What is the Hilmarton Neighbourhood First Responder Scheme?

 

 

Wiltshire Neighbourhood First Responder Schemes are partnerships between Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust, St. John Ambulance and the local community.

 

Schemes consist of trained volunteers (known as Neighbourhood First Responders) who are on-call ready to attend certain category (Cat 'A') emergency 999 ambulance calls in their local community.

 

The Scheme meets monthly for:

The objective of the Hilmarton Neighbourhood First Responder Scheme is to provide local support to the Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust and local community by responding to specific emergency calls in the Hilmarton and Lyneham area.

The Scheme consists of volunteers (known as Neighbourhood First Responders) who are on- call ready to attend certain category (Cat 'A') emergency 999 ambulance calls in their local community. Training is provided free of charge by Wiltshire St. John Ambulance and the Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust.  We provide vital life saving treatment and first aid prior to the arrival of an emergency ambulance. 

We are not paramedics, we respond in our own personal vehicles and have no driving exemptions (e.g. exceeding the speed limit or displaying any kind of vehicle markings or warning lights).  We are trained in basic first aid including oxygen therapy, CPR and the use of an Automated External Defibrillator.  We do not replace the ambulance service - an emergency ambulance is always dispatched at the same time as the on-call Neighbourhood First Responder.

Neighbourhood First Responder Schemes operate under strict guidance and control of the ambulance service. We are dispatched to specific life threatening calls with certain exceptions such as road traffic collisions or children under 12 years old.

Early intervention by Neighbourhood First Responders greatly increases the chances of survival for patients who are unconscious, choking, suffering from breathing difficulties or having a heart attack.

The Schemes success is based on local people giving some time to be trained and to be on-call to support their local community.