By James Simons-
Suffolk firefighters heroicly rescued a 96-year-old woman from her burning home and performed life-saving CPR, hours after completing first aid training with paramedics.
The 96-year-old woman’s bungalow in Gages road, Belchamp St Paul, north Essex, was ablaze on Thursday night, crews from Clare and Long Melford were first on the scene. The alarm had been raised by neighbors, after hearing the smoke alarm . They tried desperately to break the door. The crews eventually broke the door open and then entered the home, in Gages Road, wearing breathing apparatus as the home was smoke-logged. The old woman was on the floor collapsed when the crew finally got in.
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One neighbor told the eye of media.com:
“The place was full of acrid smoke. The firefighters went in with breathing apparatus and immediately started CPR.”
The paramedics did very well and gave her oxygen. She was eventually rushed to hospital by road ambulance.
The elderly woman, who lives alone, was recovering at West Suffolk Hospital last night.
The Long Melford fire crew is part of a national trial introducing the concept of ‘co-responders’.
CORRESPONDING
Area commander Dave Collins said earlier in the evening that his team had been doing co-responding training with the ambulance service.Collins told the eye of media.com
“They were able to utilize existing skills enhanced by the training they had received from co-responding to offer medical assistance and were then assisted by the ambulance service,” he said. “They did an excellent job, and we are very proud of the team
“The whole incident just goes to show how important it is that our emergency services collaborate and work together to achieve successful outcomes.”
“I think it’s really important to stress how much everyone at Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service wishes the lady involved a very speedy recovery.”
SMOKE ALARMS
He also emphasized the importance of smoke alarms, as the 96-year-old’s neighbor Mick Newton only became aware of the fire and raised the alarm when he heard the alarm.Collins also stressed the importance of smoke alarms, given how useful it was in alerting neighbors to the fire. Mr Newton’s daughter dialed 999 shortly before 10.15 pm after they were alerted to the fire. Mr Newton and Mr Pheby tried smashing down the door and at one point Mr Newton stuck his head through a smashed section looking for a light switch, inhaling a lot of smoke. Fire crews from Halstead and Sible Hedingham also arrived on the scene to help distinguish the fire. Essex Fire and Rescue Service is investigating the cause of the fire, and said it could not yet confirm the cause of the blaze.