Aylesbury Community First Responders
What is a Community First Responder?
The Resuscitation Council UK defines a 'Community Responder as follows:
"A person trained as a minimum in basic life support and the use of a defibrillator, who attends a potentially life-threatening emergency. This response may be by the statutory ambulance service or complementary to it."
Who are the Aylesbury Community First Responders?
They are the team that responds to calls from the public within Aylesbury Town and sometimes in the surrounding villages
What does a Community First Responder do?
Community First Responders (CFRs) use life-saving skills, such as the use of the automated external defibrillator (AED), to provide early and often vital intervention for patients suffering life-threatening emergencies in the immediate vicinity of where they live or work.
Once an ambulance crew arrives at the scene, CFRs work alongside a clinically qualified practitioner.
How do they know what to do?
Community First Responders are trained by us to provide life-saving treatment at a recognised level and they are always backed up with the nearest available ambulance. Every six months, there is a compulsory training to refresh skills. There is also an opportunity for CFRs to have montly refresher training on skills or treatment .
Types of calls a Community First Responder might attend:
• Cardiac arrest
• Heart attack
• Strokes
• Choking
• Diabetic emergencies
• Traumatic emergencies (not road traffic collisions)
• Breathing difficulties
• Patients suffering from seizures
• Chest Pains
• Unconscious patients
• Paediatric and children aged one year and over.
Why are CFRs so valuable and vital?
In case of cardiac arrest, for every minute that passes without cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation, a patient's chances of survival decreases by 14%.
Community First Responders answer calls in their neighbourhood, therefore, the potential for them to arrive on scene before an ambulance, especially in rural areas, is vital in providing immediate life-saving treatment. These extra minutes do help to save lives.
Interested in becoming a CFR?
Then telephone 0800 587 0207 or email cfr@scas.nhs.uk now!
Want to support the CFRs?
You can give as much or little time to help the CFR, such as fundraising events or by donating. For more information about how to donate please visit: http://www.southcentralambulance.nhs.uk/our-services/communityresponders/funding.ashx
Find out more
Find out whether there is a CFR scheme near you visit: http://www.scas-responders.info/groups.php
