New Group Of Six First Responders Have Started Providing First Aid Cover For Rural Communities In Various Parts Of Suffolk
In the event of a medical emergency, the speed with which effective treatment can be administered is absolutely vital in minimising suffering and optimising patient outcomes. In some cases, the quick actions of paramedics are instrumental in saving lives.
With this in mind, residents in rural Suffolk may welcome news that a new team of medical volunteers has been created to preside over the area.
Details
In total, there are six first responders in the team and they have been assigned to cover Wickhambrook, Ousden, Lidgate, Stradishall and Chedburgh. The individuals, who started their new roles at the beginning of March, have been trained by the East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) and they will respond to 999 calls made in the area. The trust also provided equipment including a defibrillator and oxygen.
Commenting on the development, Suffolk community partnership manager for the EEAST Jonathan Needle said: “This is a fantastic new group in a rural area that is hard to reach. Everyone has worked really hard to get the group up and running.”
The county councillor gives her support
Another individual to have shown her support for the group is Suffolk county councillor, Mary Evans. The local official helped the responders to raise money for their equipment. She stated: “I willingly agreed to give the group £1,150 from my locality budget to buy the first set of kits because I think this is such a brilliant community project.
“Wickhambrook and the surrounding villages are in a very rural part of West Suffolk. It can take ambulances and paramedics some time to reach us so it is marvellous that these volunteers have come forward to provide us with this vital first line of response in an emergency. I want to congratulate them for their energy and enthusiasm in getting this group up and running so quickly. I hope none of us ever needs to call on them, but aren’t we lucky to have such committed and caring friends and neighbours?”
Meanwhile, the group’s coordinator Peter Vince added that it has gone “live” thanks to the hard work, determination and organisation displayed by the team and Mr Needle.
The work of first responders
Community first responders are volunteers who are trained by the ambulance service to attend emergency calls in the areas where they live or work. They respond to call-outs in conjunction with their regional Ambulance Service NHS trusts.
The individuals are not a substitute for the Ambulance Service, but they are able to respond to calls within a very short space of time, often within the first few minutes. In most cases, they are first on the scene. As such, the volunteers are able to administer vital first aid treatment before ambulance crews arrive and this early intervention can help to make the difference between life and death in some cases. In others, it provides patients with reassurance that an ambulance is on its way.
There are now many of these groups in operation around the UK.
