Fire Fighters to respond to cardiac arrest cases
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service have signed a agreement today which will allow them to respond to cardiac arrest cases in the region.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service have signed an agreement today which will allow them to respond to cardiac arrest cases in the region.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The scheme will start from Tuesday 15th September and is designed to help the North West Ambulance Service with the five and a half thousand call outs each year.
When someone initially dials 999, the emergency services will now send a fire engine if one is close by to assist with the patient before paramedics arrive.
The new system is the first of its kind in the UK and hopes to increase survival rates of cardiac arrests to 65%.
WATCH: County Fire Chief Peter O'Reilly talks about how this will benefit the people of Greater Manchester:
Fire fighters already have basic life saving skills when it comes to CPR and using a defibrillator, making them the perfect candidate to help paramedics in these situations.
WATCH: Director of Operations at the North West Ambulance Service Derek Cartwright discusses how this initiative has come together over the past few months: