At the heart of your community

Volunteers who make a lifesaving contribution to the ambulance service are being celeberated this week.

Throughout National Volunteers' Week (1st-7th June) the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) is highlighting the work of community first responders (CFRs) who attend life-threatening emergencies in their own towns and villages.

Recent weeks have also seen a rise in the number of CFRs attending emergencies following the launch of a new dispatch system in March.

Trust Chief Executive Dr Anthony Marsh said: “I’m proud of the efforts of our first responders; they do a terrific job and this campaign is a chance for us to celebrate their work and give them something back.”

The campaign will focus on the EEAST website and social media with infographics showing the number of calls and hours CFRs give to their communities, as well as stories from the responders themselves and the patients they’ve helped.

Each day will focus on in every county from the beginning of CFRs in Essex more than 10 years ago, to the rural areas of Norfolk and across the east of England.

The CFRs are trained by EEAST but raise money for extra equipment they need such as a defibrillator and oxygen. Many of them teach others first aid skills and have campaigned for public access defibrillators in their areas.

Stay up-to-date with CFR takeover week by following the EEAST website, @EastEnglandAmb and the Trust’s Facebook page.

For more information about becoming a CFR go to http://www.eastamb.nhs.uk/ or you can contact EEAST by emailing responderadmin@eastamb.nhs.uk