Community First Response (CFR)
– Churt Parish Update April 2010 – Neil Baker
Residents and businesses in the parish will be pleased
to know that the CFR
scheme continues operate. The scheme operates with a responder based in
Hindhead and myself in Churt. We were particularly busy during the snow and
with us both having 4x4 vehicles; we were often called upon to respond to
emergencies. March and April have thankfully been very quiet so far.
The scheme received a major donation from Haslemere
Town Council last year and this enabled us to purchase another PulseOximeter
(measures pulse rate & blood oxygen level) and another Entonox (pain
relief) Set. With the contributions received from the Churt Fete and a further
donation from a village resident we continue to maintain our
Defibillators/Oxygen & Entonox equipment. This is an annual expense we must
cover to ensure our equipment remains safe and in good working order.
For residents/businesses who are not familiar with the
scheme. I have summarsied the role/purpose of a CFR
below.
The ambulance service, the broader NHS and charities
(British Heart Foundation) have recognised the benefits of a community response
in the first few minutes of a medical emergency. In particular, starting CPR
and using a Defib in the case of a cardiac arrest, dealing with choking and
managing a seizure or diabetic emergency. CFRs volunteer from the community,
undergo training and are asked to respond to medical emergencies in a 3 mile
radius of their home/place or work. CFRs are alerted to an emergency via mobile
phone by the Ambulance Service Emergency Dispatch Centre. A CFR
will also receive a text message each time a call is logged in their area. In
this way we are alerted to less serious situations where our training/equipment
could offer a benefit to the patient. A good example is a fall which could
result in a broken bone (for which immediate pain relief might be of tremendous
benefit) or a serious cut which requires dressing/treating. CFRs are trained by
St John Ambulance/The Ambulance Service and undergo requalification every 12
months. A responder uses their own vehicle to respond to a call driving within
the law and without a siren/blue lights. We are all busy people (with
work/family commitments) but when we are at home/work locally we do not mind
taking out 30mins to assist a person in need in our community. We log on with
the ambulance service only when we are available, even if it just for an hour
in the evening.
We are looking for more volunteers to join the scheme
to maintain coverage whilst other responders are working away from home or are
away on holiday. Please contact Neil Baker on 01428 713603 or
neil-baker@btconnect.com for more information. If you are not able to help (it
is not for everyone) then we always welcome donations to help cover our running
costs (Batteries, Annual Maintenance etc). If we can build up reserves then
should another volunteer join, we can equip them fully as well as covering their
equipment running costs. If you wish to make a donation please pop it in an
envelope marked CHURT CFR
and post/deliver to 71 Parkhurst Fields or pass to Pat/Mike Nichols and they
will pass on to me. A pulse Oximeter costs £230 each, we have two but they will
not last forever and we need to maintain reserves should one fail.
I enclose some statistics provided by South East Coast
Ambulance Service & St John Ambulance for the past 12 months which
illustrate the difference a CFR
can make.
- Since starting in 2006
Surrey St John have attended 1800 calls.
- Since 2007
Churt CFR have attended 148 calls.
- Due to our geographic location
it can be a matter of life and death in some situations as the nearest
ambulance stations are in Haslemere/Tongham/Godalming and as you will have
seen on the news the demand for the Ambulance service can be very high at
times.
If someone
can be on scene at a Cardiac Arrest quickly with a defib
if can make an enormous difference. Every minute post collapse reduces
the chance of survival by 10% per minute without a defib.
CPR if it is good (deep compressions) can prolong the decline which in turn
helps the Ambulance crew with their resuscitation. Talking to an
Ambulance crew member/CFR in a busy town area; in the past four years he attended 43
resuscitation and 11 (26%) of them have survived to hospital admission, which
is far better than the national average 4% (out of hospital survival
rate). Remember, a CFR can attend in minutes and give emergency treatment (oxygen
[using a bag and mask] and defib), if ongoing CPR is in progress before the
Ambulance crew arrive this increases the chances of the patient surviving as it
keeps oxygen in the bloodstream.
To put this
into perspective a Cardiac Arrest is thankfully an infrequent occurrence. The
assistance given by a CFR is broader; Several residents have
benefitted from additional oxygen or pain relief (Entonox) or have been
reassured that someone with basic medical training is on hand to assist at a
time of crisis/need.
I am sorry I missed the annual parish meeting on Wed 21st April 2010,
I hope this update serves to keep the parish council updated on CFR
activities. I am more than happy to talk/e-mail parish residents if they have
any further questions.
Neil Baker
Churt/Frensham/Hindhead CFR
Coordinator