LAKEVILLE — One hot day in August of 2020 very easily could have been his last. In the midst of changing a tire in his driveway, Lakeville resident Charles Chaffalo collapsed and went unconscious. His heart stopped beating. 

If it weren’t for Lakeville firefighters that came to his rescue, and his daughter Diana Chaffalo performing CPR until they arrived, it might have never started again. 

Chaffalo was one of many who commended Lakeville fire personnel at the department’s fourth annual Recognition Night on Monday, Oct. 28 for how they serve members of the community like him. 

During the occasion, new firefighters were sworn in and graduates from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy received recognition for their accomplishment. 

Chaffalo has been a fixture at the event since firefighters saved his life. “I promised myself and the fire department that I’d be there every year. They’re the ones that saved me,” he said. 

Firefighters brought him back to life four times after his heart stopped, said Deputy Chief Pam Garant, who was at the scene. 

Once they realized Chaffalo was in cardiac arrest, Garant said she took a chance and decided to bring Chaffalo to a hospital that was farther away but specialized in cardiac care as opposed to bringing him to the closest medical center. 

Chaffalo underwent triple by-pass heart surgery and was hospitalized for a month at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River. He knows however that his prognosis would likely have been far worse had Lakeville firefighters not showed up to his home that day. 

“I can’t thank them enough. Every two months I am in the fire station so I can see these people. They mean a lot to me. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for these people,” he said to a crowd of new and veteran firefighters. 

Chaffalo put a face to the words that Lakeville Fire Chief Michael O’Brien impressed upon his crew earlier in the evening, as he urged his team to never stop improving their skills. 

“You will save a life. You will make a difference by making yourself better,” O’Brien said.

“Sometimes you forget you’re walking into the worst day of somebody’s life, and you’re trying to make it a little bit better,” he told them. 

He urged them to always be “ready to participate in the worst day of somebody’s life.” 

The fire department swore in 8 new firefighters: Jay Davies, PJ Machunski, Jonathan Villa, Alex Copeland, Charles Delisle, Ethan Hecht, Roy Morse, and Wayne Morse, as well as Paramedic Dan Pollard. 

Charles Delisle was inspired to become a first responder after he played an integral part in the at-home delivery of his daughter, 7-month-old Annabell Delisle. 

Firefighters Neal Severance, Brett Morse and Jackie Pierce were recognized for graduating from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. 

To extend a warm welcome to the additions to her crew, Deputy Chief Garant wrote a special note to each new member stating what they bring to the table. 

“Know what a privilege it is to be a firefighter, and know that you make a difference for good,” she said to conclude her speech.