Equipment neededfor community lifesaving teams in Rye

Rother Responders are volunteer members of the community who are trained to respond to emergency calls through the 999 system in conjunction with the Ambulance Service.

They use equipment such as defibrillators as an early response treatment for those suffering from cardiac arrest.

Jon Padovani, from Rother Responders, explained: “Community First Responders are not intended to replace ambulances, their role is to provide emergency medical care and life support in those critical few minutes before the ambulance crew arrives and can take over.

“They are able to arrive more quickly than an ambulance simply because they are more nearby. Every minute counts and by having a CFR in your community, we can increase the chance of survival for patients needing emergency medical interventions. The CFRs are trained to deal with most 999 calls and are alerted to emergencies by the ambulance service, who will already have dispatched an ambulance to the incident.

“We are looking to expand in the Rother area and already have more volunteers joining us coming from Rye, Peasmarsh, Northiam, Icklesham and Staplecross but for us to bring them on board fully and further increase our coverage and geographical area, we are in need of some new kits.

“Each kit, including a defibrillator, costs us £1400. Although a defibrillator is expensive, it can make crucial difference in saving the lives of patients in cardiac arrest. We are seeking sponsorship / donations and looking to hear from locals who might be willing to make a contribution.

“Please help us help your community. Get in touch via our website www.RotherCFR.co.uk or you can email [email protected]’