Nine CFA brigades including Lakes Entrance are trained and ready to respond to select medical Triple Zero calls as part of a new program that will officially commence on November 27.
The new Fire Medical Response program is a joint initiative between CFA and Ambulance Victoria that will see CFA brigades dispatched simultaneously to cardiac arrests with the nearest ambulance.
The nine brigades including Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance have been training for months with Ambulance Victoria. By the completion of the program rollout, 50 strategically selected CFA brigades around Victoria will participate in the program.
These brigades are located across Victoria in areas that can best complement the Ambulance Victoria response where a CFA brigade may be able to reach a patient sooner.
Captain of Lakes Entrance CFA Phil Loukes sees this program as an extension to teamwork that his brigade already does with the ambulance service and other emergency services.
“We went through a full process to decide if we wanted to do this program and as our brigade cares deeply for our community decided it would be a good extension to our knowledge,” Phil said.
“We understand the ambulances are stretched at times and it is highly likely that we will be first to a scene.
“This program is a natural progression to our skill set and will enhance and add to our knowledge. The training has allowed us to grow the skills that we have.”
CFA Deputy Chief Officer Garry Cook said the program was a natural fit for CFA because of the 52,000 volunteers across the state.
“CFA has more than 1100 volunteer fire stations with more than 52,000 members,” Garry said.
“This puts CFA in a unique position to complement the Ambulance Victoria response in 50 locations across Victoria to help deliver early intervention to cardiac arrests.
“What this program means is that community members who call for an ambulance may receive both a fire truck and an ambulance.
“There is no specific order in which the services arrive to the incident.”
Ambulance Victoria Executive Director Regional Operations, Danielle North, said Victoria’s cardiac survival rates are one of the best in the world, thanks to high rates of early intervention.
“The Fire Medical Response program will improve survival rates for people in rural and regional Victoria and make access to emergency care in a cardiac arrest more equitable for all Victorians,” Ms North said.
“Quick intervention with CPR and a defibrillator has the greatest impact on improving a patient’s chances of surviving a cardiac arrest. For every minute that CPR is delayed, survival decreases by 10 per cent,” she said.
