RURAL parts of North and East Dorset could miss out on extra emergency cover as chiefs at Dorset Fire and Rescue prepare to vote against extending its co-responding scheme.

Despite the "outstanding success" of a pilot scheme in the west of the county whereby firefighters trained in first aid arrive at incidents ahead of the ambulance to provide emergency treatment, Dorset Fire Authority is being advised not to expand the scheme to Sturminster Newton, Gillingham and Verwood unless a significant proportion of the costs are met by Dorset Ambulance Trust.

The pilot scheme in Lyme Regis has been running since April and firefighters have already attended 75 emergency incidents ranging from asthmatic attacks, internal bleeding, broken limbs, chest pains and cardiac arrest. And they say they've saved at least one life.

But it is anticipated that the scheme will have cost Dorset Fire and Rescue Service £13,442 by next April and Dorset Ambulance Trust £11,088.

The ambulance trust has expressed an interest in extending the scheme to a total of seven other rural and isolated Dorset communities at which the fire service has retained stations - doing so would cost more than £100,000 in the first year.

In Verwood it is anticipated such a team could be called to up to 290 incidents in a year, in Gillingham that figure is 345 and in Sturminster Newton; 278.

But in an agenda to go before Fire Authority members on Monday chief fire officer Martin Chapman said: "While co-responding has proven to be of a definite advantage to the community, its wider adoption will have significant financial implications which will adversely impact core responsibilities.

"Within the current financial climate I cannot recommend the expansion of co-responding partnerships between Dorset Fire and Rescue Service and Dorset Ambulance Trust without Dorset Ambulance Trust meeting all or a significant proportion of the costs."

But Fire Authority members are being recommended to vote in favour of continuing the scheme in Lyme Regis and train additional personnel to allow existing co-responders sufficient free time.

First published: Oct 8