Hannaford installing defibrillators at all 185 of its supermarkets
Photo | Renee Cordes
Hannaford Supermarkets operates 185 stores in the northeastern United States, including this one at 50 Cottage Road in South Portland.
Hannaford Supermarkets has begun installing defibrillators at all 185 of its stores to save the lives of customers and employees in case of a sudden cardiac event, the Scarborough, Maine-based food retailer said.
Wednesday's announcement came on the first day of American Heart Month, which is observed every February.
Hannaford, which is based in Scarborough and owned by Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize, has stores in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York and Massachusetts. The company employs more than 30,000 people and was ranked Maine's second-largest employer behind MaineHealth in the 2023 Mainebiz Book of Lists, published in December.
In Central Massachusetts, Hannaford has locations in Marlborough, Clinton, Uxbridge, North Brookfield, Leominster, Lunenburg, Gardner, and Athol. The company employs 1,363 people at its Central Massachusetts locations and 2,348 at all its Massachusetts stores, according to a survey the company submitted for WBJ’s annual Central Mass. 150 list in 2022.
Recognized as a critical life-saving device during the event of sudden cardiac arrest, automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, are lightweight, portable devices that deliver an electric shock through the chest to the heart. The shock can potentially stop an irregular heartbeat and allow a normal rhythm to resume following sudden cardiac arrest.
Hannaford employees will receive hands-on training on best practices for operating the devices, with a focus on safety for customers and associates. The training will be held in partnership with Cardio Partners, a provider of AEDs based in Dublin, Ohio. Hannaford said it also has AEDs at its Scarborough headquarters.
“All of us at Hannaford are deeply committed to extending care to our customers and associates,” said Bob Hatem, the retailer's operations director. “We recognize that our stores are not immune to instances of cardiac arrest. Having AEDs readily available and ensuring our associates are trained on their deployment is an important step in protecting the heart health of the individuals in our stores.”
According to the American Heart Association for Northern New England, sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States.
More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospitals each year. AEDs make it possible for people who are not in the medical professions to respond to a medical emergency where defibrillation is required.
“We commend Hannaford Supermarkets for being a community leader when it comes to the heart health and safety of its customers and associates,” said Brian Shankey, executive director for American Heart Association for Northern New England. “AEDs are a vital link in the chain of survival for someone suffering from sudden cardiac arrest. Having AEDs available in public locations make them more quickly accessible, and thereby, able to save more lives.”
More information about heart health and the importance of AEDs is available here.
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