A life-saving partnership between ambulance staff and firefighters will be extended with the launch of a new co-responding trial in March.

Over the last few months, the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) has been working with six fire and rescue services on a pilot that will involve firefighters attending cardiac arrests.

It will see firefighters deployed in response cars as well as ambulance clinicians and community first responders to calls where a patient is not breathing and their heart has stopped beating.

Rick Hylton, assistant chief fire officer for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We are very excited to begin this trial.

“Our on-call crews taking part are already at the heart of their communities and have been very enthusiastic during the planning stages and are keen to get started.”

Firefighters are trained in basic life-support and equipped with defibrillators. The trust will also provide on-going basic life support to those taking part in the trial.

The scheme, which will later roll out to more than 20 locations in the east of England, is to begin on a trial basis in March from Monday (May 23).