Staff and members at a 24 Hour Fitness club in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, WA, saved the lives of two members in consecutive days last week with the aid of the club’s automatic external defibrillator (AED).
The saves occurred last Wednesday and Thursday at the club, according to the Bellevue Reporter. A 79-year-old man was revived on Wednesday after he collapsed while playing racquetball, and a 66-year-old man was revived on Thursday after he collapsed during a Zumba class, according to the newspaper.
A staff member used the AED on the 79-year-old man, and a local physician used the AED on the 66-year-old man. In both cases, staff immediately called 911, and after each man was revived, paramedics transported them to a nearby hospital. One of the men was reportedly conscious and alert at the hospital. The other man was in stable condition.
In a Facebook post, the Bellevue Fire Department said it intends to recognize the 24 Hour staff for their efforts in the coming week.
In other 24 Hour news, the San Ramon, CA-based company recently announced plans to invest about $25 million for new clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area over the next six months. Clubs in Livermore, CA, and Fremont, CA, will be relocated and expanded, and a new club will be built in Walnut Creek, CA.
“The Bay Area has been home to our brand for more than 30 years, and we take pride in investing dollars toward improving the workout experience for those members who have been with us since the beginning,” Carl Liebert, president and CEO of 24 Hour Fitness, said in a statement.
The investment comes about a year after 24 Hour announced plans to invest $20 million in three San Diego-area club relocations.
24 Hour also announced last week that in honor of Veterans Day, the company is inviting all active, reserve and retired military members and guests for complimentary workouts at any of its clubs from Nov. 11 through Nov. 17.
Last month, Liebert and Randy Hetrick, the founder and CEO of TRX, San Francisco, took part in the TRX 40/40 Challenge as part of Fleet Week events in San Francisco to support military servicemen and servicewomen. Liebert, a former Naval officer, and Hetrick, a former Navy SEAL, competed on the TRX Suspension Trainer along with commanding officers from the U.S. military. A total of $6,600 was raised for the Semper Fi Fund to help wounded Marines and their families.
24 Hour is ranked No. 74 on the 2013 Top 100 Military Friendly Employers list by G.I. Jobs magazine. It is the second consecutive year that 24 Hour has been cited by the magazine for its strong military recruitment efforts, percentage of new hires with prior military service, retention programs and policies on National Guard and Reserve service.