Health Minister Mike Nesbitt says Northern Ireland's Community First Responders represent the "best of humanity"
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Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has paid tribute to the invaluable work of Northern Ireland's Community First Responders.
There are 22 Community First Responder (CFR) schemes across Northern Ireland, comprising 407 volunteers who live within their local community. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) alerts the volunteers to specific 999 emergency calls in their area and their work is complementary to the care provided by NIAS.
CFR volunteers aim to reach a potentially life-threatening emergency in the vital first few minutes before the arrival of an ambulance crew. This service is particularly important in rural and geographically hard to reach communities. CFRs who live in the area can be on scene within minutes and can make a real difference before the ambulance arrives. They are able to provide basic emergency life support and use a defibrillator if required.
The Health Minister paid tribute to Ards Peninsula CFRs at a recognition event in Bangor City Hall. The Ards scheme was established in February 2015 and is one of the longest serving in Northern Ireland.
Speaking at the event the Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said: "It really is impressive to be reaching the 10th anniversary of the Ards Peninsula Community First Responders. With over 50,000 volunteer hours provided over the past ten years, the impact of this group really is immeasurable when you think of the partners, children, wider families and friends of each individual treated.
"Community First Responder schemes such as this really do represent the best of community and the best of humanity. Selflessly giving up your own time and energy to help those most in need, especially in our rural areas, is truly admirable. And the Ards Peninsula CFR scheme has the added challenge of dealing not only with the local community, but also serving the visiting tourists as the population swells over the summer months as people enjoy the coastline."
