Meet the team of paramedics from Cornwall in Ukraine training firefighters in medical care

  • Watch Faye speak to ITV News from Ukraine

A team of paramedics from Cornwall has travelled to Ukraine to help train firefighters in emergency medical care.

Volunteers from Outreach Paramedics, a UK-based charity, have so far trained 167 firefighters as well as delivered two ambulances full of medical equipment to the war-torn country.

Speaking to ITV News from the Rivne Region in Northern Ukraine, Faye Shepherd, the charity's founder said the group has been "welcomed beyond belief" by people in Ukraine.

"The initial impression was just the warmth from the Ukrainian people. They've literally opened their arms and hearts to us."

It's the first time Faye has been in Ukraine. She hopes the medical training that has been given by the paramedics to the firefighters will go on to save lives.

She added: "They seem to be the first on scene at many incidents that need medical care - like missile strikes and car crashes and they don't have a great deal of medical training.

"They are hugely grateful of the training and are really enthusiastic and keen to learn - they really are.

The paramedics have so far helped train 167 firefighters in Ukraine.

"We've had air raid sirens going off whilst we were training the firefighters and they said 'Right everyone down to the basement, grab your training kit!'

"We carried on training from the basement because they wanted to carry on to maximise the amount of time they had with us and learn the best they can - it's amazing."

Whilst she understands that the group is not in immediate danger, it's been difficult for the group to feel safe against the almost daily missile sirens.

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She said: "Initially it's quite adrenaline invoking, obviously it's scary but you know we're not on the front line where we are, so the chances of us being hit by a missile are fairly small but it does still scare you.

"You just think this is the daily life for Ukrainian people, they're living hearing these air sirens going off not knowing if they'll get hit.

"So yes while it's scary I'm here for two weeks - they live here, this is their reality."