Community First Responders (CFR'S) are a group of volunteers that respond  to emergencies on behalf of West Midlands Ambulance Service. The role of the CFR is to arrive at a patients side in the vital first few minutes, prior to the arrival of an ambulance.

 A CFR carries a responder bag that is equipped with oxygen, a bag valve mask(for when a patient cannot breathe sufficiently for his/herself), oropharyngeal airways and suction equipment, oxygen masks, bloodpressure monitoring kit, bandages, burns dressings and some might say the most important piece of equipment, an Automated external defibrillator (AED). When a person experiences a cardiac arrest their best chance of survival is early Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and early Defibrillation. When the pads of a defibrillator are applied to a patient suspected to be in cardiac arrest it analyses the hearts rhythm and recommends whether a shock should be delivered. If the heart is in the correct rhythm for defibrillation, the AED will prompt the responder to deliver a shock across the heart to "interrupt" it. If the heart is not in the correct rhythm for defibrillation the AED will recommend the CFR to commence CPR.

 CFR's attend emergencies from cardiac arrest, chest pain, bleeds, diabetic emergencies, strokes, falls, epilepsy and breathing problems.

 The Community First Responder Schemes across the two counties are entirely funded by charitable donations. Active CFR's carry out many fundraising events at local supermarkets, collections in town and city centres, charity rock/pop nights and quiz nights. A responder bag for newly trained CFR's will cost well in excess of £2000, with the defibrillator alone costing £1500.

 With over 250 CFR's in the two counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire, these volunteers provide a high standard of pre hospital patient care in the some -times frightening and vital few minutes after a medical emergency.

 Mark Gillett CFR