FREEDOM OF INFORMATION – APPLICATION REFERENCE 2015/02
Thank you for your application under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 ("the Act") in relation to medical responses within Humberside Fire and Rescue Service.
The request is:
We are collecting information about response to medical incidents (usually categorised as first-responding and co-responding) by the fire and rescue service. Below is the information we would like to obtain from you under the Freedom of Information Act. Specifically we would like to know:
1) Whether any firefighters in your fire and rescue service respond to medical incidents:
i) as first responders?
ii) as co-responders?
iii) any other arrangements (please specify)?
2) If so, approximately how many firefighters are engaged in responding to medical incidents:
i) as first responders?
ii) as co-responders?
3) How many firefighters engaged in responding to medical incidents:
i) are employed as retained (“on-call”) firefighters?
ii) are employed as wholetime firefighters?
4) If firefighters are mobilised to medical incidents, do staff in the control room:
i) process calls through the normal system?
ii) have a separate line?
5) How many stations in your fire and rescue service mobilise firefighters to respond to medical incidents?
6) Are there specialist vehicles used for responding to medical incidents?
7) Do fire appliances carry defibrillators? If so, how many?
8) How many medical incidents did the fire and rescue service respond to between April 2013 and March 2014?
i) as first responders?
ii) as co-responders?
9) a) Any prominent or high profile examples of firefighters’ assistance provided by medical interventions so far in 2015.
b) We would be grateful for any information on any medical matters the fire and rescue service engages in – for example including moving
bariatric patients.
We would prefer to receive this information in electronic form, preferably by e-mail, preferably in Word or Excel format.
The response is:
We are collecting information about response to medical incidents (usually categorised as first-responding and co-responding) by the fire and rescue service. Below is the information we would like to obtain from you under the Freedom of Information Act. Specifically we would like to know:
1) Whether any firefighters in your fire and rescue service respond to medical incidents:
i) N/A
ii) and iii)A number of ‘On call’ Firefighters respond to specific criteria of medical emergencies in the role of an Emergency First Responder, which is a scheme similar to a community first responder already in use by the Ambulance Service.
2) If so, approximately how many firefighters are engaged in responding to medical incidents:
i) N/A
ii) Approximately 80 Emergency First Responders are trained to respond to a specific criteria of medical incidents, which has been achieved as a phased project.
3) How many firefighters engaged in responding to medical incidents:
i) Approximately 80 “On Call Firefighters are engaged in Emergency First Responding activities, which has been achieved as a phased project
ii) Currently no Wholetime Firefighters respond to Emergency First Responder incidents.
4) If firefighters are mobilised to medical incidents, do staff in the control room:
i) All call routing and mobilisation of the Emergency First Response resource is through standard Ambulance Service Control room activities
ii) There is no separate medical line in HFRS control room, as we do not process the incident.
5) Currently HFRS have 11 ‘on Call ‘ stations throughout the East Riding of Yorkshire area responding to specific criteria of medical incidents in support of Yorkshire Ambulance Service, which has been achieved as a phased project.
6) HFRS have reused existing emergency response vehicles11 Skoda Octavia cars. The Emergency First Responders are supplied with a bespoke high conspicuous, marked cars with both audible and visual warning devices fitted as standard.
7) 47 defibrillators (one per front line appliance)
8) How many medical incidents did the fire and rescue service respond to between April 2013 and March 2014?
i) 30
ii) 8
HFRS Emergency First Response Scheme responded to 66 medical incidents.
9) a) As the Emergency First Responder scheme is only mobilised to a specific criteria of life threatening medical emergencies, all the incidents which have been attended are prominent and high profile.
b) Bariatric figures attached covers period requested.
If you are unhappy with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. A request for an internal review should be made within 2 months of the date of this email. If you are not happy with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply direct to the Information Commissioner. The address is: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.