How would you feel if someone was having a medical emergency and you couldn't to do anything to help them?

That's a situation that the Sharon firefighters have found themselves in more than once but they're hoping that could change in the future.

Sharon Firefighters Local 417 got permission from city council Thursday to conduct a study to find out if it's feasible for the firefighters to operate an ambulance service.

Union President George Beckley told council there have been numerous times when there wasn't an ambulance available in the city. He said when all units in the Shenango Valley are busy, people sometimes have to wait at least 30 minutes for an ambulance from Greenville.

"We have no equipment," firefighter Matt Grove said Friday. "If the guy's breathing and has a pulse, there's nothing you can do."

All of the firefighters have basic CPR training but aren't able to do anything else. The firefighters used to carry oxygen but don't any more because they're not allowed to administer it.

After 4 to 6 minutes without oxygen, brain damage can occur and the only air a victim receives is "what we're blowing out," Beckley said.

The firefighters recalled an incident on Easter Sunday where a man at a local church was having a heart attack and it was going to take at least 25 minutes to get an ambulance so the firefighters were dispatched.

Grove said members of the congregation asked, "What are you guys doing here? We need an ambulance."

Firefighter Darryl Torrence said all they could do was give the man an aspirin and comfort him while they waited.

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