AEDs Donated By Arlington Resident Installed At Two Local Fields

ARLINGTON, MA — The Town of Arlington announced Tuesday that two outdoor automated external defibrillators (AED) units donated by a resident have been installed in town.

An AED is used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. It's a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, medical device that can analyze the heart's rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.

The two new AEDs are now at Buck Field/Hills Hill Field on Summer Street and at Thorndike Field at the end of Margaret Street by the Minuteman Bikeway.

"Heart attacks can come on without warning and seconds matter," Arlington Fire Chief Kevin Kelley said in a statement. "Having these AEDs available and knowing how to use them can save lives."

For security reasons, these climate-controlled boxes are locked. A resident in need should call 911 to dispatch emergency services and obtain the necessary code to unlock box and access the AED Unit.

“I strongly encourage everyone to be aware of these new medical devices that can help save lives,” said Arlington Town Manager Jim Feeney. “I also want to thank Lyn Shamban for her generous donation and Arlington’s Recreation and Fire departments for their collaboration to get these AEDs installed.”

The AED units were donated by Arlington resident Lyn Shamban. In 2010, Shamban’s husband died after experiencing a cardiac arrest at his gym. A physician informed her that her husband may have survived if an AED was employed.

"[Shamban] has worked to make the devices more publicly available and the Town is grateful for her efforts and her donation," town officials said in a statement. "The Town is also working with Lyn on providing additional units in other Arlington parks in the future."