Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has received confirmation from the National Ambulance Service (NAS) that Donegal’s Fire and Rescue Service personnel can be deployed as first responders for cardiac arrest calls for the Ambulance Service.
He had raised the issue again with the current Minister for Health, having raised it with various Ministers in the past.
The Sinn Fein TD said “Over the years, many Fire and Rescue Service personnel across Donegal have raised with me their desire to back up the Ambulance Service in the county as Emergency First Responders for emergencies such as cardiac or respiratory. Unfortunately this had not been facilitated by the National Ambulance Service and local authorities such as Donegal County Council.
“I believe that the geographic spread of our Fire and Rescue Service personnel across Donegal is an ideal and vital back up for the Ambulance Service and their requests make sense. I had been advised that negotiations were ongoing at the national level when I raised this over the years and I am pleased to learn that this is now being advanced”.
He added that he has been advised by the NAS that the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) Priority Dispatch Standard does authorise the use of Fire and Rescue Service staff whom are trained as Emergency First Responders (EFR) to respond to specific categories of emergencies in a co-response or first response capacity, but not in a transporting capacity.
He added “The NAS have also advised me that they are currently engaging with Local Authority fire services with a view to utilising the fire services as emergency first responders to cardiac arrest calls across the country. These discussions are currently ongoing”.
“I would now call on Donegal County Council to immediately engage with the National Ambulance Service and to ensure that our trained Fire and Rescue Service personnel across the county can be deployed to back up the ambulance service as soon as possible”.
