CARDIGAN Fire and Rescue Station officially unveiled its new co-responder vehicle at a blessing ceremony conducted by Canon Illtyd Protheroe, chaplain to the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

The co-responder capability project is a partnership between Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust, where Fire Service personnel assist the Trust by providing life support on scene in isolated locations, until the arrival of the ambulance service.

MAWWFRS crews are highly trained in trauma and emergency care and equipped with co-responder vehicles that carry equipment such as oxygen and automatic external defibrillation.

“I would like to thank the local community, on behalf of the Watch at Cardigan Station, for the fantastic donation of £17,300 which has been raised through public donations and various fund-raising events, such as a sponsored cycle ride from Cardigan to Aberystwyth and back,” said Watch manager John Mitchell.

“Our medical response team is trained to a very high standard and attend to between 200 and 300 calls a year, many of which are life-threatening, before handing the incidents over to the oncoming paramedics.”

Group manager Adrian Smith, head of Ceredigion County Command, said: “Cardigan Fire and Rescue Station serves to protect both the town of Cardigan and the surrounding rural area. This vehicle is therefore an invaluable asset to the community, with its 4x4 capability, room for patient transfer in an emergency, reliability, high visibility and audible safety factors. We are proud to support the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust through the co-responder partnership.”

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