Firefighters from Brighton have been praised by paramedics after carrying out life-saving resuscitation on a patient.
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said: “Firefighters have been thanked by their colleagues at South East Coast Ambulance Service for giving a patient ‘the best chance of survival’ after they performed CPR.
“When firefighters from Brighton came across an incident in Brighton, where a member of the public had collapsed, they immediately took action and began performing CPR while the ambulance service was on route.”
Matthew England, clinical quality manager at South East Coast Ambulance Service, said: “On arrival, critical care paramedics (CCP) noted that effective CPR was being carried out by fire service crews.
“This contributed to the patient regaining a pulse and being transported to hospital for further care.
“The crew involved were instrumental in giving this patient the best chance of survival.”
All East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service firefighters are trained in basic first aid, which includes how to carry out CPR.
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service operations manager Matt Elder said: “It’s a great opportunity to feedback to the duty watch who clearly performed life-saving actions to this person.
“It’s also a testament to our staff’s recognition to jump in when they see people who need our help and that our training has become well embedded.”
The service is also working towards training staff in immediate emergency care. This enhanced first aid training is designed to supplement existing first aid knowledge and will provide firefighters with greater skills.
This will enable firefighters to provide first aid in the immediate time preceding the arrival of the ambulance service.
