MAESTEG COMMUNITY FIRST RESPONDERS
First Responders in Wales are fully trained and equipped volunteers with the Welsh Ambulance Service who donate their spare time to attend appropriate 999 calls and provide first hand emergency care to people within their own community. Despatched solely by ambulance control and arriving in their personal vehicles, they often arrive first on scene at a medical event and provide initial assessment, treatment and care prior to the arrival of frontline Welsh Ambulance colleagues. CFRs are unable to provide advice or attendance outside of their on-duty deployments.
A BIT ABOUT US
Maesteg Community First Responders are trained volunteers who voluntarily respond to high-priority 999 calls on behalf of the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust. Tasked by ambulance control to calls within our area, we are often first on scene to provide reassurance, initial assessment and observation and any required initial treatment.
Our remit includes, among others, calls relating to cardiac arrests, choking, fitting, bleeding, chest pain, heart attacks, collapses, falls and breathing difficulties. Some of our team have progressed into careers with WAST, which is testament to the training and experience they receive as CFRs.
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We are also very involved in maintaining, increasing access to and increasing the number of public access defibrillators (PADs) in Maesteg. Check out our Defibrillators in Maesteg page for a list of defibs we know about. Know of any more or want us to pop by and check yours? No problem, just use the Contact Us function.
We also offer free public access CPR and AED awareness sessions in the community and participate in Restart a Heart every October, visiting local schools to provide awareness of this vital lifesaving information. Check out our Resources page for useful videos and advice.
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We couldn't do all this without the support of many local organisations and individuals and we warmly thank all those persons who support our work (thankyou list below).
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If you are interested in joining our CFR team, volunteers receive comprehensive training, mentoring and support, both initially and through their CFR career. Volunteers are 18+ and hold a driving licence. For more information and to register an expression of interest in joining one of the national CFR teams, please follow this link https://ambulance.nhs.wales/get-involved/become-a-community-first-responder/
The Trust also welcomes compliments from recent experiences, as they offer us the opportunity to learn and share instances of good practice, exceptional patient care and good news stories. If you wish to praise a service, a member of staff or a team you can let us know via the following ways:
Telephone: 01792 311 773
Email: PECI.team@wales.nhs.uk
Write to:
Patient Experience and Community Involvement Team,
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust,
1 Matrix Park,
Swansea Enterprise Park.
SA6 8RE
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Compliments are handled by our Patient Experience and Community Involvement (PECI) team.
DIOLCH! THANK YOU!
Thank you to our supporters!
Western Power Distribution - who funded additional kit and uniform for our team members
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Bridgend Lions - who funded the purchase of a QCPR Annie doll and a mini AED trainer
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Rotary Club of Maesteg - who funded the first Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) in the town centre and most recently another very generous donation to team funds
Wetherspoons Maesteg for hosting a PAD site
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Maesteg Police Station Tuck Shop (c/o PCSO Julie Banks) - for consumables for a Maesteg defibrillator and an outdoor heated cabinet
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AEDdonate / Tesco Bags of Help - for four external heated defibrillator cabinets for PAD sites
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Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust (MSCT) - for their donation to purchase two defibrillators to be used at PAD sites in Maesteg and an AED trainer for use in team and public training
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Maesteg Town Council - funding for five public access defib sites and an outdoor cabinet for an existing defibrillator, as well as consumables for local public access defib sites
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MADL Charity - funding for an AED trainer to be used in team and public training
Red Watch at Maesteg Fire Station - funding a defibrillator and cabinet and South Wales Fire & Rescue for hosting the device
St John Ambulance Cymru for hosting a PAD site in Maesteg
Cwm Calon for their fundraising efforts and hosting a public access defib
Elite Signs & Graphics for donating defibrillator stickers
Groundwork UK for funding the defibrillator for a public access site
Owen E Jones & Co for the generous donation of two public access defibrillators from their community scheme
SaveALifeCymru for a defibrillator for a PAD site for Ysgol Cynwyd Sant
Llangynwyd Tir Iarll WI for their generous donation
MediTec Solutions for their advice and supply
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We also warmly thank Jeff Davies (Slade Electrix) and Cllr Rhys Davies for volunteering their time, knowledge and skills!
Thank you as always to our management and training team at Welsh Ambulance and our inspirational sister groups at Porthcawl, Bridgend & Coity, Garw Valley, Mumbles, Aberaeron and Tenby & Saundersfoot for their advice & guidance!