SAN FRANCISCO – October 13, 2026 -- Avive Solutions will deploy 30 Avive Connect AEDs as First Aid Sponsor of the 2026 Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR), supporting HOCR Emergency Services medical staff during the October 16-18 event in Boston and Cambridge.
Organizers expect about 325,000 unique spectators, 11,500 competitors and 2,400 volunteers at the world's largest three-day rowing competition.
AEDs will cover the full course on bikes, boats and at fixed stations
The devices will be split across three deployment points along the Charles River course, which runs about three miles from the Boston University Boathouse to Herter Park:
- Rapid Response Bike Teams: AEDs will travel on event bikes so medical staff can reach patients along the riverbanks and in crowded spectator areas.
- On the water: Every safety launch will carry an Avive AED, extending defibrillation capability to the river, where land-based response is not possible.
- Aid stations: All five aid stations will be equipped with Avive Connect AEDs.
Course complexity drives demand for portable, trackable defibrillators
Competitors navigate six bridge turns across roughly 74 events, with spectators lining the banks. Pete Davekos of HOCR Emergency Services said medical teams move through crowded areas where "every second counts," and that the AED's compact size and light weight help get equipment to responders where it is needed most.
Fleet monitoring and location data support mobile response units
Avive says the Connect platform lets organizers and medical teams monitor the entire AED fleet through its REALConnect oversight tool, confirming that devices are ready, accounted for and deployed where needed. Built-in connectivity shows where each unit is, which matters for AEDs moving on Gators and boats along the course.
The AEDs also provide step-by-step prompts intended to let trained medical staff, bystanders or volunteers operate them under pressure. A Child Mode covers both pediatric and adult patients at an event that draws all ages.