A fire crew is now available to assist the ambulance service with on co-responding cardiac arrest incidents.

On Monday, St Albans Fire was given the go-ahead to start responding to cardiac arrest calls across the area in an attempt to save lives put less lives at risk.

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue and the East of England Ambulance Service have been piloting a scheme in which fire crews have acted as co-responders when someone is in cardiac arrest.

Leslie Jones, station commander at St Albans Fire station, said: “I think it will be positive. We are assisting the ambulance service on a trial basis.

“If you are a patient having a cardiac arrest you do not care who comes to help you whether it is a paramedic or a firefighter.”

Commander Jones said their second pump will be called to assist the ambulance crews.

When the East of England Ambulance Service receives a life-threatening call theyit will contact the fire control room, which who will issue an engine to assist the ambulance crew.

Watford and Stevenage crews have already taken part in theis trial last June and Commander Jones believes it has had a positive impact.

If the fire service receives a life threatening fire call while they are on route to a co-responding cardiac arrest call it would be up to the control room to decide whether the crew continues to assist paramedics or to go deal with the fire.

The trial scheme will be discussed in around April or May time to see whether it is worth the fire crews continuing to assist the ambulance service with cardiac arrest calls.