Community first responders
Our community first responders (CFRs) are volunteers who are trained by us to attend certain types of emergency calls in the area where they live or work.
Their aim is to reach a potential life threatening emergency in the first vital minutes before the ambulance crew arrives.
Their role is to help stabilise the patient and provide the appropriate care until the more highly skilled ambulance crew arrives on scene to take over the treatment.
Role type: Voluntary
Locations: All counties. Please check the list below for the areas we are currently recruiting for CFRs.
Length of training: Nationally recognised, intensive six-day training course. We offer two options for the course depending on which suits you best: three weekdays per week over two weeks OR two weekend days per week over three weekends. This is delivered though a blend of on line e-learning and face to face learning with assessments at the end of the course. There will also be ongoing learning and assessments throughout your time as a community first responders, some of this is face to face, and some of this is e-learning workbooks. The locations of the training courses are spread across the region, and on successful recruitment you will be offered the dates of courses for you to attend.
Criteria: Anyone can become a community first responder but you must:
- be physically fit
- be aged between 18-70
- agree to a disclosure and barring service check (DBS). This was previously known as criminal records bureau disclosure or CRB.
- have a sympathetic, caring nature
- agree to undertake training, which we provide
- have a full driving licence and access to a road worthy car.
If you live or work in any community where we already have a community first responder group, and would like to train and volunteer as a community first responder with us, wed love to hear from you.
If you would like to join our community first responder team please complete our online application form.
If you have any further questions you can email the team CFR@eastamb.nhs.uk
You can download our community response strategic delivery plan 2019-2022.
To name a few, taking blood pressures, NEWS2 and liaising with ECAT for best practice.
The community response managers:
Essex Community Response Manager, Claire Ruddy
Norfolk, Waveney and East Suffolk Community Response Manager, Peter Sefton-Smalley
Cambridgeshire and Suffolk Community Response Manager, Jonathan Needle
Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, West Essex. Community Response Manager, Kathleen Bowman
Military co-responding and blue light partnerships. Head of Blue Light Collaboration, Thomas Barker
General and recruitment
For all general enquiries and recruitment enquiries about CFRs, please contact the CRM team at CFR@eastamb.nhs.uk
This is a shared mailbox for the CRM team.
Training
For all CFR training queries, please contact cfrtraining@eastamb.nhs.uk
This mailbox will be monitored by the training department.
