“It is appropriate that we donate these units,” he added.
WHT
KTA donates defibrillators to W. Hawaii Civic Center
People visiting the West Hawaii Civic Center may be a bit safer, thanks to a recent donation by KTA Super Stores.
The Hawaii Island-based grocery store chain gave Hawaii County seven automated external defibrillators, also known as AEDs, to place around the civic center, county officials said Thursday. KTA Executive Vice President for Store Operations Toby Taniguchi, son of CEO Barry Taniguchi, said he heard about the need for the devices at a public meeting. Deputy Managing Director Wally Lau was speaking at the meeting, Taniguchi said, and asked former Fire Chief Darryl Oliveira if the county had money to purchase the devices.
Lau posed the question following Executive Assistant Bobby Command’s February ventricular fibrillation episode in Honolulu.
“I could hear the passion in his voice,” Taniguchi said. “We already have these in our stores, and when I heard Wally, I decided to ask my dad (CEO Barry Taniguchi) and asked if he could help me locate available resources to make a donation to the county possible.”
When Taniguchi contacted a vendor to ask about the price to purchase two devices, the vendor kept offering discounts and to lower the per-unit price. Taniguchi ended up buying seven Philips Heartstart Defibrillators, at about $2,000 each. The units will analyze the patient’s condition and determine if a shock is needed, county officials said in a release.
The donations were made in store founders Koichi and Taniyo Taniguchi’s names.
Lau was pleased with the gift.
“If we just had one in the mayor’s office or the council chambers, that would have meant a wait for someone who was in distress on the other side of the campus,” he said. “Anyone will tell you that when your heart stops, quick action can prevent brain damage and death.”
According to a county news release, about 300,000 people die annually in the United States of ventricular fibrillation. Barry Taniguchi’s mother died of that condition, he said.
“It is appropriate that we donate these units,” he added.