Madison as their chief engineer. Meier's only request was to remain along the Connecticut shoreline.

Today, Defibtech employs 55 people in offices in Guilford and in Seymour, where the devices are manufactured. More than 100,000 defibrillators have been shipped worldwide to 40 countries in 16 different languages.

Slusser thanked the Guilford Fire Department for all of its hard work and for the confidence it places in Defibtech's product.

"We are in the business to save lives and to put these products in the hands of the professionals who have devoted their careers to saving lives," said Slusser.