| How It All Started |
| First things first thanks must go to Dr Graham Parker for setting up the scheme and fund raising towards the cost, also to the staff, holiday home owners and visitors of the Lakeside Holiday Park for raising £3000 towards the cost of setting us up. We hope to make your efforts worthwhile. |
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| How Did It All Start? |
| It all started with a call to a meeting via the village magazine, the meeting to be held at the local surgery in November 2001, 17 people of various age, sex and profession turned up to see what this "First Response" was all about. We heard how covering a small area we could get to a patient, suffering a cardiac arrest, in the very important 8 minute window and how we could actually save lives. Because of our location it is unlikely that an Ambulance can respond to our village within 8 minutes. Ten of us were interested enough to go on to the next stage, filling in a form to apply to become first responders. The forms were sent off, vetted by the Police and references were applied for, all ten of us got through this stage, so we were assured there were no hidden criminals within our team. Training days were organised to learn how to do Basic Life Support and to use the Defibrillator. Eight of the team went on the 8th January 2002 and all successfully completed their training. The remaining two went on the 22nd January 2002 and were also successful. So now we are ten First Responders eager to go! On the 31st January 2002 we recieved our equitment and on 1st February 2002 08:00 we went live. On call on 12 hour shifts 8 till 8 we cover 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Three months from the first meeting we are willing and able to save lives. |
| When a 999 call is made from North Somercotes the first thing Ambulance Control does is despatch a front line Ambulance, so you can be assured that before we are called an Ambulance is already on its way. In certain medical situations (determined by Ambulance Control) within 30 seconds they will call us by mobile phone and despatch us to the scene, we should be with the patient well within the important 8 minute window. So if you are expecting an ambulance and the first person to arrive is a friend or neighbour wearing a very bright fluorescent jacket and carrying a big red first aid bag containing a defibrillator, don't be too alarmed we are there to help. |
| How Does It Work? |