Community Responders
Yorkshire Ambulance Service has around 4,000 volunteer Community First Responders (CFRs) across Yorkshire who have basic life support skills and carry kit bags comprising an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), oxygen, oropharyngeal airways and a standard set of first aid equipment. They provide basic levels of clinical intervention and pastoral care to their local community prior to the arrival of an ambulance crew. In 2011 the community-based volunteers have attended over 8,000 incidents, an increase of 2,800 on the previoust year.
CFRs are trained to attend a variety of emergency calls for patients over 16, including allergic reactions, choking, cardiac arrests, breathing problems, chest pain, strokes, fitting and unconscious patients.
CFRs are trained to attend a variety of emergency calls for patients over 16, including allergic reactions, choking, cardiac arrests, breathing problems, chest pain, strokes, fitting and unconscious patients.
Rothwell Community First Responders
Rothwell Community Responders cover Rothwell, Woodlesford, Methley, Swillington and parts of Middleton, Carlton and Lofthouse. There are currently five members in the scheme, coming from a range of age groups and giving time on standby to fit around work and family commitments.
We regularly attend emergency calls in the area, either providing initial support including Reassurance, Oxygen and CPR until the ambulance crew arrive or supporting the paramedic in a Rapid Response car who has arrived on site first. You can recognise us as unlike the ambulance crews who wear a green uniform, we do not wear uniform, apart from a hi-viz jacket that identifies us when on a call. We also carry an ID card to confirm who we are.
We try and provide a member of our scheme on standby as often as possible. When Yorkshire Ambulance receive an emergency call within a three-mile radius of Rothwell, involving a life-threatening situation where our assistance may be of value, the call is passed to us and our scheme member sets off to scene.
We regularly attend emergency calls in the area, either providing initial support including Reassurance, Oxygen and CPR until the ambulance crew arrive or supporting the paramedic in a Rapid Response car who has arrived on site first. You can recognise us as unlike the ambulance crews who wear a green uniform, we do not wear uniform, apart from a hi-viz jacket that identifies us when on a call. We also carry an ID card to confirm who we are.
We try and provide a member of our scheme on standby as often as possible. When Yorkshire Ambulance receive an emergency call within a three-mile radius of Rothwell, involving a life-threatening situation where our assistance may be of value, the call is passed to us and our scheme member sets off to scene.
In 2014 Rothwell Community Responders was awarded 'Scheme of the Year' for the Airedale, Bradford and Leeds Region at the Annual Awards Ceremony in Wakefield. We continue to be supported by Rothwell Lions (http://www.rothwell-lions.org.uk/) who have provided us with a second kit bag for our Scheme. To make best use of it and provide more support to the local community we are always looking to recruit new volunteers to our scheme. If you are interested in helping please see Find Out More below.
Find Out More
Go to the Yorkshire Ambulance Community First Responders web-site http://www.communityresponders.yas.nhs.uk/ or get in touch with us via our Contact page
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