Why SaveStation?
SaveStation was founded by a group of likeminded individuals who saw the need to work together to create an easy to identify AED housing station so that the PUBLIC could quickly find any AED.
As the above collage of AEDs showcases, AEDs do not have a uniform deployment anywhere in the world. Inspired by other iconic symbols the SaveStation team set out to create one visual standard for quick and easy identification of any AED indoors and out.
After the design was complete, the team at SaveStation set out to solve the missing education and awareness piece. SaveStation designed educational videos that could be easily shared across an entire workforce. This provides constant education and awareness to empower the greatest number of people with the skills and confidence to take action until medical help arrives.
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The Beginning
In 2016, a Canadian First Aid & CPR training company set out to research the outdoor AED technology market. They committed to placing AEDs closer to people, 24/7 in order to move the dial on improving survival rates from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. In 20 years of training the public, they witnessed every day the lack of understanding and awareness of cardiac arrest and defibrillators.
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First Outdoor AED Cabinet Piloted in Barrie, Ontario
With the support of Mayor Lehman, from Barrie Ontario, the first temperature controlled outdoor cabinet was placed outside at a public beach. The pilot was successful and the AED stayed warm in the winter and cool in the summer!
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Lack of Awareness – Still a Problem
Watching hundreds of pedestrians walk by the newly installed defibrillator at the beach, the team realized that still the public was not aware of the defibrillator, nor did they understand it was for public use.
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New Plan – Designing a Free Standing Unit
The team decided that in order for the public to notice this AED, it was important to make it more visible and understood. They expanded the team and worked with engineering and marketing experts to design a free standing tower that would light up at night and be highly visible.
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Naming the New Tower!
While working with the marketing team and product testing with individuals outside of the First Aid industry – it became clear that the acronym AED was not a familiar term to the majority of people. It also became very clear during market research that the general public did not understand what a defibrillator was for (was it safe?!), how it worked and that anyone could use one. Many told the team that they thought they were for the paramedics only.
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The Tipping Point
While coming up with a name for the outdoor tower and evaluating the look of all defibrillators placed indoors, the team quickly realized there was no consistent look or feel for any AED placed in the public. One of the team members, with a strong marketing background, was learning for the first time what a defibrillator actually did, how easy they were to use and that they were for the public – not the paramedics. He was quick to admit ‘he was the Dad that walked by them everyday and thought those were for the medical professionals when they arrived’. As a branding expert, he was also shocked to think there was NO STANDARD visual identity for a life-saving device that were intended for the public to access.
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IT’S ALL ABOUT TIME
The conversation also revolved around time. Everyone learning about AEDs for the first time is shocked to understand that we don’t have time to wait for medical help to arrive. Brain damage sets in after 4 minutes. Irreversible brain damage is almost guaranteed after 10 minutes. Also shocking is that Sudden Cardiac Arrest is still after all these years, one of the leading causes of death.
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The Shift from Outdoor to Indoor
This is the moment everything changed and the concept and full vision of SaveStation came to life! Collaborating as a team, they quickly realized that a highly visible, easily identifiable uniform housing station needs be made available so that anyone can find a defibrillator FAST. This was not just about an outdoor AED – this was about unifying and standardizing the look of all AEDs placed in the public – anywhere you go – indoors and out!
The analogy of the London Phone booth was used quite often – ‘everyone knew what to look for if you had to make a phone call’. Other analogies were quickly made as well – ‘the block parent sign’ to indicate a safe house to go to. The list goes on and on… hospital signs, exit signs, etc.
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SaveStation Founded!
After many names being tossed around, the moment SaveStation was thrown on the table – it instantly felt right. It was intuitive, easy to understand and had a positive connotation. The name also resonated as it wasn’t limiting to just a defibrillator, it allowed for other lifesaving equipment to also be housed in a “SaveStation”.
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Pilot of Indoor Cabinet Line
A pilot campaign for the first launch of the indoor cabinets began in March 2018
