Firefighters and air ambulance called to assist in emergency at Sleaford dental surgery

Firefighters and the air ambulance were called to assist an ambulance crew to move a casualty downstairs from the first floor of a dental practice in Sleaford after an emergency this morning (Tuesday).
Paramedics rushed to the sceneParamedics rushed to the scene
Paramedics rushed to the scene

According to an East Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman, the service received a call for assistance at 8.56am to the property on Carre Street in the town.

The EMAS spokesman said: “The caller reported a patient who was unconscious and not breathing. We sent a responder, a paramedic in a car and an ambulance and allocated a nearby Automated External Defibrillator (AED).”

This means a member of the public was sent to fetch a nearby automatic defibrillator designed for public use.

The EMAS spokesman said: “Air ambulance colleagues supported us on scene alongside Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue. One patient was taken to Lincoln County Hospital for further treatment.”

AEDs are used to treat sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). SCA is a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When a 999 call comes into the EMAS control room, if the patient is reported unconscious and not breathing or experiencing pains that could potentially lead to a cardiac arrest the emergency call handler will direct the caller to the nearest defibrillator and give them details on how to retrieve it from its locked cabinet.

The control team can only direct people to AED’s that are registered with the ambulance service.

The EMAS spokesman added: “We are urging people to check if their defibrillator is registered by sending details of its location and access information to our Community Response Team - [email protected] .”