Life-saving firefighters were honoured at a ceremony last week for helping to revive a man who had gone into cardiac arrest in Epsom.

The crew from Epsom fire station helped a lone paramedic to administer CPR and oxygen therapy and use a defibrillator on a man who had stopped breathing in Ede Court, Epsom in April.

They were awarded the Certificate of Commendation by Surrey’s Chief Fire Officer at ceremony at Surrey Fire and Rescue Service’s headquarters in Reigate last week.

On April 27, the five members of the station’s Red Watch were called to help SECAmb paramedic Vicky Johnson with a man who had collapsed and was not breathing. The team said it was clear the man had gone into cardiac arrest.

Crew commander Ian Rowley, 50, and his team, Christopher Wasson, 35, Brian Ashwood, 47, Alex Cribben, and Adam Stollery, 29, rushed to help the stricken man.

The crew gave the patient CPR and removed part of his clothing so they could give him oxygen and shock him with a defibrillator three times. The three shocks helped the man regain a pulse and start breathing again.

The man was then taken to hospital for further treatment and to recover.

The five members of the Red Watch crew were honoured for their heroics in Ede Court as well as for responding to medical calls throughout the borough at Surrey Fire and Rescue Service’s headquarters in Croydon Road, Reigate, on Thursday, September 22.

Last September firefighters across the county began corresponding to medical emergencies including cardiac arrests, breathing difficulties and chest pain as part of a pilot scheme. The scheme has since been made permanent in Surrey and has also rolled out in other parts of the UK.

Red Watch commander at Epsom fire station Ian Rowley, 50, said that his team have adapted quickly to the new challenge, and now see it as an everyday part of their job.

“It’s given us a newfound appreciation for how hard the paramedics work, and how stretched they are, he said.

“We’ve been very busy with it. We’ve had a lot of successes, and a lot of sad times.

“We just go into work mode. We’re so trained now, we just get to it.”

Firefighter Brian Ashwood, 47, added: “It’s only when you are back at the station that you have time to reflect.”

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