Community First Responders are a group of people who ‘volunteer’ to respond to emergency calls on behalf of the East of England Ambulance Service in the community where they live or work.

The answer is that it has been recognised that sudden cardiac arrest claims around 150,000 lives each year in the United Kingdom, with survival rates being around 5% outside of the hospital setting.

If a person’s heart has stopped due to an accident or heart attack and is in a rhythm called ventricular fibrillation, the only way to get the heart into a more regular sustaining beat is to pass an electrical charge through the heart muscle. The first eight minutes are the most vital for the collapsed person and, if we can get someone who is trained in First Aid and the use of a Defibrillator to that patient, then their chances of survival will be increased considerably.

When a person calls 999 you are notified of an emergency by ambulance control via mobile phone. As you live or work in that area you should arrive before the ambulance and be able to treat the patient. Once the ambulance arrives you are then able to return to your normal daily routine. The few minutes you have spent with the patient could help save a life.

You will undergo a comprehensive first aid training that covers basic life support, the use of a defibrillator and oxygen. Following your training course you meet up each month with your Community First Responder Group to have ongoing training. All training is delivered by the Ambulance Service.

Any one can become a Community First Responder, but you must:
– Be physically fit
– Agree to a Criminal Record Bureau Check
– Have a full driving licence and use of a car
– Having a caring nature
– Agree to undertake training