FIREFIGHTERS will be among the first people to be trained to use new life-saving equipment in a partnership between the county fire and ambulance services.

Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service NHS Trust has been given 79 defibrillators as part of a national programme. The trust will work with Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service to train firefighters, including those in Evesham and Pershore, to use the defibrillators when treating heart attack patients.

The British Heart Foundation and the Big Lottery Fund has funded the equipment as part of a £6million programme nationwide.

Michelle Brotherton, community defibrillation officer for the ambulance service, will be running the training programme. She said: "When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, their chances of survival drop by 10 per cent for every minute that passes."

Fire service chief executive Russell Hamilton said: "More than 100,000 people each year suffer a cardiac arrest in a public place. Firefighters are often the first on the scene so this partnership will undoubtedly improve the chances of survival."

Chief fire officer David O'Dwyer said: "Both organisations want to provide the best service possible for the residents of Herefordshire and Worcestershire."

Volunteers are also needed from Pershore to set up a Community First Responder Scheme. They will be offered a full training programme. For information contact Clare Fulloway on 01905 765005.