Newport focus: Future of life-saving service in doubt
First responders appeal for volunteers
A plea has been made this week for more volunteers to ensure the continuity of a community-run service, which has become an important link in life-saving within the area.
Newport Community First Responders is a volunteer life-saving team of volunteers who have been at the call of the local community for almost eight years.
But the drop in team strength over the years to run the service is now threatening its future to respond in the manner that members have done over the years.
This week it has been confirmed that the scale of decline in their team strength has now reached a critical point at which they no longer have enough volunteers to maintain the rostered service necessary to ensure that a response is available at all times.
“Since Covid and through other personal reasons the number of volunteers in the group has dropped quite a bit. Currently due to the numbers we have we cannot provide a rostered service,” a team member explained.
“We would love to get back to the days when we had two teams - each covering every other week - and each volunteer able to pick which night of that the respective week they would be on call,” the team member added.
For smooth and effective running of the service it is policy that the responders attend calls in pairs for safety and backup every time.
“We need your help in community of Newport to ensure this vital service can continue,” is the stark message from the organisation this week.
The amazing volunteers from within the local community who have made up the teams over the years have given an exemplary service in responding when the alerts came through after the National Ambulance Service was called via 999/112.
They have responded to many different callouts to the Newport area in advance of the ambulance arriving to give assistance and provide critical immediate care in the event of cardiac arrest.
Originally they responded to such emergencies as cardiac arrest, choking, chest pain and strokes, each of which they have been trained for, but currently due to continuing Covid-19 concerns they are being restricted to cardiac arrest calls only.
They point out that the time committed is up to each individual’s own decision, because they understand the demands on people for their time, work, family, etc, and nobody is asked to contribute more time than they feel comfortable with.
FURTHER DETAILS
Full training and PPE is provided free of charge as well as any equipment for use, and for anyone interested more details are available on Facebook (Newport CFR) or email NewportResponders@gmail.com.