FIREFIGHTERS in Crewe will soon deliver life-saving treatment for heart attack patients in partnership with the North West Ambulance Service.

From Monday, June 6, if a person dials 999 to report a suspected cardiac arrest, both NWAS and firefighters will respond and whoever reaches the patient first will start the treatment.

Once the ambulance crew arrives, advanced life support will commence and the patient will be handed into the care of NWAS.

The project will begin as a pilot scheme in Crewe, Holmes Chapel, Frodsham and Warrington with the intention of extending to all stations across Cheshire.

Ged Blezard, director of operations at NWAS, said: “This is an extremely positive project and it’s great to work with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service on a scheme that will contribute to saving lives in Cheshire.

“The chances of survival from cardiac arrest diminish rapidly with every passing second so the sooner someone can receive treatment, the greater their chances are of leading a full and healthy life afterwards.

“It doesn’t matter who gives that treatment – whether it is a member of the public, an ambulance crew or a fire crew so the more resources there are available to respond, the better for those who suffer this potentially devastating condition.

“Sadly, despite everyone’s best efforts, not everyone survives a cardiac arrest but everyone deserves that chance and this is what this scheme will give people.”

Similar schemes were launched in Lancashire and Greater Manchester in 2015, and more recently in Merseyside at the beginning of 2016 and all have proved to be ‘very successful’.

There will be no change to the system of assigning and sending ambulances and medical staff to emergencies.

Mark Cashin, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service’s deputy chief fire officer, said: “We have a clear vision of a Cheshire where there are no deaths or injuries from fires or other emergencies and so we are delighted to be embarking on this exciting partnership initiative.

“We understand that with cardiac arrests every second counts and that the training and location of our crews puts us in an ideal position to support our partners in the North West Ambulance Service to deliver this potentially life-saving service.”