Richard Jay, FastAid Vice Chairman, said: “The generous loan means so much.  It will improve the profile and public awareness of our charity but, more importantly, allow us to respond more quickly and effectively to emergency calls where a minute can sometimes mean a very different outcome.”

The car was handed over to the group on 22nd December and the very first incident the car responded to was just around the corner from the dealership.

Richard Hickling, Sytner Dealer Principle, said: “When Richard first approached me, it really struck a chord with me. I was amazed by the time and effort that the team give up freely to support the local community. It is a fantastic initiative and we are delighted to be involved.”

Andy Jeynes, Birmingham CRM, continued: “It’s all about helping the community in medical emergencies and this partnership supports it 100%.”

May I say a really, really big thank you to around 15 CFRs, along with family members and friends, who accompanied the Shirley Round Table sleigh last night.  It was fantastic to have so many folk in what was both a social and Christmas scene.  A special thanks to all the little ones who collected and to those who travelled from both South B’ham and the Sutton area.

It was a terrific evening with residents and collectors alike obviously enjoying the festive mood, even when tired feet started to complain.  By the end of the evening, even Santa had lost weight.

We raised a staggering £460, which can be gift matched, and this will be a gift from Round Table for a new defibrillator for us to have in Shirley.  Great work all around.

There are too many to mention, but thanks to Richie for coordinating and to Santa.

Left to Right: Karen Ratcliffe, Linda Atherton, Andy Jeynes, Terry Flower

For what was forecast to be the busiest weekend of the year, FastAid volunteers from Solihull were out in force in Touchwood, Solihull High Street and Broad Street in Birmingham. The Community First Responders had their busiest weekend ever answering emergency calls passed to them by West Midlands Ambulance Service.

In addition Luke Jeyes, an A&E nurse and FastAid CFR, helped with the temporary minor injuries set up in Broad Street to relieve pressure on the local hospitals.

Sam Jackson, Chairman of FastAid Solihull, explained “We knew there was likely to be a high demand placed on the ambulance service and our teams were in Broad Street on Friday night until 0400, in Touchwood Shopping centre over the two days and in Solihull town centre on Saturday night until 0400.  We were ready to get to the scene quickly and provide treatment until an ambulance arrived.  We attended some alcohol related problems but also people with breathing difficulties and a possible stroke.  Time can be critical in medical emergencies so we positioned ourselves where the highest call volume was likely and the number of incidents proved how important that decision was.  Our skilled responders are unpaid and I pay tribute to their continued selfless dedication.  We are already planning for New Year’s Eve where 999 calls increase significantly.  Some of our CFRs will even be on call on Christmas day.”

Andy Jeynes, Community Response Manager for West Midlands Ambulance Service, added “I was extremely proud of the way the volunteers gave up their time and contributed so much when the need was greatest.”

Courtesy of West Midlands Ambulance Service

An awards ceremony was held in November to honour members of the public from across the West Midlands region who have gone beyond the call of duty to help save lives and support the work of West Midlands Ambulance Service’s 4,000 staff.

The event, at Treetops on the grounds of West Midland Safari park in Bewdley, recognised the efforts of Midlands Air Ambulance fundraisers, voluntary car drivers, members of St. John Ambulance, Severn Area Rescue Association, Community First Responders, 4×4 drivers and people who helped West Midlands Ambulance Service recruit members as part of its plans to become an NHS Foundation Trust.

Addressing the audience, West Midlands Ambulance Service Chief Executive Anthony Marsh described how the organisation is supported by 1,500 volunteers, a thousand of whom are Community First Responders.

Presenting some of the awards, Lady Morrison, the High Sheriff of Worcestershire said “I want to congratulate the winners because what you do is to provide the backbone service to West Midlands Ambulance Service. Without you, without your dedication, without your generosity of your time, this ambulance service could simply not run. I am very honoured and very, very proud to be giving these awards.”

A very big congratulations to all the members of the FastAid team receiving awards on the evening (photos are on the FastAid website photo gallery), award details are as follows:

Samantha Jackson, Terry Flower, Yvonne McHugh, Karen Ratcliffe, Linda Atherton, Mark Atheron and Tim Atherton – “Distinguished Service Award”

These founder members started FastAid, the first community responder scheme in the Birmingham area with sponsorship and support from Guest Alfa Romeo and Touchwood Shopping Centre in Solihull.  Tim Atherton has recently been successful in gaining full-time employment with the West Midlands Ambulance Service as a paramedic at Henrietta Street ambulance station, he has now stepped down from his duties as chairman and this award recognises his excellent contribution to the charity over the last 5 years.

Terry Flower – “Chief Officer Commendation”

During one of his many shifts, Terry received a call from a cricket club in Dorridge.  On arrival he discovered a young man in a collapsed condition.  As he began to treat the patient, he noticed the patient deteriorating into cardiac arrest.  He attached the defibrillator, shocked the patient and commenced resuscitation.  The patient left hospital and made a full recovery, a real tribute to Terry’s  skills, dedication and commitment to the community response scheme.  This was his second nomination of the evening.

Amanda Box and Jenni Mackay - “Distinguished Service Award”

Amanda and Jenni are responsible for maintaining uniform and equipment for the Black Country area of FastAid.  Both demonstrate a strong commitment to all aspects of community initiatives undertaken in the Halesowen area.

Laura Fleming, Carol Waite and Ian Waite – “Distinguished Service Award”

Carol, Ian and Laura are truly inspirational in responding and engaging with their community.

Ian Hughes – “Chief Officer Commendation”

Ian is a CFR in Pelsall for FastAid and on the 30th March this year he responded to a cardiac arrest on his first case during his first shift as an active CFR!  He attended to an unconscious man at Pelsall Community Centre immediately putting his newly acquired skills to the test and began CPR.  A crew and rapid response vehicle quickly arrived and they all continued advanced life support and  managed to shock the patient back into a rhythm with a defibrillator.

FastAid Chairman, Tim Atherton said that “this is a great example of the work the volunteers from FastAid do in the community.  Without rapid intervention recovery from a cardiac arrest is unlikely.  Here we had a volunteer at the right place at the right time with the knowledge and equipment to make the difference”.

October saw another round up of increasing activity levels at their AGM this year which was held at the West Midlands Fire Service’s Academy training centre. Grateful thanks goes to D R North and P Luckin for their efforts and help to make it a great event as well as providing a tour of the training facilities which the CFR’s hope to be able to utilise to further extend the range of skills available to them.