The lifesavers who could be there before the ambulance

9:16am Wednesday 20th August 2008

WHAT do a mother, a retired postwoman, a teaching assistant and a student have in common?

On the face of it, not much perhaps.

But one of these very different people may just save your life – all of them are community first responders.

As they go about their lives, it is one of these highly prized volunteers who may cast off a seemingly mundane mantle to become something extraordinary – a life-saver.

Dave Lee, community response manager for the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, says these people are not a back-up for the ambulance service – often they are its front line.

He said: “These guys are life-savers and the ambulance trust values them a great deal. They help the trust meet its targets and provide better patient care which is what the ambulance service is all about.

We’re going from strength to strength and we’re always looking at ways of raising new funds and at new places for defibrillators.”

There are about 270 registered responders in Worcestershire and Herefordshire but fewer then half of them (122) have the vital responder kit they need to save lives.

This is why Community First Responders (CFR), now a registered charity, is constantly in need of sponsorship from the world of business, and for fresh volunteers.

Community first responders are particularly vital in outlying villages and communities which may be up to 15 minutes from the nearest ambulance.

Retired postwoman Karin Taylor, aged 66, of Clifton-upon-Teme, who has yet to get her first call-out, is the only CFR in her village.

She saw the advertisement in the local parish magazine, the Teme Triangle, and has since had an article printed in the same magazine to secure more sponsorship.

Each CFR has to raise £2,000 to cover the cost of their responder kit, which includes a defibrillator for resuscitation, oxygen and bandages.

They also have to complete an intensive three week course which runs for six days a week at the University of Worcester and an observer shift where they shadow the work of ambulance crews.

Mr Lee said: “They go about their own daily business like taking the dog for a walk but if they get a call within a two to three-mile radius of them they are sent as the primary response. Primary responders are often the first on the scene.”

Because they are based out in the community, the people they help are also often the people they know.

Heather Jones, aged 50, of St John’s, Worcester, is a teaching assistant at Riverside School in Barbourne, Worcester, and has been a community first responder for the last 18 months. She said: “On my last job about a month ago I knew the people I was sent to help. It was lovely. The woman said, ‘Oh, it’s you!” I think she got a surprise as she didn’t know I was a community first responder. During one call I was even sent to the house opposite me.”

She has helped a woman who suffered a gash on her leg during a fall in Hylton Road and was involved in the flood relief operation last summer although she nearly had to be rescued herself as water threatened to sweep away her car near Powick bridge.

During emergency calls an ambulance will always be called out but if the person is a long way away, a Community First Responder may be the difference between whether a patient lives or dies.

Mr Lee said: “We want appropriate responders – it’s not for everybody.

We want someone who wants to help their own community. We want someone who has an interest in first responders. In one community a parish councillor was saved by the defibrillator he helped to provide.”

CFR Stuart Evans, aged 18, of Hagley, near Birmingham, will train to be a paramedic at the University of Worcester next month and hopes life as a CFR will prepare him for his chosen career.

He said: “It was to get experience before I start. I like the idea of helping people. I wanted a job that was challenging and rewarding at the same time.”

Another responder, mother-ofthree Alison Vinson, aged 25, of St John’s, Worcester, has even used the social networking website Facebook to promote the work of community first responders.

Mrs Vinson, who is considering a career in the ambulance service, said: “You do go home and feel you have made a difference.”

Her role as a CFR is tailor-made so it fits in with her role as a mother – she is only on call at times when her husband is at home with the children.

Richard Burt, Liberal Democrat prospective MP for West Worcestershire, recently, agreed to train to become a CFR and hopes to start the course in September.

Mr Burt believed CFRs would become very important following plans to close the emergency operations centre at Bransford, near Worcester, which your Worcester News also campaigned to save.

Mr Burt, who tried to overturn the decision in the High Court, challenged Anthony Marsh, chief executive of the trust, to increase the number of CFRs in the wake of the decision to close the centre later this year.

Once this happens, all 999 calls within the West Midlands will be dealt with by call centres in Brierley Hill, Stafford and Leamington Spa.

In return Mr Marsh challenged Mr Burt to become a community first responder himself.

Mr Burt said: “I have already submitted my official application forms. It’s something I think is particularly important in rural areas where response time may be longer.

“For many life-threatening situations like heart attack or stroke victims, the first few minutes are often the golden minutes. If a trained CFR gets there in many cases they are going to save the lives of the people concerned.”

COMMUNIT FIRST RESPONDERS: THE FACTS

* You must be over 18 to be a community first responder and have a full driving licence.

* The kit for a CFR costs about £2,000 and is stored in a green bag which they store at their home.

* Although CFRs have to raise the cash for their own kit, it is the ambulance service which maintains it. Regular checks are performed to make sure it is in good working order.

* The CFR scheme has only been running for the last three years and has been a registered charity for the last six months.

* There are around 12 defbrilliators in locations across Worcester, including sports centres, railway stations, shopping centres and doctor’s surgeries.

* The financial help of businesses and organisations is essential to keep the CFR scheme going and reach more outlying communities.

* Fresh and enthusiastic volunteers from across the two counties are needed.

* If you wish to become a CFR contact David Lee, community response manager for Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

His e-mail address is A CFR’s lifesaving kit. 33484004 David.Lee@wmas.nhs.uk

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