member news
2017 Issue 1 | GearedUp
PF HV Management Emphasizes Importance of AED Machines After Member is Saved
On Dec. 10, 49-year-old Dale Wunderley woke up at Forbes
Hospital in Pennsylvania thanks to the speedy reaction time of three Planet Fitness ® employees. Cory Henderson, a team member at the North Huntingdon club, was working out when he saw Wunderley get up from a leg press machine and immediately collapse.
Henderson, along with PF ® employees Jake Donaldson and Ian Pearsol, jumped into action, calling 911 and utilizing the AED( automated external defibrillator) machine within minutes.
Pearsol and Donaldson had been working at the gym for three and two months, respectively, when the incident occurred, but PF HV Management, which owned the location at the time of the incident and has since sold the club to United PF Partners, makes sure all of its employees are equipped with the knowledge and skills so more situations that require AED machines turn out like this one.
All staff members at PF HV Management clubs are required to undergo CPR and AED training within two weeks of being employed. The cost of the training is covered by the company, and the North Huntingdon club has a teacher from a local fire department come to the club when a new staff member needs certification.
“ It is extremely important to have AEDs in our facilities because you never know when you’ ll need to use it,” said General Manager Amanda Schwarz.“ In our case, we have had to use it twice in one year. The machine is what actually brought back heartbeats for both of our members.”
The first incident occurred earlier in 2016 when a man collapsed off an elliptical, and his heart stopped beating. Two staff members, Taylor and Ellie, called 911, started CPR, used the AED, and were able to get a pulse until the paramedics got there.
“ Both times the paramedics said without the training the staff had and the use of the AED, both men probably would not have made it,” said Schwarz.“ When all this was happening, the staff stated they did not have time to think; they just reacted. The staff did a great job using the knowledge and training they had. Words cannot describe how proud I am of our team and the way they reacted.”
The North Huntingdon club isn’ t the only PF HV Management location to use an AED machine recently, however. On Jan. 9, employees at a Parkersburg, West Virginia, club brought one of its members back to life three times with the use of an AED.
“ It is not a question of if, it is a question of when we will need to use our CPR and AED training in the field,” said Gary Williams, regional manager for the Parkersburg location.
“ Since Planet Fitness caters to the general public and we want everyone to feel comfortable, we thought it was our responsibility to maintain a safe environment with professional and knowledgeable staff,” said franchisee Sharon Lomasney.“ This would include having an AED machine readily available if it was ever needed. We have had to use it in several locations over the years and have saved many lives by the staff being trained and having a quick response time. I am very proud of the staff in each location and the way they were able to work together and follow the training they had been given.” G
On Jan. 9, a member of the Parkersburg, West Virginia, Planet Fitness club collapsed, requiring employees to put their CPR and AED training to use.
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