STONEHOUSE PROJECT RECEIVES GENEROUS DONATION
Wednesday 13 January 2010
STONEHOUSE-based volunteers who are deployed to emergency calls while an ambulance is on its way have had their funds boosted by more than £3000 this Christmas.
The money follows one of the volunteers applying to Aberdeen-based transport giant FirstGroup for a donation towards equipment.
David MacDonald, a ScotRail conductor, was awarded £3500 for the Stonehouse Community First Response scheme.
Its seven members provide supplementary emergency medical cover for the Scottish Ambulance Service.
When an emergency call is received, the volunteers are dispatched at the same time as an ambulance to ensure that patients receive critical treatment while paramedics are en route.
They have been on the scene in less than two minutes from being deployed.
The volunteers - fully trained and regularly assessed by the Scottish Ambulance Service – cover a population of 30,000 over 40 square miles, including Stonehouse, Larkhall and Strathaven.
They use their own vehicles and mobile phones and carry basic life support equipment including a defibrillator.
David, of Brankston Avenue, said: “Thanks to the donation from FirstGroup, we can guarantee the use of an Ambulance Service vehicle for one year and purchase a TerraFix system.
“The system means that we can receive patient information and improve our response times – and the official vehicle will help identify us to other road users.”
Dougie Gallacher, the local Community First Response co-ordinator, was also delighted with the contribution.
He said the group can provide the rapid, safe and effective interventions that have been proven to save lives, and added: “The money will begin to make a difference right away.”
He continued: “Effective early treatment can increase the chance of survival as well as improve the quality of life after the event.”
Avril Gill, FirstGroup‘s Marketing Manager, Group Brand, said: “The work carried out by the volunteers at Stonehouse Community First Response group is of vital importance.
“We are often on the look out for opportunities to help worthy organisations like this one and are delighted to help.”
Media enquiries:
Carla Rinaldi, ScotRail Communications: 0141 335 5156 / carla.rinaldi@firstgroup.com
Iain Wilson, ScotRail Communications: 0141 335 4565 / iain.wilson@firstgroup.com
Notes to Editors
Volunteers are known as Community First Responders they are local volunteers who agree to undertake training in order to be able to provide life saving treatment to those people within the community who are critically injured or ill in the first few minutes prior to the arrival of an ambulance.
Under the scheme, the Scottish Ambulance Service trains community volunteers in basic first aid and life saving skills and provides the appropriate medical equipment so that they can deliver an early response to patients while the ambulance is on its way. The responders are deployed to appropriate calls by the ambulance service’s Emergency Medical Dispatch Centre.
The requirement for early defibrillation is well documented. A patient who is defibrillated immediately has an 85% chance of survival.
