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new volunteers...
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Trained volunteers assist East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust by attending life-threatening 999 calls in the Amber Valley area of Derbyshire – the heart of England
Our Mission
'To respond to 999 calls, as directed by East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, in the shortest possible time under normal road conditions, and to provide effective and empathetic care and treatment to the patient prior to the arrival of an emergency ambulance.'
Who are Community First Responders (CFR's)?
Community First Responders (CFR's) are volunteers who help save lives. They provide immediate care to members of their local communities who are showing signs of heart attack, or who have collapsed. The CFR's are under the direction of East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EMAS).
They are trained to attend emergency calls received by the Ambulance Service, providing life-saving care in the vital minutes prior to the arrival of the ambulance.
They are also trained in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). This is a machine that delivers a controlled electric shock to restart the heart.
The main responsibilities of a CFR are:
 | To attend emergency calls in their area at the direction of the Ambulance Control Centre and achieve, where possible, a response within 8 minutes. |
| To provide appropriate treatment to patients prior to the arrival of an NHS ambulance. |
| To document, record and inform attending NHS Ambulance Crews of the history and treatment given. |
| When required, provide continuing care under the direction of the NHS Ambulance Crew. |
| To remain
at the scene of an incident until relieved by an NHS Ambulance Crew. |
Why do we need CFR Schemes?
Dr Richard Cummins, from Seattle USA, discovered that if a series of events took place in a set sequence, a heart attack victim has a greater chance of survival. These events are known as the “Chain of Survival”.
| Early Access |
| Early Resuscitation |
| Early Defibrillation |
| Early Advanced Life Support (ALS) |
For more information about the Chain of Survival, please click here.
When put into practice by increasing public awareness, training in basic life support and community-based Automatic External Defibrillation, these events have improved the pre-hospital survival rate to 20 – 40%.
East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EMAS) believes that by introducing a scheme where CFR's are trained in providing the first three events in the chain, there would be a significant improvement in the chance of survival.
Do I require any equipment?
The most crucial ‘piece of equipment’ carried by the CFR is common sense with a commitment to help.
Each CFR Scheme is equipped with an AED in order to provide the most effective treatment for the patient. Research has proved that the earlier this treatment begins, the better the chance of a positive outcome for the patient.
A pager is supplied so that a communication link is established between the volunteers and the East Midlands Ambulance Control Centre.
All equipment used by a CFR Scheme, except the pager, is purchased through fund-raising and donations by companies, organisations and members of the Community.
Please view our Equipment Wish List, and if you are able to help, please follow the link on the Wish List page.
Anyone wishing to donate or be involved with fund-raising to enable more life-saving equipment to be purchased, please contact the Group Co-ordinator.
How does it work?
When an emergency call is received at the Ambulance Control Centre, an ambulance is despatched immediately. At the same time, a CFR, on-call in the area, is notified with the relevant details and asked to assist at the 999 incident.
An ‘on-call’ rota of CFRs provides a service to their local community and colleagues, fitting the service around their everyday lives.
Types of calls
The Ambulance Control Centre receives emergency calls throughout the day and night.
The number and nature of calls are difficult to predict, however, it would be anticipated that a group would respond to at least one emergency call a week.
Types of calls would include chest pains, breathing difficulties and collapses due to other medical problems. At present, there is a commitment of activating CFR to medicals incidents and children above the age of 12 years.
Some calls are considered unsuitable to send CFR to attend; these include maternity incidents, known violent situations or trauma related incidents.
How can I become a CFR?
If you are between 18 and 70 years of age, physically fit, able to achieve a satisfactory standard of proficiency after training and can commit to 3 hours of duty per week, have a full driving licence and access to a vehicle and have a sympathetic, caring approach to people, you have EVERY chance of becoming a CFR.
Volunteers will attend a 16 hour course, held either in the community or at suitable Ambulance Service premises, and delivered and assessed by NHS Clinical Tutors specialising in Pre-Hospital Care. The course covers all aspects of emergency life support and the use of the AED, in addition to providing training in the all-important skills of how to deal with an emergency situation. Regular update sessions are arranged to maintain the skills necessary to save life.
Visits to the Ambulance Control Centre enable the
CFR to
observe first hand the
significance of their role
in benefiting patients.
Become a
CFR and be part of a
dedicated team of
volunteers working with the
Ambulance Service to
support and enhance the
emergency care within
your
community. Use the
contacts page to find out
more about CFR's.
Responder Group Structure
Ideally, each group would consist of between 10 and 15 CFR's. Each group has an identified co-ordinator; this co-ordinator runs the Group. Groups meet regularly to arrange events such as:
| Fund-Raising Activities |
| Community Awareness Programmes i.e. local fetes |
| Availability of members for Rota Planning |
| Revision Training |
| Case Reviews |
| Social Events |
I don't want to become a CFR, how can I help?
If you do not wish to become a CFR you can still help this Scheme by helping to raise funds for much needed equipment. Each 'set' of equipment costs approximately £2500, and this includes an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) - used to deliver a controlled electric shock to restart the heart, equipment bags - to hold oxygen and other equipment, and reflective jackets - for recognition.
If you feel you can help, or you know someone who may wish to help, please contact the Group Co-ordinator.