Community First Responder (CFR) volunteers are trained in basic life-saving skills and are dispatched following emergency calls to the ambulance service, to provide care until the ambulance arrives. Volunteers operate as part of a rota system from their own home or place of work to attend 'immediately life-threatening' emergencies such as cardiac arrest, diabetic emergency, unconscious patients, breathing difficulties and seizures. Due to the locality of the volunteers, they can often arrive on a scene of an emergency before an ambulance and these extra minutes are vital in providing immediate life-saving treatment. In the case of cardiac arrest, for every minute that passes without cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation, a patient's chances of survival decrease by 14%. Community Responders come from all walks of life, some already with medical knowledge, such as from St John Ambulance, British Red Cross or retired medical personnel. Andrew Withers, an established local businessman, provides his time free of charge for the Whitley Wood and Shinfield Community Responders. He comments: “In the fast-paced business environment I work in, to become a Responder volunteer makes you realise how precious life can be and keeps me firmly grounded. Without donations, we would find it almost impossible to run this valuable service".
