penicuikcfr.com

Penicuik Community First Responders is a registered charity and entirely voluntary organisation serving the local community. Formed in 2005, its volunteers are trained by the Scottish Ambulance Service to attend selected emergency calls in the areas where they live or work. Their role is to provide an early response during the vital minutes before an ambulance crew arrives. With an average response time of around five minutes, responders offer initial assessment and, where appropriate, use their emergency skills to begin care for incidents including cardiac arrest, heart attacks, breathing difficulties and collapse. The group reports attending more than 3,000 calls since it began.

Alongside emergency response, the organisation offers basic life-saving courses to local groups, businesses and clubs. Training covers recognising heart attacks and cardiac arrest, helping an unconscious or choking person, performing CPR and responding to serious bleeding. Courses also include a demonstration of how to use an automated external defibrillator.