CREWS from Bude Community Fire Station were requested to assist with a suspected unconscious casualty at Bude Golf Club on Friday, as no ambulances would be available to attend quickly.

Due to the weather and poor road conditions an ambulance was unable to reach the golf club so the fire station deployed its 4x4 fire engine. The crew was able to assist in administering first aid before transferring the casualty to the nearby ambulance station in order to keep them warm. Once the ambulance had made its way through the crew were able to pass the casualty’s care onto them.

The crew said the incident had helped emphasis the importance of working together as a multi-agency response to help and support the community.

Bude Fire Station was one of many ‘on-call’ stations across the county which was manned 24/7 during the icy conditions.

The crew worked hard through the night on March 1 and provided assistance to other agencies including the police and ambulance services. In the early hours they were called to assist paramedics to a patient in Morwenstow.

The crew discouraged members of the public from travelling as even their 4x4 fire engine struggled to get through the snow and ice. However they reached their destination safely and assisted with the casualty.

A spokesperson said: “The recent extreme weather meant that ambulances and other front-line emergency response vehicles were not able to attend the scene of incidents as quickly as normal, so our critical control centre utilised our fire appliances to assist.

“At Bude Community Fire Station, we have four main appliances; two four-wheel drive Toyota Hilux Water Rescue vehicles, a fully kitted Mercedes four-wheel drive fire engine, and a standard two-wheel drive major appliance Mercedes fire engine. The 4x4 fire engine and Toyota Hiluxes were able to negotiate the ice and snow and got us to our destinations where we could offer our assistance.

“The past few days has really highlighted the importance of a multi-agency response, where the police, ambulance and fire services can all work together and provide a superior level of front line emergency response.”