General News
4 June, 2025
Stawell CFA on call
THE Stawell Fire Brigade has officially joined a growing number of CFA units across Victoria trained and authorised to co-respond to medical emergencies alongside Ambulance Victoria.
The accreditation is part of the Fire Medical Response (FMR) program aimed at improving cardiac arrest survival rates.
Now equipped to respond to select Ambulance Victoria callouts within town boundaries, the brigade has 10 trained members, with two more expected to qualify later this year.
“It was pretty clear it was going to be a significant additional activity,” said 5th Lieutenant Joseph Stubberfield, who helped lead the implementation.
“Everyone was supportive of it happening. At first people were concerned, ‘What if it’s someone I know?’ But then that flipped, ‘What if it is someone I know, I’d want to give them the best chance possible,’” he said.
The primary goal of the program is to reduce the time it takes for someone suffering a cardiac arrest to receive high-quality CPR and defibrillation.
In rural and regional communities, where ambulance response times may be longer, having trained CFA members nearby can make a critical difference.
“We get dispatched to a very select number of Ambulance Victoria callouts in a very restricted area,” Mr Stubberfield explained.
“It’s all about that six-minute window. We can usually get out the door within six to eight minutes,” he said.
While the brigade’s service area covers a wide stretch, FMR responses are limited to within Stawell’s township, where quick intervention is most feasible.
Importantly, CFA’s involvement does not replace Ambulance Victoria’s response but rather adds an extra layer of early support.
“Whether or not we turn out doesn’t change AV’s response at all, we’re just an additional resource,” said Mr Stubberfield.
The brigade expects to respond to around 10 FMR calls per year, a manageable number that brings significant community benefit.
“Local crews have said it’s a great help, they can trust us to provide high-quality CPR,” he said.
Mr Stubberfield also recognises the greater benefit for the brigade itself when responding to its own call outs for emergencies.
“It’s also given our members skills that can be used at fires, road crashes or other emergencies.”
CFA Deputy Chief Officer Garry Cook said the FMR initiative is a natural fit for CFA, which boasts over 52,000 volunteers and more than 1,100 fire stations statewide.
“This puts CFA in a unique position to complement Ambulance Victoria in 50 locations across Victoria to help deliver early intervention in cardiac arrests,” Mr Cook said.
Ambulance Victoria Executive Director of Regional Operations Danielle North added that Victoria’s cardiac survival rates are among the best in the world, thanks in large part to early intervention.
“The Fire Medical Response program will improve survival rates for people in rural and regional Victoria,” she said.
Stawell Fire Brigade’s new role underscores the importance of collaboration and community in saving lives, one heartbeat at a time.
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