West Midlands Ambulance Service & Welsh Ambulance Service – Community First Responders
For the last 5 years we have been supporting the West Midlands Ambulance Service community first responders in the village nearest to the businesses base. We maintain their vehicle and provide tyres to them when required. As an organisation we feel this is a beneficial and supportive cause serving the local community.
Community First Responders (CFRs) are volunteers who respond to emergency 999 calls within their local community. In the West Midlands, we are proud to be supported by more than 500 active CFRs.
Volunteer CFRs are generally lay people who have received medical training from their local ambulance service. They respond when available, in their own time and without pay, to emergency 999 calls in both urban and rural areas.
They are not a substitute for ambulance staff, however they provide life-saving skills to patients in their local community until an emergency ambulance vehicle arrives.
As well as responding to emergency 999 calls, CFRs promote health and wellbeing in their local community by raising the awareness of the importance of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of a defibrillator.
CFR volunteers are normally affiliated to a local charitable scheme within their community. All CFR schemes are designed to be financially self-supporting. Although the Ambulance Service will provide all necessary support, training and consumables, CFRs must raise funds for their uniform, equipment and vehicles. CFR schemes are usually involved in a variety of fundraising events to support their voluntary role in their local community.
We have supported the local community for many years, we wanted to ensure that our employees have readily available medical equipment should there be a medical emergency, and this is something that we have invested in as part of a health and safety commitment. The defibrillator has been fully funded by Perry’s of Gobowen and is also available to local the community and surrounding businesses should it be required.
The defibrillator is registered on the British Heart Foundation Circuit and by dialling 999 and giving the location code, found on the outside of the case, instructions will be given as to how to open the case and access the defibrillator.
“We wanted the defibrillator to be located somewhere immediately accessible not just for our employees but for all in the local area too so it’s been placed outside our entrance gates. It’s important we have the appropriate equipment available in case of emergencies and that the local community knows it’s here.”
Glyn Heathcock – Managing Director
For more information visit www.thecircuit.uk
