Cam Nashville AIS second in bound robotics challenge P6 P3 ASHBURTON
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Tuesday, August 19, 2014
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Firefighters under pressure BY SUSAN SANDYS
SUSAN.S@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ
Ashburton firefighters may be forced to increase their numbers and introduce split shifts in the face of increasing callouts, many of them medical assists. Just how much medical assist calls have increased was dramatically illustrated yesterday when firefighters had to respond to three within 20 minutes, even transporting one patient to Ashburton Hospital in their fire engine. Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade chief Alan Burgess said the number of medical assist calls, where the brigade helped ambulance services in responding to calls, had increased from up to a dozen 10 years ago to 70 per year today. A high level review involving the country’s ambulance and fire services was currently under way, and it was possible the expectations on the brigade could increase even more. “The hope is they don’t increase very dramatically from where we currently are,” Mr Burgess said. However, in the case of more responsibility being put onto the brigade, it would have to increase its volunteer numbers from the 30 it currently had, and could introduce split shifts. “There is some work in the pipeline at the moment to in-
Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade members attend the second of three medical assist callouts within 20 minutes yesterday. PHOTO GINA BUCKLEY 180814-GB-027
crease by five members, hopefully that will take some day time pressure off the people doing the majority of those calls during the day,” Mr Burgess said. He said yesterday’s frantic 20 minutes for the brigade and St John was unusual. St John was alerted at 1.34pm
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to a woman having collapsed at Mitre 10. The brigade also attended and the patient, believed to be aged in her 20s, was taken by ambulance to Ashburton Hospital emergency department. Four minutes later St John was called to a man who had collapsed on Cameron Street.
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The brigade also attended and the patient, in his 70s, was also taken to Ashburton Hospital emergency department. St John was unable to immediately respond to the third incident, alerted at 1.52pm, on East Street, where a woman, in her 20s, had collapsed. She was transported in the brigade’s fire
engine to Ashburton Hospital. Mr Burgess said for the latter incident, the manner of transport had been adequate for the situation. “It (fire engine transfers) tends to be of a more minor nature, because they don’t require medical assistance along the way,” he said. Ph 03 307 7900 to subscribe!
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