Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and rescue service crews are better trained and equipped to help save lives when they are the first to arrive at an incident where people are dangerously ill.

A specialist Trauma Care course has been introduced which gives firefighters enhanced training to deal with the traumatic injuries they encounter at fires, road accidents and other emergencies.  This includes use of defibrillators (AEDs) to help revive victims of fire or accidents whose heats have stopped beating, equipment for resuscitation and delivering life saving oxygen to those suffering from smoke inhalation or traumatic injuries, and neck collars and spine-boards for rescuing people with suspected spinal injuries following road accidents or falls.

All-in-one rucksack type Trauma Bags have been provided so that the equipment can be taken speedily to the patient and special Patient Report Forms are being introduced to ensure that vital information is passed on to the Ambulance Service at patient hand over.

"Seconds can be vital in saving someone's life if the fire service is the first emergency service on the scene it makes sense for our teams to have the right equipment to save more lives," said Chief Fire Officer Pual Fuller.

When someone suffers a cardiac arrest their chances of survival drop by 14% with every minute that passes*.  If that person has been in a fire or a road traffic accident to which a fire appliance has been mobilised, the crews on board can act straight away if an ambulance has not yet arrived at the scene.

"This is not about fire service doing the job of ambulance crews; it is about our role as an emergency service in saving lives and ensures that when we are best placed, we have the equipment to do so," added CFO Fuller.

Improved oxygen therapy and resuscitation equipment has been introduced.  The remaining specialist equipment, including AED defibrillators, neck collars and spinal long boards "went live" in Bedfordshire and Luton on 10 September 2007.

*Source British Heart Foundation