Community First Responder Scheme - Auchterhouse

All too often we hear of people collapsing in their homes suffering a major heart attack. They, like many others before and after them, possibly die needlessly because it takes too long for an ambulance to get to them, - they are a victim of the location they chose to call home.

First Response is a registered charity that provides volunteers who are willing to be trained by the Ambulance Service to respond to 999 calls within their own community for emergencies such as heart attacks but including other causes of collapse and accidents. The Charity started a Neighbourhood First Responder Scheme in Auchterhouse in June 2006.

Volunteers, who are willing to give a little of their free time to train and provide this fast-aid service to the community, have come forward and have been trained by the Ambulance Service and the equipment has been provided by the Charity

It is commonly acknowledged that heart attack victims who receive help, within a few minutes, in the form of CPR and Defibrillation have a much larger (often double) chance of survival.

In the 2nd half of 2005 there were 17 calls from the Auchterhouse area for an ambulance, - for a variety of reasons including collapses. In many of these emergencies a First Response volunteer could have been called out and would have attended the casualty for at least 10 minutes before an ambulance team arrived.

First Responding is really a self-help scheme where neighbours are given the tools to help each other in their time of need.

Further information on First Responders can be found on the Scottish Ambulance Service's web site www.scottishambulance.com

Historical Note:

First Response was founded by Scott Bateman MBE, born in Auchterhouse in 1971. Scott was educated at Auchterhouse Primary School, Newtyle Secondary and the Harris Academy. Scott joined the RAF in 1989 as a Load-Master and later became a pilot on Hercules aircraft.

Scott's father suffered a heart attack in his village home and, with the best will, the ambulance response time was in excess of 15 minutes. Scott set out to research ways of of reducing response time and, in October 1998, after discussion with Lincolnshire Ambulance Service, he started First Response at RAF Cranwell using off duty personnel. This was so successful that the Army and Navy offered their assistance and First Response is now in operation all over the country. The initial teams were all based on Forces volunteers and Auchterhouse was the first civilian team chosen to be sponsored by the charity.

Her Majesty the Queen honoured Scott with the MBE for his services to the community.

First Response has an excellent and informative web site at:
www.first-response.org.uk

Auchterhouse is still listed on the First Response website, under schemes. However the truth is we never get called (the last one was at the beginning of the year), but SAS say there  are no emergency calls from Auchterhouse. So everyone is fit and in control out here!!

We have been operating for about 2 years now but will call a halt at that.