Community First Responders are volunteers who play a vital role in the delivery of care by the Trust. They use their life-saving skills in many of the more rural parts of Essex. There are now over 400 members of the public working in 52 groups around the county. They are trained in basic life support, oxygen therapy and the use of a defibrillator. During 2004 they responded to 2,888 calls compared to the previous year’s total of 1,684 – a remarkable achievement.

Their contribution is greatly valued by the Trust, and there are many examples of people having had their life saved by a Community First Responder. As always, we are looking to expand the number of people in each group and also the number of schemes. For more information on how you can get involved, take a look at the Essex First Responders Website