Volunteer crisis threatens vital response teams
Last updated 12:37, Thursday, 31 July 2008
A LIFESAVING group is struggling to keep going because of a lack of volunteers.
The First Responders in Wigton and Aspatria are often first on the scene for medical emergency call-outs – providing vital treatment in the moments before an ambulance arrives.
But they are struggling to cover some call-outs because they have so few volunteers.
Marie Rose is a volunteer for the service in Aspatria, but covers the entire 3,000 population of the town on her own.
She said: “At first we had quite a lot of members but for one reason or another they have had to drop out, and now I’m the only one in Aspatria that is qualified.
“If I’m the only one here and there is a call comes when I’m out, there’s nobody around here to respond.”
Mrs Rose, who is also a parish councillor for Aspatria, added that this meant even a simple trip to the shops could potentially leave people without vital first aid.
She said: “If I’m the only one here and a call comes in while I’m out, there is nobody to respond.”
A similar lack of volunteers is causing problems for the service in neighbouring areas.
The villages of Westnewton and Crosby Villa have one volunteer each to cover their populations, while Plumbland has three.
Nearby Prospect has two trained volunteers.
Volunteers are trained in first aid, with monthly training updates, and equipped with a pager so they can be contacted.
They turn up before ambulances in cases where people are suffering from medical difficulties. This can include people with breathing difficulties, or those suffering chest pains.
On other occasions, the volunteers are required simply for their local knowledge, pointing ambulances in the direction of where an emergency is taking place.
Mrs Rose said: “We are not called out to any accidents or fires, we just respond to basic things. We feel we have got to go out as we are just so low on volunteers.”
She suggested that people could be put off because the service was volunteer-run, and because of high petrol costs.
To volunteer for the First Responders, call Mrs Rose on 016973 21230.
