This story was published December 6 in the Derry News
Red Knights aid Heart Safe project
written by Eric Parry
DERRY | The local firefighters motorcycle club donated more than $1,900 this week toward the goal of putting defibrillators in all public buildings in town.
Firefighter Rob DeGroot, a member of the Derry Chapter of the Red Knights International Motorcycle Club, presented the check to the Town Council to help fund Heart Safe Derry.
In addition to helping businesses and local organizations purchase defibrillators, Heart Safe Derry holds free monthly training sessions on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of defibrillators.
Used in conjunction with CPR, the machines are the best way to restore the heartbeat of people stricken with sudden cardiac arrest, which kills more people each year than any other disease, according to Derry Emergency Medical Services Director Chuck Hemeon.
The firefighters raised $1,932 through an 85-mile motorcycle ride in September.
