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The scheme is controlled by West Midlands Ambulance Service. When a "999" call is made in the local area, Ambulance Control will then look at where the call is to see if there is a community first responder scheme in that area. If there is a scheme, a pager message is sent to the schemes pager and the responder will go to the call. They are expected to be mobile in a minute. Utilising an Ambulance Service radio in the response vehicle they radio that they are mobile. The idea is that due to their locality, the first responders can get to the patient more quickly than the ambulance and make time critical interventions to maximise the patients chances of survival.
CFRs administer medical assistance to the patient whilst the Ambulance Paramedics are on their way. We are always backed up by a Community Paramedic Officer and/or A+E Vehicle. In the first few minutes of someone suffering a heart attack the CFR can make all the difference between life and death. By local responders dealing with local people it knits the community together. We know that in many medical emergencies and after accidents, people can die within the first few minutes. We also know that if certain simple but critical interventions can be performed within those first few minutes that life can be saved and disability reduced. This is especially the case for heart attacks, choking and injuries that have caused someone to lose consciousness.
There are always times when an emergency vehicle cannot get to an incident within the first few minutes, particularly in more rural areas. Community First Responders provide essential treatment in those first crucial minutes.
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