‘COULD you help save lives?’

That is the question South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) is asking as the service faces growing pressure.

Currently there are around 155 Community First Responders (CFRs) working in 49 groups.

However there are shortages of vital first aiders in 11 different areas of the county.

Now from teachers to postmen, paramedics are calling on members of the public to help them save lives in a recruitment appeal.

David Toman, the Responder Officer for Dorset, said: “On behalf of the Trust I would like to sincerely thank all of our responders working tirelessly to assist us in our ongoing quest to save lives. Their input is invaluable and we really do appreciate all of their efforts.

“Administering early CPR and defibrillation is crucial. It really does make all the difference to a patient in cardiac arrest and can mean the difference between life and death.

“There is also some excellent partnership working between these trained volunteers and our clinicians. In more rural areas sometimes ambulances can take longer to reach patients. It is important therefore to identify other ways to ensure that patients can get help quickly, especially in time critical situations.”

CFRs are volunteers who do not need to have any previous medical experience trained by SWASFT to give immediate life-saving care to patients including those suffering cardiac arrest, chest pain, breathing difficulties, unconscious patients, fitting and strokes before an ambulance arrives.

They are not sent to road traffic collisions or excess drugs or alcohol incidents due to concerns for their personal or scene safety.

David explained: “Community First Responders are incredibly vital in bridging the gap between the initial 999 call and the arrival of a front-line resource, particularly in the case of a patient in cardiac arrest where time is of the essence. In patients who require a 999 response, the reassurance that a Community First Responders bring to that patient and the relatives helps to calm the situation and helps to promote recovery. The CFR can then work with a Clinical Supervisor over the telephone whilst waiting for the front line resource or work in partnership with the ambulance crew on their arrival.”

For information about becoming a CFR in Bournemouth, Poole, Wimborne, Verwood, Alderholt, Christchurch, Ferndown, Shaftesbury, Sherborne, Swanage or Wareham, go to www.swast.nhs.uk, NHS Jobs or call 01392 261647.