1st Responders

To someone who has had a heart attack or stroke, time is of the essence, literally every second counts, which is why in rural locations like Cattistock having a First Responder resource is so important as an ambulance cannot possibly take less than 20 minutes to get here from Dorchester.  Today, with crew sickness and long hand over times at the hospitals there can be a much longer wait for an ambulance to attend an incident so please choose carefully before calling 999. It should only be used when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

Here is a check list – medical emergencies include:   Loss of consciousness –  An acute confused state  – Fits that are not stopping – Chest pain –  Breathing difficulties – Severe bleeding that cannot be stopped  –  Severe allergic reactions – Severe burns or scalds –  Heart attack   – Stroke

For an introduction to CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), and what steps to take to treat a patient when you first arrive at the scene, please visit the following page.

Cattistock and Maiden Newton First Responders came into being in 2008. A First Responder’s primary role is to bridge the gap between a telephone call to emergency services and the arrival of an ambulance, delivering basic life support and defibrillation to those in cardiac arrest, and providing support to patients experiencing other medical problems at their time of need.

When the scheme was first set up we had six or seven volunteers. Over recent years the number of volunteers has dropped year on year primarily because people moved out of the area and it has proved difficult to recruit replacements.  There are currently 2 responders working voluntarily for South West Ambulance Service  in our area, they can only respond when on call and contacted via 999:

• Graham Paget, based in Maiden Newton (above left)
• Helen Newman, based in Cattistock ( above right)

Anyone who is interested in becoming a Volunteer Ambulance First Responder please register your interest with David Sale.   You can also contact David on 07813 985064.