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Geoff and Jenny Barber - community first responders

Husband and wife Geoff and Jenny Barber volunteer for the North East Ambulance Service as community first responders.  

Big fans of the outdoors, just some of the hobbies the pair enjoy are caving, mountaineering and cross-country skiing. Because of this, they are both trained in first aid.  

As they got older, they decided to put their first aid training to good use and have been volunteering in their local community in Weardale since the year 2000.  

Community first responders (CFRs) volunteer their time across the region, supporting patients within their own communities whilst emergency ambulance crews are travelling.  

Every year, CFRs offer around 29,000 hours of their time providing potentially life-saving support in the minutes between a 999 call being made and the crew’s arrival.  

Geoff and Jenny are able to log on when they’re available and respond to jobs together, doubling up to do CPR or taking patient observations.  

Geoff said: “Thanks to the training from NEAS and how much it has improved over the years, we feel more confident in our ability to look after patients until the ambulance arrives and the crew can take over. 

“For us, the best part about volunteering is knowing we are doing something for our community.”