A display in the foyer at Noble’s Hospital next week will attract more community life-savers, it’s hoped. The display is being mounted by the Isle of Man Ambulance and Paramedic Service and will encourage visitors to volunteer and train as Community First Responders. Community First Responders (CFRs) are recruited and trained in life-saving by St John Ambulance, the Island’s leading first aid charity. The highly skilled volunteers tend to those awaiting ambulances in rural areas, offering reassurance, gathering information that will be of assistance to paramedics when they arrive and potentially saving lives. CFR schemes operate in the north, west and south of the Island and there are 20 volunteers at present. An appeal last year for more volunteers in the west of the Island led to new volunteers joining the ranks. However, more are needed, Island-wide, said Steve Sieling, Chief Ambulance Officer. Mr Sieling commented: ‘In my mind there is no better way of serving your community than being a local CFR. There are times, especially during high demand, when ambulances have to travel some distance in response to a 999 call and it is always comforting for patients and our staff alike to know that there is a trained individual in attendance ready to deliver life-saving care if needed.’ Dan Wood is a full-time teacher at Castle Rushen High School who has been a CFR in the south of the Island since the scheme went live in April 2008. In the south, the scheme is run by Rushen Emergency Ambulance in conjunction with St John Ambulance and the Ambulance and Paramedic Service. In that area alone it has responded to 272 calls in under three years. Dan said: ‘As a newcomer to the Isle of Man, I was welcomed with open arms by everyone and found that there was a strong sense of community here, with people looking out for each other. I became a volunteer CFR because I wanted to be able to give something back. ‘After a period of initial training and after spending a shift with an ambulance crew, it was time to be given my own kit. I must admit the first few calls were nerve-wracking, but the training soon kicks in and you just get on with the job in hand. ‘Here in the south, there is an experienced team of CFRs and we meet each month to top up our training and to talk over our calls and support each other. We're always on the lookout for more volunteers, though, especially during the working day, as we provide 24-hour cover. ‘I've had a wide variety of calls. Some are hands on, where you can really make a difference to someone's chances of survival by providing vital early access to emergency aid. On other calls you may find that there's very little emergency aid you can give, but even in those situations a CFR provides valuable reassurance to a patient and their relatives and can collect information to assist the crew and save some time when they arrive.’ Anyone interested in training to be a Community First Responder should contact Steve Crowe at steven.crowe@gov.im or leave their details with St John Ambulance Isle of Man on 01624 674387. Initial training takes place over two weekends, interspersed with practical familiarisation training working with paramedics and other emergency crews to give volunteers the confidence to put their newly acquired knowledge and skills into practice. All equipment is provided. -ENDS-