Arrow Benefits Group Allocates $100,000 for Donation to Place Life-Saving AED Machines in Businesses Throughout Community
Arrow Benefits Group has allocated an unprecedented $100,000 in order to place AED (Automated External Defibrillator) machines with employers throughout the local community over the course of the next five years. This builds on its Arrow Wellness Initiative, which was established two years ago to offer free CPR and first-aid classes to its clients and the community.
“The Arrow Wellness Initiative has been utilized by businesses since its inception, and it was always our goal to build on this program,” said Arrow Benefits Group Principal Andrew McNeil. “Our clients see value in implementing employee benefits that go beyond the norm and that improve health and cost outcomes, as well as performance in the workplace. We are dedicated to helping our clients take proactive actions to keep their employees healthy and safe.”
Arrow’s funds will be donated to clients who wish to purchase AED machines for their business location. To help implement its CPR and first-aid training, as well as AED installation, maintenance and registration, Arrow has partnered with the Petaluma Health Care District’s HeartSafe Community initiative and Healthquest training center.
“HeartSafe Community was established to strengthen the community’s ability to respond to a cardiac emergency,” said Ramona Faith, CEO of the Petaluma Health Care District. “Arrow was one of our first HeartSafe Businesses and is pioneering how companies should be approaching wellness in the workplace. With regard to heart health in particular, businesses are on the front lines with cardiac response because cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in the workplace. Arrow understands this and is doing amazing work in our community. Its pledge to buy AEDs for businesses throughout the region is unparalleled.”
Access to AED machines significantly increases the chance of survival in the event of sudden cardiac arrest, which is the leading cause of death within the workplace, claiming 10,000 lives each year. Immediate CPR and AED deployment within three-five minutes of collapse increases sudden cardiac arrest survival rates as much as 70%; without intervention, survival rates average 7%. The dramatic difference in survival rates with the addition of an AED device is what motivated Arrow to donate $100,000 and partner with North Bay employers to place these machines within workplaces throughout the region. By coupling the District’s HeartSafe Community initiative and Arrow’s donation, McNeil hopes to improve safety within the workplace, and, by extension, within the community. He adds, “We believe we can build a stronger community by building stronger employers. Stronger employers translate into a stronger local economy and happier, more productive citizens.”
“Arrow is the first company in our area to make this kind of a donation for AED machines,” said Stacy Gibbons, executive director of American Heart Association in the North Bay. “There are not enough in our community, and the contribution will not only help get them placed with employers, but it will save lives. The AED is critical to the survival of someone who has suffered a cardiac arrest – 10,000 Americans die on the job from cardiac arrest each year.”
For more information on the program contact Andrew McNeil 707-992-3789 or andrewm@arrowbenefitsgroup.com.
About Arrow Benefits Group
Arrow Benefits Group, the third largest benefits firm in the North Bay, is a proud partner of United Benefit Advisors (UBA), one of the largest benefits consulting and brokerage firms in the country.
Arrow Benefits Group is the single-source solution for managing the complexities of benefits with expert advice, customized programs, and personalized solutions. Arrow’s innovative programs control costs and give employees a greater sense of financial and emotional security. For straight answers to employee benefits call 707-992-3780 or visit http://www.arrowbenefitsgroup.com.
