Community
28 March, 2025
Brigade trained for medical response
PORT Fairy Fire Brigade is now one of 11 CFA brigades that are trained and ready to respond to select medical Triple Zero calls.
The new program, titled ‘Fire Medical Response,’ officially commenced on December 4 last year.
The program is a joint initiative of CFA and Ambulance Victoria that will see CFA brigades and Ambulance Victoria dispatched simultaneously to cardiac arrests.
The Port Fairy brigade is the first brigade in south-west Victoria to come online as an active Fire Medical Response brigade, responding to cardiac arrests in the local community.
Brigade captain Hugh Worrall said the decision to join the program was an easy one.
“Given the benefits this program will provide the Port Fairy community, we did not hesitate to join,” he said.
“What this program means is that community members who call for an ambulance may receive both a fire vehicle and an ambulance.
“There is no specific order in which the services arrive to the incident.”
Port Fairy Fire Brigade has been training with Ambulance Victoria for months, in preparation for the program which will complement the Ambulance Victoria service in the local area.
CFA deputy chief officer Garry Cook said the program was a natural fit for CFA because of the 52,000 volunteers across the state.
“CFA has more than 1,100 volunteer fire stations with more than 52,000 members,” Garry said.
“This puts CFA in a unique position to complement the Ambulance Victoria response in 50 locations across Victoria to help deliver early intervention to cardiac arrests.”
Ambulance Victoria executive director of regional operations, Danielle North, said Victoria’s cardiac survival rates are one of the best in the world, thanks to high rates of early intervention.
“The Fire Medical Response program will improve survival rates for people in rural and regional Victoria,” Danielle said.
“Quick intervention with CPR and a defibrillator has the greatest impact on improving a patient’s chances of surviving a cardiac arrest.”
The Port Fairy brigade officially commenced as a Fire Medical Response Brigade last Thursday, March 20.
It is believed the Hamilton brigade will also join the program in the near future.
