Cambridge Fire Hosting Community CPR And AED Training

This free event is meant to help people be prepared to save lives.

By Benjamin Pierce, Patch Staff

Sep 16, 2026 9:24 AM EDT

The training is being sponsored by the Cambridge Fire Department, Avive Solutions, Pro EMS and Crimson EMS. (Jenna Fisher/Patch)

CAMBRIDGE, MA — The fire department is partnering with Avive Solutions to host a free community training event aimed at teaching residents how to respond during a cardiac emergency.

The Community CPR and AED Training Day will take place Thursday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Smith Campus Center on 1350 Massachusetts Ave. in Harvard Square. Members of the public, students, faculty, and staff are invited to stop by throughout the event.

Participants will receive hands-on training in CPR and the use of an Automated External Defibrillator, or AED. The event will feature 25 Avive Connect AEDs and CPR manikins provided by Avive Solutions, allowing participants to practice recognizing cardiac arrest, beginning chest compressions, and using an AED during a simulated emergency.

The training is being sponsored by the Cambridge Fire Department, Avive Solutions, Pro EMS and Crimson EMS, with representatives from Cambridge Fire, MIT EMS, Crimson EMS and Pro EMS participating in the event.

The event builds on an ongoing partnership between Cambridge Fire and Avive Solutions aimed at making Cambridge a "4 Minute Community." The initiative is designed to place connected AEDs throughout the community and train volunteers who can potentially respond to cardiac arrest emergencies during the critical minutes before professional first responders arrive.

Cambridge Fire has already deployed 50 Avive AEDs throughout the city, while MIT has installed another 326 devices across its campus. The deployments bring the total number of connected AEDs across Cambridge to nearly 380.

As part of the broader initiative, volunteers known as Cardiac Arrest Rapid Engagement, or CARE, team members can be equipped with connected AEDs. Historical cardiac arrest data is also used to help determine where devices should be placed throughout the community.