NIAS And NIFRS Team Up For Pilot Scheme In Lurgan

A pilot scheme in Lurgan has been launched by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) and Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service, which will see NIFRS personnel alerted to certain pre-determined emergency calls.

Over 1,400 people suffer "out of hospital cardiac arrests" in Northern Ireland every year. Less than 10% of these survive. Research has shown that early CPR and defibrillation greatly enhance survival rates. As part of the scheme, NIFRS crews in the Lurgan area will be notified of cardiac/respiratory arrest and chest pain related calls.

The pilot will run for six months and it is hoped that it will prove to be of benefit to the local community by providing greater potential for early CPR and defibrillation. The firefighters participating in the scheme, and who may arrive in advance of paramedics, will be trained to a recognised standard of "First Person on Scene; Intermediate" level which will enable them to administer life-saving medical treatment and stabilise the situation until the arrival of paramedics.

Mark Cochrane, NIAS Area Manager, said: "We already work closely with NIFRS colleagues at Road Traffic Collisions and Major Incidents and this is an extension of that joint work which will help patients with an immediately life-threatening condition.

"This pilot also builds on the collaborative work that NIAS has undertaken through Community First Response and Public Access Defibrillation schemes. We believe that this initiative will add significantly to the ability to commence CPR at the earliest possible moment.

"We highlight, quite extensively, that the delivery of early CPR and defibrillation to patients in cardiac arrest are the main factors that greatly enhance their chances of survival.

"The ambulance service will continue to respond to such calls as Category A response but the best thing for the patient is to ensure that someone trained in basic life support is at their side as quickly as possible."

(CD/JP)