Sheffield City Centre Ambassadors complete first responder training with Yorkshire Ambulance Service

Sheffield’s City Centre Ambassadors (CCAs) are the latest team to link in with the region’s ambulance service to train colleagues as Community First Responders (CFRs), so that they are able to provide vital care, comfort and reassurance in medical emergencies before an ambulance arrives on scene.

The CFR training course, run by Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, included cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), operating a defibrillator, administering oxygen and assessing a patient’s condition to decide whether an ambulance is required.

The CCAs provide a seven-days-a-week service for visitors, residents, businesses and retailers in Sheffield city centre and are immediately identifiable by their distinctive red jackets and shirts that display the council’s logo.

Eight ambassadors have participated in the training so far, and the Council aims to have at least two trained CFRs on duty at all times. In the initial four months of the scheme, CCAs have volunteered in this capacity for 1,460 hours and helped over 76 patients.

Steve Neal, Team Leader of the City Centre Ambassadors, said: “Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our visitors, residents and city centre workers. We already have a number of first aiders amongst our team, and this extra training means that we now have people with enhanced skills on our busy streets should they be needed.

“In the future, we hope that more colleagues will participate in the CFR training, so that we are well prepared for any emergencies that occur.”

Kathryn Broadbent, Head of Events, Commercial Services and Community Resilience at Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: “We’re always delighted to train volunteers in life-saving skills, and we are very pleased to be working with Sheffield’s City Centre Ambassadors.

“CFRs make a great contribution to their local communities, and everyone in the city centre now has the benefit of having City Centre Ambassadors with enhanced skills close by. We know that in many medical emergencies, such as a heart attack, breathing difficulties or a collapse, the first few minutes are critical. If effective treatment can be given within that initial period, lives can be saved.”

Cllr Safiya Saeed, Lord Mayor of Sheffield, met with the team recently to find out more about the scheme and the types of incidents the CCAs are able to respond to.