A generous gift to St John Ambulance Isle of Man could lead to more Community First Responders being on duty in the north of the Island. The Ramsey Cottage Hospital League of Friends has gifted eight fully equipped first responder kits to St John Ambulance, which trains the volunteer life savers. The kits, which cost ?2,200 each, contain defibrillators, oxygen and other vital emergency equipment, as well as Tetra radios. Community First Responders are recruited and trained in life-saving by St John Ambulance and are despatched by the Emergency Services Joint Control Room on behalf of the Isle of Man Ambulance and Paramedic Service to tend to those awaiting the responding ambulance when they are closer, or to assist the ambulance crew, as they are ideally based in their communities , undertaking first aid techniques such as CPR and applying defibrillation in the case of cardiac arrest, giving oxygen to those with breathing difficulties, offering reassurance, gathering information that will be of assistance to ambulance technicians and paramedics when they arrive and potentially saving lives. Gerry Jones, who co-ordinates the scheme for St John Ambulance, said the gift from the League of Friends meant the north’s dozen Community First Responders, who are dispatched when they would be first on the scene when someone takes ill, would not have to swap kits at the end of stints on duty and this could lead to volunteers providing more cover – potentially saving more lives. The gift came about after Captain Nigel Malpass, of the League of Friends, met Gerry at a recruitment evening for St John Ambulance Badgers and Cadets, the leading first aid charity’s young members. Gerry was then invited to give a talk to the League of Friends about the value of the Community First Responder scheme. In recent years, the League of Friends has spent ?750,000 on equipment for the hospital, leading to it becoming a centre of excellence. The equipment has benefited patients and the staff. All the money has come from donations and bequests. Leonard Singer, Chairman of the League of Friends, said: ‘We are delighted to donate the first responder kits as these could enable earlier emergency treatment to the people of the north of the Island, possibly saving lives. We are extremely grateful for the continuing support we receive from the people of Ramsey and the north and we look forward to providing further equipment in the future to benefit the patients and staff.’ CFR schemes operate in the north, west and south of the Island and there are 40 fully trained volunteers. Anyone interested in training to be a Community First Responder or wishing to donate to the charity should contact Steve Crowe at steven.crowe@gov.im or leave their details with St John Ambulance 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. For further information about St John Ambulance Isle of Man or to find out how to sign up for first aid courses or to support its work via donations, please ring 01624 674387 or visit www.sja.org.uk/counties/isleofman - Ends -