General News
5 June, 2025
Horsham, Stawell and Ararat's new cardiac arrest response goes live in May
Horsham, Stawell and Ararat are among 20 CFA brigades trained and ready to respond to select medical Triple Zero calls, as part of a new initiative between CFA and Ambulance Victoria.
The Fire Medical Response (FMR) program will see CFA brigades and Ambulance Victoria dispatched simultaneously to cardiac arrests and went live on Thursday, May 29. Ultimately, 50 brigades across the state will provide this service.
"Horsham was the second unit to respond to the program and has 20 personnel trained in the new initiative, so every time an FMR call comes in, trained personnel will attend," Ambulance Paramedic Anthony Dunn said.
"This does not replace any of the Ambulance services, it is an addition to the services and increases the way we can serve the community."
When people call triple zero, 000, the CFA will be coded for an FMR call, and the Ambulance and CFA will be dispatched.
CFA District 17 Assistant Chief Fire Officer Chris Eagle said the program is a perfect example of how CFA’s strong community footprint can help save lives.
“Our brigades are deeply embedded in our communities – we’re nearby, we’re trained, and we’re ready,” Chris said.
“This program gives us another way to support our communities and make a tangible difference in those first few critical minutes.”
CFA District 16 Assistant Chief Fire Officer Steve Alcock said local members had been preparing for months ahead of today’s launch.
“We’ve undergone extensive training with 12 members completing the FMR program, and we’re now ready to respond as part of the live rollout,” Steve said.
“Co-responding to cardiac arrest calls with our trained brigade members working alongside Ambulance Victoria crews allows us the opportunity to get to patients sooner and improve the chances of survival.”
CFA Acting Chief Officer Garry Cook AFSM said the program was a natural fit for CFA.
“Over coverage across Victoria puts us in a unique position to complement Ambulance Victoria’s response in 50 locations across the state to help deliver early intervention to cardiac arrests,” Garry said.
Ambulance Victoria Executive Director of Regional Operations, Danielle North, said Victoria’s cardiac survival rates are among the best in the world, thanks to high rates of early intervention.
“The Fire Medical Response program will improve survival rates for people in rural and regional Victoria,” Danielle said.
“Quick intervention with CPR and a defibrillator has the greatest impact on improving a patient’s chances of surviving a cardiac arrest.”
Government funding of $3,9 million 12 months ago supported the initiative.
Mr Dunn said it is important to be clear and calm when ringing triple zero so that the needs of the patient can be assessed quickly and efficiently.
He also encouraged members of the community to familiarize themselves with the portable defibrillator machines in the community.
Once activated, the machine talks the operator through the process; it provides immediate attention that can be life-saving.
There is also the Good Sam app that can help identify if a person nearby has a cardiac arrest.
"Heart is the biggest killer in Australia, so these supports can be life-saving, not as an alternative but as a support until help arrives," Mr Dunn said.
