SOUTH LAKES SEARCH & RESCUE
	Follow us on Facebook at "Friends of South Lakes Search & Rescue"
	SLSAR DALTON COMMUNITY FIRST RESPONDERS

Community First Responders are teams of volunteers who live and work in local communities. They are trained and activated by North West Ambulance NHS Service NHS Trust to attend certain calls where time can make the difference between life and death. Such calls would include Chest Pain, Breathing Difficulties, Cardiac Arrest, Unconsciousness, Fitting, Arrest of Haemorrhage and Diabetic Emergencies. The responder provides care and support to the patient and relatives until the arrival of the emergency ambulance.

Very often, the role of a responder is one of reassurance. In instances where someone has chest pains, simply giving oxygen can make a big difference. In extreme cases, they can perform CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) or use a defibrillator to restart the heart. Chances of survival decreases by 10% with each minute a person’s heart has stopped beating. So the CFR’s availability in the local area means they can respond quickly and start treatment as early as possible.

Each volunteer makes themselves available on call to suit their personal circumstances. They carry basic life saving equipment, and a simple to use Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

The Ambulance Service control centre sends Responders to immediately life threatening medical calls within their local area. They are dispatched at the same time as the ambulance crews but because they are often in more rural locations, may arrive more quickly than the ambulance.

The scheme can be incredibly rewarding not least because responders could save someone’s life. Many villages where schemes exist show great community spirit knowing there is someone around the corner who could be a lifesaver. Anyone who lives or works within the North West can get involved, whether it as a Community First Responder, or helping in other tasks needed to run a team such as support or administration. Volunteers do not need previous First Aid experience to join their local team as full training is given. 
 

Volunteers can be male or female, aged over eighteen years. They must have access to a car and be able to attend emergency calls from either their home or place of work as soon as they are received.

While a responder is on call they can continue with their normal day to day activities while in the local area, but must be ready to drop everything and attend a call should one arise.

A Community First Responder needs to be extremely reliable and trust worthy, good under pressure, able to remain calm in emergency situations, be caring when dealing with patients and have a good level of physical fitness.

Prospective responders have to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau Check (CRB) which is carried out by the Northwest Ambulance Service

The Training

You can make a valuable contribution to your local community, as well as gaining an extremely useful set of personal skills, by becoming a member of our First Responders Team, and the more Responders we have, the better the cover we can provide for your community.

Anyone who wants to help their community can become a Community Responder. No previous medical experience or training is necessary although you will obviously need a caring attitude and be able to cope with potentially distressing situations.
Community Responders are trained in the use of Automatic External Defibrillators and the treatment and control of a wide range of potential life threatening conditions

If you are intrested in becoming a Community Responder send us an email to Join@slsar.org.uk

For more information visit Dalton Response at : www.daltonresponse.slsar.org.uk