MP thanks volunteers and fire service for working together as first responders

In a visit to Sheringham Fire Station on Thursday (4th January), Mr Baker met the community first responders who give their time to provide emergency medical cover and officers from Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service who co-respond with EEAST crews to attend urgent medical incidents, such as cardiac arrests when every second counts.

Community first responders are volunteers who are trained by EEAST to attend certain types of emergency calls in the area where they live or work. Their aim is to reach a potential life-threatening emergency in the first vital minutes before an ambulance crew arrives.

In North Norfolk alone, there are 51 volunteer CFRs with a further 16 currently going through recruitment and training. In 2023, CFRs in North Norfolk provided 17,139 volunteer hours and responded to 2,072 incidents.

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) operates co-responder stations in Sheringham, North Walsham, Cromer and Dereham. They are planning to include more stations in the near future.

Mr Baker said: “It was very useful to meet with the East of England Ambulance Service Trust, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, and some of our crucially important community first responders.

“We had an update on the work being undertaken between the services to help ensure we see ambulance response times fall across the North Norfolk coast - there was one clear theme, cooperation is key to success.

“I would just like to say a massive thank you to all those in our emergency services who are taking significant steps to see response times fall across Norfolk, especially our fantastic volunteer community first responders.”

Mrunal Sisodia OBE, Chair of EEAST, said: “I was delighted to meet Duncan Baker MP at Sheringham Fire Station to discuss how collaborative working is key to the success of the ambulance service in Norfolk.

“Firstly, our community first responders are making a real difference in communities across the region. The first few minutes in a medical emergency are crucial, and having trained volunteers nearby who can reach a patient before the ambulance arrives can be life-saving.

“It was also a great opportunity to talk about how colleagues from Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service are also helping us as co-responders from fire stations across North Norfolk. It’s another positive example of effective joint working between emergency services.

“Finally, we discussed the joint working with the hospitals in Norfolk, most notably the Norfolk and Norwich, which has seen a reduction in waiting times for ambulances at the A&E department and a subsequent improvement in ambulance response times across Norfolk.”

Paul Seaman, NFRS Area Manager for Operational Response, said: “It’s clear on- call fire fighters at Sheringham are making a real difference in helping to save lives in the town and its locality since they started assisting ambulance service colleagues last year.

“We have a number of fire stations in rural communities so our crews, whose first and foremost duty is always to protect and save life, are well placed to step in and play this role. We have co-responder stations now in Sheringham, North Walsham, Cromer and Dereham with more planned to join the Emergency Medical Response (EMR) programme this year.”

If you are interested in volunteering as a community first responder in your area, or would like to find out more about the scheme, you can find out more at www.eastamb.nhs.uk/join-the-team.