Download What to do next - Milngavie Community First Responders

Training
What to do next
First Responder
Scheme
If you have some free time and want to
participate in providing a valuable
service to your community or assist in
establishing a Community First
Responder Scheme please contact:
The training of volunteers in
defibrillation and other life saving
techniques will last approximately 12
hours. Due to the advance in medical
technology, First Responders using this
new equipment can, now carry out
many lifesaving interventions previously
performed only by highly trained
individuals. These include easy to
operate 'automatic external
defibrillators' (AED's) and lightweight
oxygen delivery systems.
ANNE HARRISON
Mobile No. 07500952045
E-Mail [email protected]
Scottish Ambulance Service
Springburn Ambulance Station
11 Laverockhall St
Glasgow
G21 4AE
A Special Health Board of the NHS in Scotland
“ Helping our
communities
to help
themselves ”
Why do we need you ?
Since the launch of its Community
First Responder initiative three years
ago, the Scottish Ambulance Service
has seen over 50 schemes established
across Scotland, with new
communities volunteering every week.
The responders are deployed to
appropriate calls by the ambulance
service’s Emergency Medical Dispatch
Centre.
Chain of Survival
Early
Access
Early
CPR
Early
Defibrillation
Therefore Community First Responders
with quick access to defibrillators can be
a vital asset when sudden cardiac arrest
strikes.
Early
Advanced Care
Picture with permission from Leardal
Timing is Crucial
In 1990 Dr Richard Cummins, from Seattle, USA
discovered that if a series of events took place in
a set sequence, a heart attack victim has a
greater chance of survival. These events are
known as the 'Chain of Survival':
“In a medical emergency it is often the
simple first aid skills, like making sure
an airway is clear, that save a life.”
Early Access to Emergency Care must be
provided by calling 999.
The programme is an enhancement to
the service’s existing ambulance
resources and each scheme works
locally with our staff to ensure ongoing
refresher training in basic life saving
skills and the use of medical
equipment.
Early Defibrillation can restart the heart function
of a person with ventricular fibrillation (VF).
Early CPR should be started and maintained until
arrival of the ambulance.
Early Advance Care, the final link, can then be
administered as required by Paramedics
When each link in the chain works successfully,
the chance of surviving sudden onset cardiac
arrest increases greatly.
Since more than 70% of sudden cardiac arrest
cases occur out of hospital it is unlikely that
paramedics will be at the scene at onset.
People who survive sudden cardiac
arrest have an excellent prognosis: 83%
survive for at least one year, and 57%
survive for five years or longer. Clearly
this shows early defibrillation is a key
intervention in the chain of survival.
A Typical Community
First Responder Scheme
A Community First Responder scheme will
be a locally managed group of volunteers
who may choose to elect a Local
co-ordinator and plan their own 'on-call'
rota to cover their own community.
Ideally, each community will have 24-hour
cover, 365 days a year but it may not be
possible to do this if there are only a few
volunteers.
A Minimum of five volunteers are required
in order to set up a scheme.