Make the difference and join a Community First Responder scheme in Yorkshire

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (YAS) is looking for more volunteer Community First Responders (CFRs) to join schemes across the Yorkshire region.

So far this year, volunteers have provided over 157,000 hours of cover in communities across Yorkshire and the Humber.  They have attended 16,050 incidents, with 3,990 being for life-threatening emergency situations.

The Trust currently has nearly 1,000 active volunteer CFRs in 288 communities and they play a vital part in responding to emergencies close by and ensuring patients get the best possible care before an ambulance arrives on scene. They are trained to carry out baseline observations, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and moving and handling techniques. They carry an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and oxygen, as well as a basic first aid equipment and, in some cases, lifting kit for patients who have fallen. No previous medical experience is required.

Neil Marsay, Community Defibrillation Officer at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said:
“Our volunteers are based within their local communities and may only be a minute or two away from a medical emergency.  Very often their role is to simply provide valuable reassurance to patients and their families until the ambulance crew arrives.  However, in some cases, such as a cardiac arrest, they can perform CPR and use an automated external defibrillator to try and restart someone’s heart in those vital first few minutes. If effective treatment can be given within those first minutes, lives can be saved.

“The CFR role has developed over the years and, as well as attending time-critical incidents, they can also be deployed to as part of Falls Teams to help uninjured patients who have fallen and need help to get off the floor. This frees up ambulances to attend more serious calls.

 “CFRs come from all walks of life and volunteer for a variety of reasons. Many people find it rewarding to help people in need and give something back, while others benefit from learning new skills, meeting new people and becoming more connected with their local community.”

Full training is given to successful applicants who need to be over 18, physically fit and hold a full driving licence, having never been banned from driving with no more than three penalty points.  YAS also runs Disclosure and Barring (DBS) checks on candidates. We ask volunteers to be on-call for an average of five hours a week, although depending on the size of the scheme, this can be flexible.

 For more information about the role and how to apply, visit https://www.yas.nhs.uk/get-involved