1st Responders

Cattistock and Maiden Newton First Responders came into being in 2008. A First Responder’s primary role is to bridge the gap between a telephone call to emergency services and the arrival of an ambulance, delivering basic life support and defibrillation to those in cardiac arrest, and providing support to patients experiencing other medical problems at their time of need.

When the scheme was first set up we had six or seven volunteers. Over recent years the number of volunteers has dropped year on year primarily because people moved out of the area and it has proved difficult to recruit replacements. Today we are down to one volunteer.

To someone who has had a heart attack or stroke, time is of the essence, literally every second counts, which is why in rural locations like Cattistock having a First Responder resource is so important as an ambulance cannot possibly take less than 20 minutes to get here from Dorchester.  Today, with crew sickness and long hand over times at the hospitals there can be a much longer wait for an ambulance to attend an incident so please choose carefully before calling 999. It should only be used when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk. Here is a check list.

Medical emergencies include:                                                         
Loss of consciousness          
An acute confused state                                                                                             
Fits that are not stopping                                                                            
Chest pain                                                                                        
Breathing difficulties                                                                                  
Severe bleeding that cannot be stopped                                                                
Severe allergic reactions                                                                                   
Severe burns or scalds                                                                                     
Heart attack                                    
Stroke

Anyone who is interested in becoming a Volunteer Ambulance First Responder please register your interest with David Sale.   You can also contact David on 07813 985064.

Defibrillator footnote:

The siting of Cattistock’s Defibrillator is in a renovated Phone-box next to the Fox and Hounds.  The contact for the Defibrillator is Terry White, contact details are as follows: 07806 788272