Latest News from Five Villages Community First Responders

Firefighters join Misterton's community first responder scheme

If you have a heart attack your best chance of survival is being defibrillated as quickly as possible. From 21st December 2005 retained firefighters at Misterton Fire Station will be working closely with East Midlands Ambulance Service and joining the already successful community first responder scheme, which has served Misterton since April 2004.

The existing community first responder team in Misterton will continue to be EMAS's first port of call for attending medical emergencies in the area where an ambulance is not able to attend straight away. Firefighters can be called upon if the team are busy or if EMAS require medical assistance at road traffic collisions, fires or major incidents in the area.

For specially trained firefighters in Misterton being a community first responder will mean that when a fire appliance can arrive quicker than an ambulance, they may be sent to stabilise a patient until paramedics arrive.

Pictured: Libby Stennett, Misterton First Responder and John Douglas, Misterton Firefighter, practice life support skills.

As community first responders, firefighters will attend a limited range of medical emergencies including people who have chest pains, breathing problems or cardiac arrests. They will use automatic defibrillators, which are simple to use and are now found in public buildings and shopping centres all over the UK.

Watch Manager at Misterton Fire Station, Andy Horton, said: "There is already a team of local people who do a fantastic job as community first responders. As a station we've raised funds to support them and will continue to do so. We've also offered our station as a training base for the community responders. We want to work closely with the existing responders, not take over from them.

"We will be able to provide more capacity for the scheme and attend additional incidents, such as road traffic collisions and fires and have the skill and equipment to give medical care until an Ambulance can arrive."

Martyn Johnson, Team Leader for the Community First Responder Team based at Misterton said: "We are looking forward to working with the firefighters at Misterton in their new role. The community first responders will continue to be despatched to medical emergencies such as chest pains, breathing problems, collapses and cardiac arrests in Misterton and the surrounding villages, and will provide immediate care until the arrival of the Ambulance.

"Our experienced team of First Responders have attended over 250 such medical emergencies in the local area since the scheme was launched in April 2004. This is a positive move and one which we hope will be very successful, with both of our teams working together for the good of the local community."

Chief Fire Officer Paul Woods said: "Following a heart attack, every minute counts. Early stabilisation and defibrillation can mean the difference between life and death. All firefighters have extensive training in providing emergency care. We have had medical technicians in the fire and rescue service since 1992, this is just an extension to an existing role but one that will save even more lives. We are pleased to be providing this service to the public and valuable assistance to our colleagues in the East Midlands Ambulance Service."

Alan Marwood, Response Manager for EMAS, said: "The idea behind community defibrillation was prompted by the Government publication "Saving Lives, Our Healthier Nation". We already have over 40 Community First Responder schemes in operation and quite simply, lives are now being saved thanks to the assistance we receive.

"The focus is to provide improved patient care and early access to defibrillation. They draw together a host of different organisations such as the British Red Cross, St John and Royal Life Saving Society - and the general public."

21/12/05