ATTLEBORO — The Attleboro Fire Department, in partnership with Sisters at Heart and the Attleboro Recreation Department, hosted free hands-on AED training sessions on May 29 and 30, with CPR instruction incorporated throughout. These events gave community members practical experience with the tools and techniques that can save lives in the event of sudden cardiac arrest.
Led by Lt. Dan Kirk with assistance from Firefighter Paramedics Kelli Buckley and Paul Frade, the training focused on how to recognize a cardiac emergency, perform high-quality chest compressions, and most importantly, how to operate an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), the key to improving survival outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.
“Everyone should get out and learn CPR and AED use,” said Lt. Kirk. “You don’t need to be a medical professional to make a difference. Whether it’s at a formal class, a community event like this, or even by learning online, knowing what to do in those first critical minutes can save a life.”
AEDs Now Installed in Eight City Parks
Thanks to a generous donation from Sisters at Heart, eight public-use AEDs have been installed across Attleboro’s parks. In the event of an emergency, call 911 and dispatchers will provide a code to unlock the AED and send first responders immediately.
AEDs are now available at the following locations:
- Finberg Field
- S.A. Veterans (Lee’s Field)
- Horton Field
- Capron Park
- Highland Park
- Poncin-Hewitt
- Tilda B. Stone (Dodgeville)
- Hayward Fields
Why This Training Matters
Each year, more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the U.S. Immediate CPR, especially when paired with AED use, can triple or more a person’s chances of survival. Yet only about 40% of cardiac arrests receive bystander CPR. Every minute without intervention can lower survival rates by 10%.
This effort is part of a growing initiative to make Attleboro a Heart Safe Community, where public awareness, access to AEDs, and hands-on training can turn bystanders into first responders.
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