VOLUNTEERS are being sought to get a Community First Responder scheme up and running in Cowling.

Parish councillor Natalie Johnson, who lives at Ickornshaw, is spearheading a drive to raise money for new community defibrillator and is organising a team of volunteer Community First Responders.

They will provide immediate lifesaving care to members of the local communities in an emergency medical situation, such as heart attack, breathing difficulties or a collapse, in the vital minutes before an ambulance arrives.

They will be trained in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and the use of an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED), which delivers a controlled electric shock to restart the heart. First Responders also carry portable oxygen.

Dave Jones, community defibrillation officer for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS), said: “Community First Responders make a valuable contribution to their communities. We know that in many medical emergencies the first few minutes are critical. If effective treatment can be performed within those first minutes, lives can be saved and disability reduced.

"Being a First Responder can be extremely rewarding," he said. "Many people volunteer as a Community First Responder to gain experience, to help their local communities and some people have had personal experience of a loved one needing prompt medical attention. Volunteers come from all walks of life.”

Cllr Johnson, a 31-year-old maths teacher, said she had "taken the bull by the horns to help get the scheme up and running" because she had been considered changing her career to a paramedic.

She and her partner, Darren Crimes, who is a first aid trainer, are two of the first five volunteers to offer their services as Community First Responders.

Cllr Johnson said at least four volunteers were needed to establish a team, but she added "the more the merrier" would mean less time commitments.

She said the YAS would support the village in getting a scheme started if enough volunteers were recruited and £1,200 was raised to purchase a kit and a defibrillator.

There will also be an open information evening at Cowling Village Hall from 7pm to 8pm on Monday for prospective volunteers.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the role should email Dave.Jones@yas.nhs.uk or ring 0845 120 3155.

Those interested in becoming a volunteer for the Cowling First Responder scheme can contact Natalie Johnson at cowlingfirstresponders@gmail.com.