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Tideswell and Hope Valley Community First Responder group
What is a Community First Responder (CFR)? CFRs are volunteers who give up their spare time to attend appropriate emergency calls in their own community. They are dispatched by the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) to patients in their homes, workplaces or public locations.
24 February 2025 · 2 min read
What is a Community First Responder (CFR)?
CFRs are volunteers who give up their spare time to attend appropriate emergency calls in their own community. They are dispatched by the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) to patients in their homes, workplaces or public locations. CFRs receive appropriate training and equipment (including a defibrillator, oxygen and various other medical devices) to provide basic life support and initial care until the arrival of an emergency ambulance.
The Tideswell and Hope Valley group
The successful merger of the Tideswell and the Hope Valley CFR groups about 3 years ago has been beneficial to the group and the community. It has meant a bigger pool of members to not only support the ambulance service but also to help with training, fund-raising, community events and awareness sessions.
As well as active responders we have Clare and Lynne who have supported the group right from the start as the secretary and treasurer. Their help and support has been vital over the years to enable the group to run effectively.
This year CFRs have attended public events in Buxton to provide basic life support and defibrillation awareness. We have also arranged these awareness sessions for local villages and groups. The pre-school in Tideswell had a fun morning when 2 of the group went to visit along with an ambulance.
Five of the public access defibrillators in Tideswell are regularly checked by the group to ensure they are ready to use in an emergency. If you dial 999 in an emergency you will be directed to the nearest defibrillator if it is needed. Do you know where your nearest one is? Would you know what to do?
Please be in touch if you would like to learn basic life support skills and how to use a defibrillator, we can arrange more awareness sessions this year.
Cathy Spingys group co-ordinator
For more information or to contact the group please email or message