Ambulance and fire service staff have attended 200 medical emergencies together since the launch of a co-response pilot.
Firefighters from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service have been attending cardiac arrests throughout the county under a ‘blue light’ scheme with the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST).
Wendy Risdale-Barrs, blue light collaboration regional lead for EEAST, said: “We have had a really positive response from firefighters and our staff since the co-response scheme launched, which has helped to save lives.
Under the scheme, firefighters are deployed as well as ambulance clinicians and community first responders to calls where a patient is not breathing and their heart has stopped beating.
Firefighters are already trained in basic life support and are equipped with defibrillators and the Trust is providing on-going training.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with our fire service colleagues as the pilot continues,” added Mrs Risdale-Barrs.
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