A new cohort of volunteer community first responders are ready to help save lives across the north east.
Community first responders are trained volunteers, dispatched by North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) to emergencies in their local communities.
Nine new community first responders (CFRs) have been trained, passed their final exam, and are now ready to respond within their local area.
Community first responders are often the first on scene, playing a vital role in delivering early interventions in patient care. They support patients in both rural & urban areas, responding to their local communities from home and sometimes work.
Every year, CFRs offer around 38,000 hours of their own time. They help provide vital life-saving support in the minutes between a 999 call being made and an ambulance arriving.
Alex Mason, community resuscitation and development officer at NEAS, said:
"We have 138 CFRs, whose role is crucial in providing early interventions in the first minutes of an emergency. Living within the communities they serve, they can often also be on scene first, providing basic life-saving support and initial treatment.
"We are extremely grateful for the support of our CFRs – they really do help save lives and they tell us that they also get a lot from supporting us because it gives them the chance to learn new skills and meet new people whilst also whilst serving their communities.
“Anyone can volunteer with NEAS, there’s loads of roles available, we have volunteers from all walks of life; people who work full-time, part-time, retirees, veterans, no matter what your situation is, there’s something for everyone.”
In the year 2024/25, NEAS trained an additional 39 new CFRs. The nine new volunteers joining the CFR team has increased the number of community first responders available across the north east by over eight percent.
Tanya, from Corbridge, is one of the newly trained CFRs. Tanya works full time as a vet and has done for 15 years.
She explains what inspired her to become a CFR with NEAS, “I have been helped by North East Ambulance Service myself. The care I received was to such an outstanding degree that it made me want to volunteer and become a community first responder.
“The training and support offered by NEAS has been fantastic and it has been a pleasure to learn alongside my fellow volunteers. I look forward to helping out my local community as best I can and supporting the emergency crews too.”
Brittany, from Horton, works in the emergency operations centre at NEAS and has also recently become a volunteer community first responder. She said,
“I currently work part time in the emergency operations centre at NEAS. Volunteering as a community first responder means I’m able to gain an insight into more of our organisation, how it works, and have a better understanding of patient care too. I also wanted to help out more in my local community and give back where I can.”
Volunteer roles offered by NEAS include ambulance car drivers, community ambassadors, and volunteer porters too. They each offer great ways to gain experience of working in a healthcare setting as well as providing support for patients, local communities and the wider ambulance service.
Have questions about volunteering with the North East Ambulance Service? Contact volunteer.