Community First Responders (CFRs) are volunteers who respond to emergency 999 calls within their local community. In the West Midlands, there are more than 500 active CFRs.
Volunteer CFRs respond when available, in their own time and without pay, to emergency 999 calls in both urban and rural areas. They are not a substitute for ambulance staff, however they provide life-saving skills to patients in their local community until an emergency ambulance vehicle arrives.
All CFRs are trained by West Midlands Ambulance Service and obtain a Level 3 Certificate for Ambulance Service First Responders as well as ongoing training. As well as responding to emergency 999 calls, CFRs promote health and wellbeing in their local community by raising the awareness of the importance of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of a defibrillator.
Examples of calls CFRs would respond to include:
- Cardiac Arrest
- Heart attack/Angina
- Stroke
- Epilepsy
- Unconscious patients
- Asthma
- Anaphylaxis
- Burns / Scolds
- Traumatic Injuries
- Choking