Holt & Communities First Response is part of a nationwide NHS scheme of trained local volunteers who offer support in their area to the Ambulance Service. First Responders are frequently the first on the scene and often provide emergency life support pending the arrival of a paramedic.

When an emergency 999 call is made, Norfolk desk will automatically dispatch the ambulance in the close position to the location of the patient. At the same time, the local Responder Unit is alerted via mobile text. Using simple techniques and some equipment we are able to buy time for the Ambulance service and more importantly, the patient. Simply put, with a little knowledge, many medical situations can be contained and the patient maintained while awaiting more advance life support.

While the various Ambulance Trusts provide training and some equipment, everything else is organised on a local voluntary basis. As well as donating their own time, volunteers have to provide their own car, pay for fuel and any insurance cover required to attend a 999 emergency call.

Each day, the first aid equipment, satellite navigation system and the mobile phone is passed to the Responder who is on duty. That responder then carries on with their daily commitments but is ready the moment a message is sent to attend an emergency situation within the local vicinity. By attending, the responder not only supplies a knowledge that might just save a life, but also vital equipment - which was previously confined to an ambulance - which can now be used in the shortest time possible and thus provide maximum benefit for the patient.

• Holt & Communities First Response Website