YP Comment: Rural emergency
AS firefighters are trained first-aiders, it makes sense to utilise this experience '“ particularly in rural areas like North Yorkshire when it might otherwise take time for a heart attack victim, for example, to receive medical treatment.
This suggestion is not to diminish the excellent work of NHS workers in this region’s more remote outposts. Quite the opposite. It’s about raising awareness of public health and recognising that firefighters, ambulance paramedics, doctors and health staff are all part of the same emergency response team.
It’s also a reminder about the importance of public places being equipped with easily accessible defibrillators – this is still one of the most effective ways of treating an individual who has stopped breathing. These lifesaving machines are priceless in those areas which do not have a hospital on their doorstep. After all, every second does truly count in such circumstances.