Boston Pipes and Drums band saves float driver after July 4 parade

Joe Difazio
The Patriot Ledger

QUINCY, Mass. — Quick thinking and action by the Greater Boston Firefighters Pipes and Drums band after a July 4th parade in Quincy's Squantim neighborhood helped save a man's life.

After the parade on Saturday members of the band saw the driver of a truck that was transporting a float slumped over the wheel in cardiac arrest while the truck was still moving, according to Quincy's firefighter union, IAFF Local 792.

The band members, off-duty firefighters, got into the truck and were able to secure the truck's brakes and engine, "most likely averting a disaster with the big crowd that was present behind Squantum School at the time," the union said.

The firefighters took the driver out and began doing CPR. An off-duty Quincy firefighter took a golf cart and grabbed a defibrillator from one of the city's fire engines that was in the parade and brought it back to the man. Firefighters administered two shocks to the man who was then able to start talking.

The man was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim, who we all pray has a good outcome," the union said in a statement. "Awesome job by everyone involved this morning. Just another example of how we are always “on duty” in the fire service."

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Firefighter band rescues man suffering cardiac arrest after Quincy 4th of July parade

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