Firefighters going the extra mile to give medical help

Firefighters in Collingham have been going the extra mile to support their local community — by attending medical emergencies.

The retained crew, who normally attend the fire station from home or work when alerted by a pager, took on the extra responsibility in January.

Their involvement is part of a national Emergency First Responder Scheme (EFR) trial.

So far, Collingham firefighters have attended more than 50 medical calls.

Unlike a normal fire and rescue call, where they will attend the station and travel on board the fire engine, the firefighters take a first responder car home with them.

When needed, they are mobilised by East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS).

The firefighters are sent to emergencies when they may be able to get there a few minutes ahead of an ambulance, giving patients a better chance of survival.

The calls so far have been within Collingham to as far as the Lincolnshire border.

They have included helping people who have been unconscious and others suffering chest pain.

“We have got a number of first and co-responding schemes running across Nottinghamshire at the minute and I am pleased we have been able to extend this trial to Collingham,” said group manager Mr Damien West, who oversees both the service’s North Group and also the Emergency First Responder Scheme trial.

“The crew has done an excellent job in organising the extra training they have needed and, as the figures show, have already helped a significant number of people.”

'A better chance of survival'

The Collingham crew took over the Emergency First Responder responsibility from colleagues at Newark, who had been doing the trial, along with colleagues from Harworth, since it first began in 2015.

“As a crew we are committed to helping people, which is why we didn’t think twice about joining the Emergency First Responder scheme,” said Collingham watch manager Wayne Brooks.

“We don’t attend medical emergencies instead of an ambulance, but the fact that we all live within the village means we may be able to get to patients that little bit quicker than an ambulance.

“This can potentially mean patients are given treatment sooner and, if this gives people a better chance of survival then it is only a good thing.

“Everyone has received us well so far and the team have done an exceptional job in taking on the new responsibility.

“We are all given medical training on our firefighter courses, so it has made a great deal of sense for us to be given the chance to use these life-saving skills within the Collingham area.”

Also commenting on the trial, Mr Pete Ripley, EMAS associate director of operations, said: “The community-focused response model is something we have been doing for a number of years.

“We have Community First Responders and retained fire responders across the whole East Midlands and benefits are seen for those patients in a time-critical emergency such as cardiac arrest.

“Having someone there who can provide basic life support, including defibrillation and CPR, within minutes of the collapse, will improve the patient’s chance of survival.”