Community responders to aid in medical emergencies
The medically-trained volunteers use an app to be alerted to emergencies
At a glance
Jersey is seeing volunteer community first responders being deployed to medical incidents across the island
Jersey Ambulance Service said the volunteers could be sent prior to the arrival of an ambulance and provide help as "quickly as possible"
The full-trained volunteers log on to an app to show their availability and be alerted to emergencies
- Published
Community first responders (CFR) for medical incidents are being introduced across Jersey, ambulance bosses say.
Jersey Ambulance Service said the nationally-approved scheme using fully-trained volunteers would form an "integral part" of emergency care.
It said volunteers could be sent prior to the arrival of an ambulance.
Their training meant they could "provide early interventions in the crucial early moments of an emergency, wherever that may be", they added.
'Serious calls' focus
The scheme, which bosses said was now "forming an integral part of emergency patient care", is run through the GoodSam app.
Volunteers log on to show their availability and be alerted to the location of any emergencies.
Senior paramedic Jason Hamon said CFRs had already “been proven to really make all the difference in emergency situations” in the UK.
He said: “The scheme pays particular focus to the most serious of calls, where patients are experiencing chest pains and may be having a suspected heart attack.
“The first few moments really are vital in these circumstances and the purpose of CFRs is to ensure help gets to the most needy, as quickly as possible.”