The town of Wellesley has installed bright yellow boxes at Hunnewell and Sprague fields that contain Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), which can be employed in the case of cardiac events, and Narcan, medicine used to treat possible substance overdoses.
The Swellesley Report has been reporting since last summer on the town’s plans to secure and install AEDs at playing fields (see “Life saver: Wellesley readying to roll out AEDs on playing fields” (Aug. 8, 2025) and “Wellesley sports fields to get lifesaving heart devices” (Sept. 30, 2025))
There had been talk in Wellesley for years about the need to install AEDs at playing fields as a life saving measure, but concerns about everything from the security of the devices to the impact of extreme weather on them was raised. Wellesley United Soccer pushed the town to move forward, with guidance from Dr. Alcy Torres; the fire, health, and police departments partnered to purchase the devices, housed in boxes designed for rapid access in case of emergency.
Those witnessing medical emergencies can call 9-1-1 and Wellesley Police and Fire dispatchers will provide the access code to unlock the boxes, which are located at the Sprague Field house and the Hunnewell Field bathroom building.
Wellesley Director of Community and Public Health Lenny Izzo told us last summer that discovering similar boxes at Babson College had provided inspiration for the town to move forward.
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