First responders

Tue 26 Jul 2005, 22:41

I'm around most of the time, and am "good in a crisis" with a biological sciences background (tho' pretty rusty nowadays!). I assume this would be a rota thing? I've school and preschool sproggets to corrall.

Though not quite what I've got in mind for a "must get out of the house and do something so I don't go nuts staring at the walls" activity.

What sort of scheme did you have in mind and how would it work - are there examples from other areas?

Mon 25 Jul 2005, 13:09

Oxfordshire Ambulance Service are running a scheme called Community First responders. It's aim is to provide first aid to certain types of patients in rural areas while an ambulance is on it's way. Mainly focussing on helping heart attack sufferers, it has been shown that availability of oxygen and a automatic defribillator can really make a difference in saving people in the first minutes of an attack. So the idea is when an ambulance is despatched, a first responder is also sent; this means only a small area is covered as you have to be able to get there within a few minutes. A scheme is already running in Stonesfield and Combe and I was wondering whether there was any interest for a group in Charlbury? I did the training this weekend and it was very interesting and worthwhile.