Fire crews 'to treat heart attacks'

London fire crews could be required to treat heart attack victims if controversial plans are accepted by their union.

The proposals were under consideration before an incident yesterday in which a 54-year-old West Yorkshire man, Andrew Clarkson, died from a heart attack.

Ambulances had been too far away and a fire engine had responded to a 999 call from Mr Clarkson's family.

The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, the body responsible for London's 112 stations, wants to introduce the system of "first responder" - meaning that the nearest available emergency crews, whether fire

or ambulance - are sent to give assistance.

The system is already in place in other parts of the country.

Valerie Shawcross, Labour chair of the fire authority, said she wanted to introduce the scheme because as few as five per cent of heart attack victims in central London survive because medical help had not arrived in time.

However, this would require fire tenders to carry defibrillators - used in emergencies to restart a patient's heart.

This is bitterly opposed by the London Fire Brigades Union.

FBU spokesman Mick Shaw said his members were not opposed in principle to crews being equipped with defibrillators, but did not want to see firefighters doing the job of the ambulance service and then being unable to tackle fires.

"What we are opposed to is fire engines being sent on ambulance calls where the ambulance service doesn't have an adequate service," he said.

"If we are sent out to an elderly person who has collapsed with a heart attack then we are not able to deal with the house down the road where the fire has broken out."