About Us
South Notts Community First Responders (CFR's) are a group of FPOS fully trained volunteers from the local community who work in partnership with the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) to respond to life-threatening emergency medical calls within our area. We provide vital assistance to people who are ill, prior to the arrival of the emergency ambulance.
Why We Need Responders
Due to our locality, we can often arrive on-site much quicker than the emergency ambulance. In cases where patients are suffering from a cardiac arrest, for example, every second counts and the patient's heart needs to receive a shock as quickly as possible, ideally within the first 5 to 10 minutes after they have collapsed. By creating Community First Responder schemes in areas where it is sometimes difficult for an emergency ambulance to reach within minutes, early defibrillation can take place. Research shows that if a cardiac arrest victim is defibrillated immediately their chances of survival are 85%. These odds decrease by 10% with every minute that passes without treatment.
How it works
When someone dials 999 and asks for the ambulance service, the operator will transfer them to the ambulance control centre. The operator will ask the address where the ambulance is needed and will dispatch a crew immediately. If there is a Community Responder on duty in the area, the control dispatcher will advise them of the call at the same time via text message. If the Responder can arrive quicker than the ambulance, then they will phone them and ask them to attend. Community Responders are often dispatched to an incident within 30 seconds of the call being made. Using their own car, they make their way to the scene where they can begin to help the person in need.
Equipment
Each Community First Responder (CFR) carries an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) and a first response bag containing an Oxygen cylinder and other first aid equipment to enable them to respond to a variety of medical emergencies. They are also issued with a branded Hi-Visibility jacket to make them more visable. All equipment is sourced and paid for by the volunteers or by generous donations.
The standard equipment that each Responder carries consists of:
- The AED
- Oxygen Cylinder
- Oropharangeal Airways (OPAs)
- Burns dressings
- First Aid kit
- Salbutamol
- Pulse Oximeter
All the equipment used is sourced and paid for by the volunteers or by generous donations. We are a non-profit organisaton continually raising funds to enable us to survive as a local voluntary resource to the community. In order to keep this life-saving group going - any donation is welcome.
For a full list of equipment and prices, please click here.
Meet The Team
George Brown
Location: East Leake
Daytime Role: Ambulance Technician
Favourite Past Time: Working with my owls
Biggest Fear: Not being able to help
Greatest Achievement: Meeting the Queen
Lisa Potter
Location: Clifton
Daytime Role: Ambulance Technician
Favourite Past Time: Spending time with family and friends
Biggest Fear: Spiders
Greatest Achievement: Her Son
Damian Potter
Location: Clifton
Daytime Role: NHS Manual Services Technician
Favourite Past Time: Sport and hiding from Lisa
Biggest Fear: Lisa turning the Xbox off
Greatest Achievement: Getting Horizontal on a Pole
Mike Utton
Location: Sutton Bonington
Daytime Role: Director of Events
Favourite Past Time: DIY and Sport
Biggest Fear: Heights
Greatest Achievement: Playing for his Country
Alan Rawsthorne
Location: East Leake
Daytime Role: Retired Policeman
Favourite Past Time: White water rafting
Biggest Fear: Speeding
Greatest Achievement: Surviving the Police force
Gary Shipman
Location: Gotham
Daytime Role: Parts Advisor
Favourite Past Time: DIY, Model railways, Playing with ambulances
Biggest Fear: Spiders & Snakes
Greatest Achievement: Getting to 40
