A call has gone out for new volunteers to swell the ranks of the Community First Responders (CFRs) in the north of the Island.
CFRs are trained in life-saving by St John Ambulance, the Island’s leading first aid charity. They are despatched by the Isle of Man Ambulance and Paramedic Service to tend to those awaiting ambulances in rural areas.
CFRs use CPR and defibrillation in the case of cardiac arrest, supply oxygen to those with breathing difficulties, offer reassurance to all patients and gather information from them that will be of assistance to paramedics when they arrive, saving time and, potentially, lives.
The 49 current CFRs respond to 6,000 calls a year in their local area, from either their home or workplace, using their own vehicles.
Volunteers, who must be 18 or over, undertake two weekends’ classroom-based training. No medical experience is necessary.
The next course takes place at St Olave’s Church hall in Cumberland Road, Ramsey (opposite Ramsey Cottage Hospital) on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd and Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th September.
There’s an opportunity to have an informal chat with Gerry Jones, Island Co-ordinator for CFRs, on either Monday 2nd September, from 7.30pm to 8.30pm, at St Olave’s Church hall, or Monday 9th September, from 7pm to 8pm, at St John Ambulance headquarters in Glencrutchery Road, Douglas.
Gerry said: ‘St John Ambulance works hard to boost numbers of CFRs and establish new units. Schemes operate in the north, south and west of the Island and we are looking to recruit more volunteers in these areas, especially in Ramsey and Laxey.
‘Volunteers operate as part of a rota system. They are dispatched at the same time as an ambulance, via the Emergency Services’ Joint Control Room, to attend calls where lives are at risk. These include cardiac arrest, a diabetic emergency, an unconscious patient, a patient with breathing difficulties and a patient who has had a seizure.
‘CFRs are trained to not only assess the immediate situation but also to ascertain a patient’s medical history. They can sometimes simply be a very vital extra pair of hands to an ambulance crew when they arrive.’
Anyone interested in training as a CFR should contact Gerry, via 07624 371296 or gj88@hotmail.com or Steve Crowe, Ambulance Clinical Manager with the Isle of Man Ambulance and Paramedic Service, via steve.crowe@gov.im, or attend one of the information sessions.
St John Ambulance is also running a training course in Ramsey for potential new members. It starts on Monday 9th September, is free and runs for 12 weeks, during which attendees will be introduced to the work of the charity and taught first aid. On completion of the course, members will be ready to assist at events and help treat casualties, although they may prefer to volunteer in other aspects of the charity’s work.
Sessions will take place at St Olave’s Church hall and begin with coffee at 7.15pm, with training from 7.30pm for an hour and a half. For more information on this course, email billbetts@manx.net, ring St John Ambulance headquarters on 674387 or attend an information evening at St Olave’s Church hall from 7pm on Monday 2nd September.
