A group of life-saving volunteers have been presented with new equipment which will allow them to help more people in need.

Community First Responders (CFRs), volunteers for South Western Ambulance Service, have been given a Raizer chair, which helps to lift patients, and enhanced observation equipment, following a generous donation by Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.

A presentation evening took place at Corscombe village hall this week.

Responders provide an emergency response in their local communities, often being first on scene to provide basic life support while an ambulance is on route. West Dorset is home to the first group of its kind in the country, thanks to Thorncombe CFR.

Traditionally, CFRs have only been sent to the highest priority calls, such as a cardiac arrest, where early life-saving support known as CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation) can make all the difference to the patient’s chances of survival.

However, a new scheme introduced by the ambulance service is now seeing CFRs respond to patients who have fallen and are unable to get up. With clinical supervision from the clinical control hub, once it has been confirmed that the patient has no injuries, the CFRs are now able to assist the patient up off the floor with the use of the Raizer chair. In rural communities, where many residents may be elderly, the use of the chair can reduce the length of time a patient with no injuries may otherwise have to wait for an ambulance.

The South Western Ambulance Charity says it is 'delighted' to have received the significant donation from the air ambulance charity to support volunteer CFR groups in the region.

Bill Sivewright, chief executive of Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, said: “We are delighted to be able to support community first responder groups across Dorset and Somerset. As volunteers they perform such an amazing role in their local communities.

“We were keen to find a way in which we could enhance our own chances of achieving a successful patient outcome by influencing the ‘first 10 minutes’ of a patient’s crisis. There were a number of options that we could have employed but chose to provide a grant to the Ambulance Service Charity responsible for training and equipping volunteer CFR teams in the Dorset and Somerset area.

“By funding a defined range and quantity of equipment, we have enabled the upgrading of a number of existing CFR Teams and the creation of three new teams in our area. The equipment will enable the teams to deal with more calls and, if required, provide effective life-saving support such as CPR until a clinician arrives.

“By providing them with this additional equipment, we recognize that the CFRs will be better able to support those patients with less critical conditions and this will free up the ambulance and air ambulance resources to attend the most critical patients who need our specialist clinical care.”

David Toman, community responder officer, said: “We are very grateful to for the generous donation of equipment. Our CFRs do a fantastic job and donation of the Raizer chair will mean that they are able to attend and care for more patients in their local communities.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our CFRs, who give up their own time to support and care for people."

CFRs Christopher and Lesley Chapman were also awarded for 10 years' service at the presentation evening.

Mr Toman added: "Many thanks and congratulation to them both for their significant service.”