| Becoming a first responder is not something
to be taken lightly and it can be as demanding as it is rewarding.
It carries a weight of responsibility, which only comes from
being a member of the emergency services. Even so, any of
out members will tell you, that the sense of satisfaction
after finishing a shift, having helped members of the public
in need, is hard to beat. So next time you see an ambulance
car passing on blues and twos there is a good chance that
it could be one of our team giving up their time trying to
make a difference in the community.
The Scheme
The RAF Lyneham based First Response scheme is now into its
seventh year of existence and since its inception has grown
in strength and importance to the Ambulance Service. There
are currently 24 First Responders based at RAF Lyneham who
come from a wide spectrum of branches and trades, including
Pilot, Non Commissioned Aircrew, UK MAMS and Aeromed. All
members offer their off duty time to man our rapid response
vehicle and respond to 999 emergencies. The RAF Lyneham scheme
is one of several other similar schemes in existence around
the UK, which form the national charity First Response.
The concept
Take volunteers from the armed forces who are familiar with
working in adverse conditions, adjusting to new environments
and who are familiar with basic first aid.
Give them additional medical training in life support techniques.
Give them emergency driving training.
Put them in a rapid response vehicle equipped with life support
equipment.
What you get is a dynamic asset, which can be actively responded
to 999 calls and which significantly enhances the service
given to the public. First responders do not replace any level
of ambulance service because each time we are responded a
front line ambulance is activated as it would be if the scheme
did not exist. That said, when we do get responded, because
we are already mobile we are often able to get to the casualty
ahead of the ambulance. In the last 12 months our scheme alone
has responded to over 500 emergency calls and attended a wide
range of incidents including road traffic collisions, cardiac
arrests and assaults. First responders have on numerous occasions
directly made the difference between life and death.
Training
All our training is carried out by the Ambulance Paramedic
Training Department. After completing the basic medical course
all first responders gain experience by working as a third
person in the back of a front line ambulance. They then progress
on to assisting a paramedic in a rapid response vehicle, before
attaining their basic first responder status and IHCD qualification.
After working for a period of time in our vehicle they complete
a series of modular training courses to further enhance their
clinical skills. The next stage of training involves a 3-week
driving course, which enables them to drive the rapid response
vehicle using blue lights and sirens. Continuation training
is then carried out by a series of training days. More recently
some members of the scheme are now providing community cover
for ambulance ‘black spots’ like Calne and Lyneham.
They effectively respond in a vehicle from their home, to
local emergency calls.
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