Staff at local holiday park join Yorkshire Ambulance Service as volunteers.
Staff at Primrose Valley Holiday Park are saving lives by the sea after launching an on-site Community First Responder (CFR) scheme with Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (YAS).
Community First Responders are volunteers living in local communities across the region trained in basic life support, cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and oxygen therapy.
[private]These community-minded locals are equipped with a kit which includes oxygen and an automated external defibrillator (AED) to help patients in a medical emergency such as a heart attack, collapse or breathing difficulties until an ambulance arrives.
The Primrose Valley team will be based on-site and will answer calls for visitors, guests and residents staying at the Park. The six volunteers will respond to appropriate 999 calls at the same time as an ambulance, providing the best care for a patient until a YAS clinician arrives on scene.
Paul Robinson, Estates Manager at the Park said: “Our team are often the first on scene to a visitor who has been taken ill suddenly and as one of the largest holiday parks on the Yorkshire coast, the training, equipment and support YAS is providing will really help us to ensure we provide the best possible experience and care for our guests.
“There are 35 Haven Holiday Parks around the UK and we are the first to implement our own on-site Community First Responder scheme.”
Mike Wright, Locality Manager at Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: “Community First Responders offer an invaluable contribution to their local area and we’re delighted to be working with staff at Primrose Valley Holiday Park in launching a CFR scheme. The first few minutes are critical in a medical emergency and access to effective treatment really does save lives.
“As the volunteers are based on the Park they are likely to be only a minute or two away from a medical emergency on-site and often their role will be to simply provide reassurance to patients and their families until ambulance clinicians arrive. However, in extreme cases, such as a heart attack, they can perform CPR or use their defibrillator to restart a person’s heart which could save a life.”
The project is the latest in a series of steps taken by Yorkshire Ambulance Service to improve care to patients throughout the Yorkshire coastal region.
Mike continued: “We are working closely with our health partners, local MPs, Councillors and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to increase the number of public access defibrillators in the area and further improve cardiac arrest survival rates. The launch of this scheme will be another link in a successful chain of survival for visitors, guests and residents alike.”
Yorkshire Ambulance Service has multiple schemes across North Yorkshire and is always on the look-out for volunteers to get involved.
Mike added: “Our volunteers come from all walks of life and our scheme provides access to first-class training as well as the opportunity to gain experience and help your local community.
“Being a Community First Responder can be extremely rewarding and I would encourage anyone who may be interested in taking on the role in their local area to get in touch.”
Volunteers must be over 18 years of age, physically fit, and hold a full driving licence with no more than three penalty points. Full training will be given to successful applicants on completion of a full Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check.
For further information or to join a local scheme, email responders@yas.nhs.uk or telephone 0845 120 3155.[/private]
