Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 12/12/2008 14:23

Cornwall County Fire Brigade is delighted to announce that two retained firefighters, Chris Burnett and James King, from Helston Fire Station have recently passed the necessary training to become Co-responders.

The Co-responder scheme operates on the Lizard peninsula from St.Keverne, Mullion and Helston and has done since 1999. Retained firefighters at these locations are trained by the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust, to provide additional life saving skills; to include the use of defibrillators and make a first attendance to a medical emergency where an ambulance may have a longer travel time.

Andy Barrett, Assistant Divisional Officer says, “This is great news for the Co-responders scheme, which has been used 228 times in the past year to help people who needed a fast medical response, where our firefighters were able to help. The scheme wouldn’t be possible without the support of our firefighters’ employees, who not only allow them to answer 999 fire calls, but to answer medical calls under the co-responder scheme as well.”

Chris Burnett works at Tesco in Helston, and his manager Paul Acres fully supports the scheme. Paul says, “Tesco is the type of work place that allows some flexibility in order for interests like this to be pursued. The emergency services do a tremendous job and it's great to know that in some small way this store has helped to increase the vital resources of the Cornwall Fire Brigade and the co-responder scheme. ”

Steve Small, who trained the firefighters in medical care concludes, “Co-Responders are despatched to assist all immediately life threatening situations requiring urgent lifesaving response and paramedic assistance, such as Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) response, involving cardiac arrest, choking, uncontrolled haemorrhage and others. They are invaluable to South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust, responding to 15-20 emergency situations per month, so we are delighted that two more Cornwall County Fire Brigade firefighters have qualified.”

Pic: L/r: Station Manager Keith Stringer, Chris Burnett with his employer Paul Acres of Tesco, Helston, James King with his employer Darren Hendy of DS Hendy and Mark Skinner who is self-employed, firefighters Andy Wilkinson and Mat Crocker and Divisional Officer Andy Barrett.

Picture by Colin Higgs/C&IoSP

Related item: http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2239