Firefighters are to be sent to medical emergencies in place of paramedics under plans being drawn up in Dorset.

Some fire staff are "horrified" by the scheme, which would see them given five days extra training, according to union reps.

Union leaders say they would be expected to deal with chest pain, loss of consciousness, fits, severe breathing problems, trauma with head or trunk wounds, anaphylactic shock, obstetric haemorrhage and emergencies involving children under two.

One firefighter said his colleagues were "horrified". He added: "They're in an invidious position with regard to possibly having to respond to incidents that should really be attended by paramedics.

"There are not enough hours in the day to do our own training. Unless they provide more personnel and more finance to do this, it's just impossible."

Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust has asked the fire brigade to consider the idea, known as "co-responding".

The county's chief fire officer, Martin Chapman, is recommending the brigade should set up a pilot scheme.

He said: "Although I can't rule it out entirely, it's unlikely to extend to some of our whole-time stations in the Bournemouth-Poole area. It's more likely to be in the rural areas where fire calls are low anyway and where it does take a time for an ambulance or paramedic to get there."

Emergency calls would still be put through to the ambulance service, which would decide whether a firefighter could be on the scene quicker than a paramedic. A firefighter would usually be sent out in a staff car or Land Rover and an ambulance would then be sent if a patient needed to go to hospital.

Mr Chapman said the idea would not damage the service's ability to deal with fires. "Some of the quieter stations get between 50-60 calls a year. The chances of getting simultaneous calls for co-responders and fire calls are fairly extreme," he said.

He said the idea had been tried in many other brigades in the South West. He will report to the brigade's executive on September 17 and has asked the Fire Brigades Union for its views.