FIREFIGHTERS have responded to a spate of medical emergencies in east Cleveland in a pilot scheme set up to help save lives.

Four people suffering potentially life-threatening conditions have benefited from the Co-responder Scheme, which began in the area on February 26.

It means that firefighters are now able to respond to purely medical emergencies, such as heart attacks, before ambulance crews are able to arrive.

If ambulance crews are unable to attend the incident within eight minutes, they call on the assistance of the firefighters.

Fire crews in the east Cleveland area have been trained in the use of lifesaving equipment, such as defibrilators, which help with heart problems, and in the giving of oxygen therapy to patients.

Four fire stations - Guisborough, Saltburn, Skelton and Loftus - are taking part in the scheme, which is one of the first in the country, because of their distance from ambulance stations at Redcar and Carlin Howe.

Station manager Andy Withan, who is overseeing the project, said: "We are working in partnership with the ambulance, we are not going to incidents instead of them.

"The ambulance service receives the call. If they think we can get there quicker, then they contact us.

"Firefighters are not trained to be paramedics, and they are limited in what they can do, but they are trained to use defibrilators and oxygen therapy.

"Every minute counts in a situation such as a heart attack.

"Firefighters then wait with the patient until ambulance crews arrive." Guisborough firefighters were the first team to attend a medical emergency.

They were called at 8.54am on Thursday to a lorry driver in Whitby Road, Guisborough, who was complaining of chest pains.

They were with the man by 9.01am and gave him oxygen.

The second call-out was to an elderly woman in Saltburn at 8.58am on Thursday.

Saltburn firefighters were at the scene at 9.04am and gave the woman oxygen therapy and kept her calm.

The third call was to an elderly man in Loftus, who fell unconscious following chest pains at 12.26pm on Thursday.

Fire crews arrived at 12.32pm and gave oxygen.

The fourth incident was at 8.55am on Friday, and involved an elderly lady in Guisborough, who was kept calm by firefighters, who arrived at 9.01am.