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Basketball coach saves life of opposing coach during medical emergency

Last Thursday night, Belmont Middle School coach Ian Haffer revived Waltham coach Ronnie Poirier during a boys basketball game in Belmont; Poirier was taken to the hospital for treatment.
About three minutes into the game, Ronnie Poirier fell face down, prompting immediate alarm, and Ian Haffer said, `Everyone was just unsure of what was going on.`
Reed Bundy recalled, `I was on with the dispatcher and the dispatcher was talking me through it, and goes, 'Okay, get the AED,'` as someone else removed Poirier's shirt and applied AED pads before turning the device on.
Officials say Poirier suffered a heart attack and remains in the hospital cardiac unit awaiting further tests, and he is `beyond grateful` for Haffer’s quick response.
The incident spotlights on-site AEDs and trained responders as crucial safeguards at youth sporting events, with observers noting that `seconds really make all the difference` and the opposing-team doctor scenario highlighting trained bystanders' value.

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