LYNNFIELD — “In service and out to save lives.”
Those were the words Friday of Fire Chief Glenn Davis after a life-saving LUCAS 3 CPR device donated by the family of Brian Ambrefe was placed inside a town ambulance at the department’s Summer Street headquarters.
Ambrefe, the popular longtime owner of the Village Pharmacy, died suddenly last year on Aug. 23. His death at his Main Street business ignited an outpouring of condolences and community support.
“Brian always had a reverence for EMS and police,” said Ambrefe’s widow, Mary Ambrefe, “and the fact that that’s how his life ended, for me, (made) it important to continue to support the Fire Department and for them to know how important it was … that they cared for him until the end of his life, till we could be there to receive him.”
Davis said the LUCAS machine is a mechanical device that is used to apply chest compressions during a cardiac arrest, freeing up paramedics to initiate more advanced care as they are not tied up exclusively with providing manual compressions. The department now has two LUCAS machines currently available for use.
“It lets us be more efficient and effective in what we do and how we deliver our care,” Davis said.
Police Chief David Breen described the machine as “incredible,” adding he is fortunate to have seen the machine used first-hand. He said he “was impressed with how it allowed our first responders to do other things.”
The idea for the gift took hold in June when Davis was approached by Mary about making a meaningful donation to the department.
“Mary and her children were looking for an opportunity to honor Brian’s commitment to the town of Lynnfield over the span of three decades,” Davis said. “We settled on the LUCAS machine in the hope that the community will recognize this as Brian’s way to continue to care for the townspeople.”
Lyndon said the family was motivated in large part by the compassionate care his father received on the day he died.
“It was a very difficult day, the day that we lost Dad, and one of the first memories I have of that day was speaking to the chief and just the professionalism of all of the firefighters and police and EMTs in the town of Lynnfield was truly a comforting thing for our entire family,” said son Lyndon. “Anything that we could do to contribute back to the community was what we wanted to do.”
“This donation is a way for Dad to live on in the community,” daughter Avery said. “He was always seen as someone in whom the community could always trust, someone they could go to with their concerns. He was there to protect them and guide them through difficult times, and I think it is a wonderful way for his memory to live on.”
Davis said an account has been established to accept donations for the fire department, but is not named for or connected to Brian. Anyone seeking to donate may simply write a check to the Town of Lynnfield with an accompanying note directing it to be used by the department.
Mary said her family felt strongly that the community should have a mechanism in place to allow for targeted donations to the fire department for ongoing needs that extend beyond its operating budget.
“We take a measure of peace using our loss to both provide and promote additional philanthropic support to the frontline heroes of the community,” Mary said. “To outfit, train and equip the team with all they need to provide the very highest level of service requires an ongoing commitment to update the aforementioned through thoughtful prioritization of needs.”
Earlier in the week, the Board of Selectmen officially accepted the gift during a Zoom meeting. Board Chairman Chris Barrett said that Brian’s death was a huge loss to the community and this donation is a “wonderful legacy for him.”
“This is just a magnificent gesture on behalf of the community. All I can say is thank you so much,” added Selectman Dick Dalton.
