Seconds Matter
When emergency strikes, seconds matter. Ron Rubin, proprietor of River Road Family Vineyard and Winery, knows that better than most.
The day after completing a 20-mile run, his heart suddenly began racing out of control. His body went numb. Within minutes, emergency responders arrived and used a defibrillator to shock his heart. Ron survived because trained professionals had the right equipment at the right time.
In the months that followed, one question stayed with him: what if this happened somewhere without staff trained in CPR or access to a defibrillator?
Ron realized that in a business, social responsibility extends beyond wages and benefits. It includes creating a workplace where employees and guests are protected in moments of crisis.
In fall 2017, he partnered with the American Red Cross and ZOLL Medical Corporation to launch Trained for Saving Lives, an initiative aimed at equipping every winery in Sonoma County with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and training staff in CPR, first aid, and AED use.
Ron personally funded the purchase of the machines, eliminating the largest barrier: cost. Participating wineries covered the Red Cross certification training fee.
His goal was ambitious: make Sonoma County the safest wine region in the country.
“The question isn’t if it’s going to happen,” Ron says. “It’s a matter of when.”
By the program’s conclusion, 450 wineries were equipped with AEDs and more than 2,000 employees were trained.
Since then, several wineries have faced emergencies requiring CPR. Trained staff were ready to respond.
Because sustainability is about caring for the land and the people who care for it.