Demand for Shipston First Responders is on the rise

Shipston Community First Responders (SCFR) has attended 314 emergency 999 calls on behalf of the West Midlands Ambulance Servic (WMAS) since January 2018. Over the past year, SCFR has seen an increase in emergency calls and now attend, on average, over 50 calls each month!

Shipston’s team of eight Community First Responders (CFRs) provides immediate basic life support interventions with an average response time of five minutes (dependant on location). As the name suggests, the First Responders are often first on the scene, providing vital support as well as reassurance, and are always backed up by the nearest Ambulance resource from WMAS.

Shipston’s CFR’s are all voluntary and provide on-call cover seven days a week. They are reliant on funding from donations and grants.

SCFR Coordinator, Stuart Eastbury, said: “We would like to thank all our supporters, including The League of Friends of the Shipston Hospitals, hosts of fundraising tins and local businesses. Without the continued support of the community we would not be able to provide the service we do.”

 If you are interested in becoming a Community First Responder in Shipston or the surrounding villages, please contact Stuart  on ambulance1991@yahoo.co.uk