Today I read the devastating news that Rugeley First Responders will no longer be able to use their blue lights nor carry potentially life saving medication.

The lack of life saving medications along with longer response times will almost definitely cost lives and will go directly against the 'preserve life 'prevent worsening' policy.

First Responders are everyday members of the general public who are trained to deal with a wide range of potentially life threatening conditions until the arrival of an ambulance.

Very often the role they play is one of reassurance, for example in instances where someone has chest pains but in more extreme cases they can perform CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) or use a defibrillator to restart someone’s heart.

First Responders provide support to the regular Ambulance Service by attending serious and life threatening 999 calls in and around the community to provide the earliest possible intervention for patients in the first few minutes until the arrival of an Ambulance.

The ambulance service dispatcher is able to send Community First Responders to a range of incidents; they are dispatched at the same time as the ambulance crews but because they are often in more rural areas can often arrive before the ambulance. In cases of cardiac arrest it has been identified that the chance of a positive outcome reduces by approximately 10% for every minute that effective CPR and defibrillation are delayed.

The scheme can be incredibly rewarding as responders could well end up saving someone’s life. Many villages where schemes exist show great community spirit knowing that there are people there who could be lifesavers.

They also have volunteers working tirelessly to raise vital funds such as Happy Holidays charity stall based at Rugeley Market Hall. These girls alone have raised well over £1100 in just over 6 weeks. This also thanks to the local residents who donate to and and shop at Happy Holidays.

All of these people are working so hard to keep this amazing scheme going, it has to be worth fighting for.

Thank you for your time :-)