FAIRHAVEN Animal hospital staff started CPR and Fairhaven paramedics revived a person in cardiac arrest last month, and the patient is now recovering at home in Middleborough, according to a Fairhaven Fire-EMS post.
The department shared the account Tuesday evening as "some positive news," crediting its firefighter paramedics and the staff of the New England Animal Hospital, who had already begun CPR when the ambulance, Medic 1, arrived.
What happened
In October, the department's firefighter paramedics were called to a local animal hospital for a report of a person having a medical emergency in the waiting area, according to the post. During the call, dispatchers trained to give prearrival medical instructions worked out with the callers that the patient was now in cardiac arrest, with no pulse, and relayed that to the responding ambulance.
That update brought more crews to the scene, and time was of the essence, the department wrote. Animal hospital employees were doing CPR before Medic 1 pulled in, and shortly after that, Engine 2 arrived with two more firefighter paramedics, along with Car 3.
Paramedics kept up CPR, started advanced cardiac life support and took the patient to St. Luke's Hospital. On the way, they achieved what the department calls ROSC, the return of spontaneous circulation.
The department said it recently learned the patient is recovering at home in Middleborough, where the patient had just moved and was excited to start a new chapter.
The chain of survival
Along with commending its own firefighter paramedics for their "continued exceptional performance," Fairhaven Fire-EMS recognized the New England Animal Hospital staff for starting what it called the chain of survival: early recognition and calling for help, high-quality CPR with chest compressions, and defibrillation if a defibrillator is on hand.
The department pointed readers to the American Heart Association's chain of survival page to learn how to be ready and why it matters to share outcomes like this one.
Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.
Notes
Every fact comes from the Fairhaven Fire-EMS post of Nov. 10 and the photo the department posted with it, which we read on Nov. 11. The post dates the call only to last month and does not name the patient or the crew members, and this story names no one the post does not. We checked each date and weekday against a calendar. Not heard: this story rests on the department's own post.
Corrections
No corrections to this story. If something here is wrong, tell us. Every correction is dated on the story and listed in our public log.
Sources (3)
- Fairhaven Fire-EMS, Facebook post beginning "We would like to take a moment to share some positive news!"Fairhaven Fire-EMS, posted Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, 8:32 p.m. The call last month at a local animal hospital, the dispatchers and prearrival medical instructions, cardiac arrest with no pulse, CPR by animal hospital employees, Medic 1, Engine 2 with two more firefighter paramedics, Car 3, advanced cardiac life support, transport to St. Luke's Hospital, ROSC during transport, the patient recovering at home in Middleborough, the thanks to the New England Animal Hospital staff and the chain of survival steps, with a link to the American Heart Association. Read Nov. 11, 2026.
- Fairhaven Fire-EMS, photo posted with the same postFairhaven Fire-EMS. A department ambulance marked M1 outside a Fairhaven fire station. Read Nov. 11, 2026.
- American Heart Association, CPR and first aid site, chain of survival page (linked in the department's post)American Heart Association. Named only as the page the department pointed readers to. Read Nov. 11, 2026.