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We all have kind neighbours, but what's the
kindest thing a neighbour could do? Save a life?
THE North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) is on the look out
for heroes all across the North West to join a life saving team of community 1st
Responders (CFRs) and become the:- 'Hero Next Door.'
CFRs are ordinary people who do extraordinary things as volunteers for the
Ambulance Service. They find the time to save the lives of their neighbours
whilst going about their normal routines.
David McNally, Community Resuscitation Manager for NWAS said:- "We rely on
our community 1st Responders to not help us save lives, but also to just be
there for our patients and be a reassuring face. Sometimes it's the smallest
things that make the biggest difference. The idea of the Hero Next Door campaign
is to let people know that volunteers can go about their everyday lives and have
no other connection to healthcare but still find time to be a hero!"
The new social media campaign using the hashtag #HeroNextDoor launched on 25
August 2017, with a special event in Burnley to find the:- 'North West's Safest
Street.'
Community 1st Responders and staff from NWAS pitched up near Gilbert Street in
Burnley to teach life saving skills to as many people as possible, meaning that
everybody on the street knows what to do in the event of a cardiac arrest.
The team managed to teach over 50 CPR superheroes in 3 hours, skills which
people will be able to be pass onto their friends and families making sure as
many people as possible could be potential life savers.
From Nursery School Children to Mary at the grand age of 91, the
whole community got involved to learn the life saving skills as well as get a
high 5 with the Trust's mascot, Pandamedic and take a look around an Emergency
Ambulance.
When a person goes into cardiac arrest, their chance of survival drops by 10%
for every minute that they are left without CPR and defibrillation, showing just
how important it is for people in the local community to know how to help.
Mark Jarnell, Community First Responder for NWAS, said:- "Working as a CFR
allows me to give back to my community and be there for people in their hour of
need. I simply sign on when I'm available, whether that be in between
appointments at work or when I'm at home watching the telly. The best part for
me is after a busy call out, the relative or patient simply saying thank you."
Community 1st Responders can be called upon to attend incidents such as cardiac
arrest as well as other emergency situations, and possibly being closer to the
patient than an Ambulance they are able to start life saving treatment as
quickly as possible.
Only required to commit a few hours per week, a CFR could be anyone over the age
of 18 and doesn't require any previous training. Visit:-
NWAS.NHS.UK/Volunteer
to find out more.
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