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Published on: January 30, 2020
Fire fighters as basic life support responders: a study of successful implementation.
Christian Bjerre Høyer1, Erika Frischknecht Christensen
1Aarhus Fire Department, Ny Munkegade 15, City of Aarhus, Aarhus C, Denmark. cbh@dadlnet.dk
Summary
Implementing Basic Life Support (BLS) responders with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) significantly reduced emergency response times. This initiative improved early defibrillation rates and survival outcomes in cardiac arrest patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Emergency Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- First responders are crucial for early defibrillation, supplementing Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
- Successful implementation requires minimizing dispatch time, ensuring efficient communication, and optimizing driving distances within the 'Chain of Survival'.
- This study aimed to integrate Basic Life Support (BLS) responders with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in an area with existing short EMS response times.
Purpose of the Study:
- To implement and evaluate a BLS responder system with AEDs in an urban setting.
- To assess the system's impact on response times and early defibrillation success.
- To determine if BLS responders could arrive before EMS and facilitate defibrillation.
Main Methods:
- A prospective observational study conducted in Aarhus, Denmark, from September 2005 to December 2007 (28 months).
- BLS responders were deployed within a 3-kilometer driving distance from a central fire station, covering approximately 81,500 inhabitants.
- Direct dispatch to the fire brigade dispatcher and strategic area selection were used to minimize response times.
Main Results:
- BLS responders had 1076 patient contacts with a median response time of 3.5 minutes.
- BLS responders arrived before EMS in 73% of cases (789/1076).
- In 53 cardiac arrest cases, AEDs were attached in 29, shockable rhythm detected in nine, and eight patients were defibrillated, leading to seven achieving return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and six surviving >30 days.
Conclusions:
- The implementation of BLS responders equipped with AEDs demonstrated potential for successful resuscitation.
- The project successfully strengthened the initial link in the chain of survival through reduced response times and trained personnel for early defibrillation.
- Close collaboration among all participants in the chain of survival was vital for the project's success.
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