Press Room

ACE Receives Donation of 50 ZOLL AED Plus Training Devices
Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Provides Immediate Emergency Response

Posted: Feb 19, 2004 in

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - August XX, 2003 - The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s nonprofit fitness advocate, today announced ZOLL Medical Corporation (Nasdaq: ZOLL), a manufacturer of non-invasive cardiac resuscitation devices, in conjunction with VitalTen, the ZOLL AED Plus GSA Exclusive Distributor, has donated 50 ZOLL AED Plus™ training devices to the ACE/American Heart Association/AED training and certification program.

ACE has formed a strategic partnership with the American Heart Association (AHA) to provide Automated Electronic Defibrillator (AED) training to ACE-certified fitness professionals. In conjunction with the AHA, more than 50 ACE faculty and staff members will be trained as AED-certified instructors. This group will then provide the instruction needed to train and qualify all existing ACE-certified fitness professionals, as well as all newly ACE-certified fitness professionals in the near future.

“We wanted to make sure that the ACE had the most user-friendly AED Trainer available for this project,” said Pat Nestor, General Manager, Public Access Defibrillation of ZOLL Medical Corporation. “The ZOLL AED Plus Trainer guides the infrequent rescuer through the entire AHA protocol for treatment of sudden cardiac arrest with an AED. Additionally, our unit employs a unique one-piece electrode system designed for easy placement on the patient's chest and provides the rescuer with immediate feedback on their CPR performance, a very important part of the rescue sequence, through a patented feedback mechanism located inside the electrode.”

In November of 2003, ACE will begin offering an 8-hour AHA-approved AED training course to existing ACE-certified fitness professionals in 10 cities across the country with the goal to have all new and renewing ACE-certified fitness professionals AED certified.

VitalTen analyzed the AED market for nine months before selecting to represent the ZOLL AED Plus. That process also revealed a significant need for CPR/AED training throughout the fitness-related industry. “While the selection of an AED product took nine months, the choice of ACE as a training partner was instantaneous,” noted Paul Samide of VitalTen. “ACE grasped the significance and scope of this project and recognized that AED programs require ongoing, quality AHA certification. We are grateful to work with the best of the best – the professionals and good friends at ACE and the American Heart Association. We are pleased to link these two organizations with ZOLL Medical and thankful to ZOLL for their help in this important program.”

“The ZOLL AED Plus is non-intimidating, intuitive and offers exactly what we need to appropriately train and qualify of our certified professionals to respond promptly to a sudden cardiac event,” said Dr. Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist and VP of educational services for ACE. “ZOLL Medical and VitalTen have provided us the necessary tools to help ensure that ACE fitness professionals are prepared to create safer exercise environments for consumers.”

About 250,000 people die each year from sudden cardiac arrest, according to American Heart Association estimates. The survival interval from collapse to death is typically ten minutes; with a 10% decrease in survival expectancy with every minute defibrillation is delayed. Delivering a defined electrical pulse or “shock” directly to the heart through the use of a defibrillator can help save a victim of sudden cardiac arrest.

About Zoll Medical Corporation
ZOLL Medical Corporation, headquartered in Chelmsford, MA, designs, manufactures and markets an integrated line of proprietary, non-invasive resuscitation devices and disposable electrodes. Used by health care professionals to provide both types of cardiac resuscitation – pacing and defibrillation – these products are essential in the emergency treatment of cardiac arrest victims, both inside and outside the hospital. ZOLL also designs and markets software that automates collection and management of both clinical and non-clinical data for emergency medical service providers. ZOLL has operations in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Australia, and business partners in all of the world’s major markets. For more information about ZOLL and its products, visit the ZOLL web site at www.zoll.com.

About VitalTen
VitalTen is a privately held company whose partners (Rich Hanson, Mike Schopp and Paul Samide) possess lengthy and successful careers in fitness-related distribution. VitalTen provides global representation to the following companies and brands in GSA (Federal Government) distribution: Nautilus Health and Fitness Group (StairMaster and Quinton cardio equipment, Nautilus Strength, Schwinn Indoor Cycling), SRI Sports (AstroPlay, NeXturf, and AstroTurf synthetic fields, and the Invitational Track Systems products), as well as representing – both to the fitness industry and GSA, the ZOLL AED Plus AED device. Contact VitalTen by calling 866-787-7697 or visit us on the web at www.vitalten.com.

About ACE
The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s Authority on Fitness, is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of physical activity and protecting consumers against unsafe and ineffective fitness products and instruction. As the nation’s “workout watchdog,” ACE sponsors university-based exercise science research and testing that targets fitness products and trends. ACE sets standards for fitness professionals and is the world’s largest nonprofit fitness certifying organization. For more information on ACE and its programs, call (800) 825-3636 or log onto the ACE Web site at www.acefitness.org