Press Release: 2020-02-26
Eversource Launches Life-Saving AED Program in Massachusetts
Company equips field crews to respond to cardiac emergencies
BOSTON (February 25, 2020) - As part of Eversource’s unyielding commitment to safety, the energy company recently deployed automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) on its line trucks in Massachusetts. Eversource lineworkers and supervisors work at all hours of the day, in every corner of the commonwealth, and in all weather conditions, to ensure the reliable delivery of power to customers. That means crews are frequently working in remote areas, or in conditions that make it nearly impossible for first responders to reach them in the recommended three to five minutes that aid needs to be administered during a cardiac emergency. With the deployment of AEDs on line trucks, Eversource lineworkers are now equipped to immediately begin delivering life-saving care in the field if one of their co-workers experiences cardiac arrest.
“At Eversource, we live the mantra ‘safety first and always’ every day, and the installation of AEDs in our service centers throughout the commonwealth is an important part of those efforts,” said Eversource Safety Director Jonathan Duffy. “Every second counts when someone is experiencing cardiac arrest, with a person’s chances of survival significantly increasing when CPR is performed. These AEDs can be used before emergency services arrive, providing each of our line crews and substation crews with an additional tool to enhance the safety of our team working in the field by ensuring that emergency services are accessible to them wherever they go.”
In 2019, Eversource deployed 100 AEDs throughout Massachusetts at its work centers and substation groups. One hundred fifty additional AEDs are being deployed this year. The goal is to eventually equip each field crew with an AED on their line truck. Each day, the defibrillators are signed out by crews assigned jobs in more remote locations where emergency services may take longer to respond. Because Eversource line crews are working 24/7 throughout the state and are frequently the first to respond to emergencies, the AED program will also help to enhance the safety of the public.
In 2015, an Eversource field worker was flagged down by a Norfolk mother whose baby had started to drown in a bathtub. He was credited with saving the little girl’s life after performing CPR. With expanded access to AEDs, the energy company’s crews will be empowered to provide emergency services to one another, as well as to members of the public they encounter in the field who are experiencing cardiac arrest.
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