FIREFIGHTERS are to respond to medical emergencies as part of a new pilot.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service is working in partnership with South East Coast Ambulance (Secamb) on the project.

It will involve specially trained firefighters being sent out to deal with life-threatening calls such as heart attacks, major bleeding and difficulty breathing.

The aim is for them to provide immediate care until paramedics can get to the scene and take over treatment.

The project works in the same way as the successful community first responders scheme, where volunteers are trained to deal with urgent calls in their local area so patients can start getting care as soon as possible.

This includes using a defibrillator and carrying out CPR if a patient’s heart has stopped.

It is expected to particularly benefit people in more rural areas although Brighton and Hove and towns will also be included in the scheme.

The move follows similar schemes in West Sussex, Surrey and Kent.

East Sussex assistant chief fire officer Mark Andrews said: “This is an important step for us and we are looking forward to working closely with our emergency services colleagues at South East Coast Ambulance.

“This can make a real difference to the communities we both serve, by helping deliver lifesaving actions within minutes of a medical emergency.

“Our firefighters are already well trained in first aid and all fire engines already carry oxygen therapy equipment, defibrillators and immediate emergency care kits.

“We will provide additional training in the coming months to prepare for this pilot. We will carefully monitor the impact this has on our response to other incidents and have measures in place to quickly change our availability to respond to medical emergencies if we are needed elsewhere.”

Secamb clinical quality manager and co-responding lead Matt England said: “This collaboration is about ensuring our most seriously-ill patients are seen as quickly as possible.

“When someone is in cardiac arrest, with every minute that passes their chances of survival diminish significantly.

“We’ll always assign an ambulance response to the call at the same time but if firefighters reach the scene of an emergency before ambulance crews, they will be able to begin vital life-saving treatment.”

The project is due to start in the summer.