Nancy Valentine, Chair of VCF's Board of Directors, Webster Hose Hook & Ladder Co. #3 Captain Charles M. Stankye, III, and VCF's Director of Programs Valerie Knight DiGangi.
ANSONIA – The Ansonia Fire Department now has a portable life-saving device on one of its trucks.
The devices, known as Automated External Defibrillators (AED), are used when someone is having a heart attack. They deliver a brief electric shock to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat.
The machine was $1,707 and was paid for by The Valley Community Foundation. The City of Ansonia paid $1,000 to train firefighters on the proper use of the AEDs.
The city’s ambulances are outfitted with AEDs, but this is the first for an Ansonia fire truck. It’s onboard a rescue truck at the Webster Hose Hook & Ladder Fire Co. # 3.
Webster Hose Captain Charles M. Stankye III, said the need to have an AED onboard a rescue truck was prompted after North Haven lost two firefighters on the job within the last year due to heart attacks, as well as the sudden collapse on the football field of NFL Buffalo Bills’ player Damar Hamlin in January.
“We took a hard look at what happened in North Haven where they lost two firefighters due to heart attack while fighting fires last year,” Stankye said. “We all saw the incident on national TV when an AED saved the life of an NFL player on the field.”
According to the American Heart Association, AEDs, when used within the first three minutes of sudden cardiac arrest, can increase survival rates over 80 percent.
Stankye said past captain Chris Sansone spearheaded the movement to get an AED.
Webster Hose applied for a VCF grant in May and was awarded the money a month later. The AED has been on the truck since July.
Nancy Valentine, chairwoman of VCF’s Board of Directors, said she knows firsthand how an AED can be a life-saving tool.
“This is a no brainer,” Valentine said. “I had a serious accident years ago and they used one (an AED) on me, so it’s a blessing. I had the personal experience so I know firsthand how they can save lives.”
Mayor David Cassetti thanked the VCF for making firefighters safer..
“It’s a needed thing and I want to thank the Valley Community Foundation for their donation of the AED,” Cassetti said.
Valerie Knight-DiGangi, VCF’s director of programs, was glad to help.
“When Webster Hose came to us, it really spoke to the fact of how important it is to have these materials with the folks that are on the front lines and to keep them protected and keep them safe.” she said.
