EMERGENCY INSTRUCTION DEVICES (EIDs) FILL CRITICAL GAP BY VERBALLY COACHING ANYONE THROUGH A LIFE-SAVING EMERGENCY

Irvine, CA - Dec. 12, 2005 – Imagine this scenario: You're at home and a dinner guest suddenly collapses face-down on the floor. You frantically turn him over to find him unconscious. You call 911 only to be put on hold behind this call: “You've reached 911.” “Hi, what time does the Yankee's game start?” If you think this sounds farfetched, you may be surprised to know that 911 operators are regularly tied up answering non-emergency calls from people asking for directions, the time of garbage pick-ups, or how long to cook a turkey. The 911 system, which receives 183 million calls annually, is inundated with non-emergency calls (ranging from legitimate, but non-urgent police business to the utterly ridiculous) as well as accidental or “phantom” calls which account for 25-70% of all 911 calls in some U.S. communities, according to the National Emergency Number Association. Not only is the 911 system impacted, according to an 18-month investigation by USA Today, “Emergency medical systems in most of the nation's 50 largest cities are fragmented, inconsistent, and slow,” and, “More than 1,000 ‘savable' lives are lost needlessly each year in the nation's biggest cities because of inefficiencies in the cities' emergency medical systems.”

A new product category called Emergency Instruction Devices (EIDs) has emerged to verbally coach users through a medical emergency until professional help arrives. These portable devices are the new first link in the chain of emergency response -- providing easy-to-follow verbal instructions during a medical or other emergency. The user interacts with the device by responding to yes/no questions, and EIDs use the answers to provide step-by-step instructions consistent with recognized sources such as the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association and others. The ease-of-use and interactivity of these products makes them more effective in a medical emergency than first-aid information found in books, reference cards or posters.

“A few minutes can mean the difference between life and death, and a bystander who is well-prepared, either through training or easy access to an EID, can be a vital link in the chain of survival,” says Anthony Curci, President & CEO of SafetyMate Corporation, the company that provides the leading EID. His thinking is in line with that of progressive cities such as Boston, which have improved survival rates by training ordinary citizens. According to USA Today, “[Rich] Serino [Boston's Emergency Medical Services Chief] says the volunteers have become an army of lifesavers…they know that calling 911 and waiting for help can cost a life. And together, the city and the volunteers are better prepared to respond as a team.” According to Curci, SafetyMate and other EIDs are also a vital component of the emergency response system, “The SafetyMate product raises the standard of care a layperson can offer during a medical emergency until professional help arrives. SafetyMate is able to guide the layperson to take action and initiate care, thereby playing a crucial role during the time that is most critical to the potential survival of the victim.”

About SafetyMate: SafetyMate has developed the first patented Emergency Instruction Device (EID) to provide step-by-step, interactive verbal instructions during a medical emergency, arming regular citizens with the information needed to take crucial life-saving steps until professional help arrives. The portable EID was developed in close cooperation with the American Red Cross and its protocols are based on the same information used by 911 operators. SafetyMate addresses the most common medical emergencies, and the newly released version features homeland security protocols to address threats such as explosions, chemical threats, radiation threats, and biological threats. SafetyMate is priced at less than $250, and is available through a network of national distributors serving commercial, institutional and recreational markets. SafetyMate is a privately held company based in Irvine, CA. You can find more information at the company's website at www.safetymate.com.