Volunteer emergency responder partnership expands with new base in Shefford

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) and the Beds and Herts Emergency Critical Care Scheme (BHECCS), a volunteer-run critical care charity, have been working together since March 2024 to provide a team of trained Emergency Responders who can be dispatched to medical emergencies including cardiac arrests and trauma.

On 28 February, their base at Shefford fire station went live. Volunteers in the scheme already respond from Hemel Hempstead and Welwyn Garden City.

More than 20 volunteers have been recruited in the latest expansion to the partnership, from a variety of professional backgrounds including other emergency services, IT, insurance, and even an airline pilot. All volunteers have previous pre-hospital medical experience. In total, there are now over 50 volunteers in the scheme across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.

The introduction of the new Shefford base will further strengthen the county's emergency response capability, with volunteer responders trained by EEAST available to reach patients in life-threatening situations.

In 2025 alone, volunteers in the BHECCS Emergency Responder scheme attended over 780 emergency calls, arriving first on scene in 87% of incidents, and volunteered more than 2,600 hours of their time.

EEAST also has a similar volunteer scheme operating in Norfolk, in partnership with Norfolk Accident Rescue Service.

Tom Barker, Head of Collaborative Response at EEAST, said: "Emergency Responder volunteers are already making a meaningful difference for patients across Bedfordshire Hertfordshire, as well as in Norfolk through our partnership with Norfolk Accident Rescue Service. The expansion to Shefford will help us respond to medical emergencies faster, getting help to patients when every second counts."

One of the newly recruited volunteers is Meppershall resident Andrew Keen, whose professional career is in the hospitality and events industry. Andrew also has nearly two decades of medical volunteer experience, including as a Community First Responder for EEAST in nearby Henlow.

Andrew said: "I was attracted to the BHECCS Emergency Responder voluntary role as the variety of emergencies we could be called to means I can use a range of clinical skills. I'm excited to be starting my first shift from the Shefford base and proud to play a part in making a real difference for our community."