News

Soapy Success in Solihull CFRs armed with buckets and sponges raised more cash for FastAid at the weekend. FastAid CFRs Dave Monk, Tim, Mark & Linda Atherton, Steve Franklin, Karen Ratcliffe, Debbie Towers, Ian Thomas, Amanda Duroe, Yvonne McHugh, Noelle Cooper, Marc Waters and Nigel Whatmore joined forces with firefighters at Solihull Fire station along with West Midlands Ambulance Service colleagues and cleaned cars for charity. Dave Monk, FastAid Fundraising Manager said: “We cleaned over 300 cars on Saturday and our happy customers ... Read more

Volunteer medics are on the move helping the sick thanks to a ‘wheely’ good donation. Fastaid Community First Responders can spring into action following the donation of a Suzuki Swift by Rybrook Suzuki of Rednal. The £9,800 car will be used by the Fastaid team in Rubery, Rednal and Northfield. Insurance has been provided by Rednal-based online wedding planners www.sponsalis.co.uk Community First Responder Schemes are teams of volunteers working in partnership, and trained by, West Midlands Ambulance Service and provide life saving treatment to people ... Read more

West Midlands Ambulance Service has revealed that a large reduction in 999 calls would suggest that the public largely heeded warnings about the snow today. The number of 999 emergency calls it received during the day of Thursday 5th February was down by over 15% compared to Monday when the region also suffered from significant snow falls. For the period 7.00am to 7.00pm, WMAS received just over 1,300 calls compared to 1541 on Monday; this equates to a drop of ... Read more

Last Sunday Tim Atherton (Fastaid) and Colin Sterry (Fastaid) and Andy Whittington (WMAS) were invited onto the Carl Chinn show on BBC WM to talk about Community First Responders (CFRs). The interview provided an ideal opportunity to further raise the awareness of CFRs and their role within the ambulance service as well as an appeal for help and funding for the charity. Carl passed on his thanks to all the CFRs and WMAS. “Can I express my admiration to ... Read more

This Sunday (25th January) Fastaid CFRs Tim Atherton and Colin Sterry and WMAS Community Resuscitation Development Officer Andy Whittington will be live on Radio WM on the Carl Chinn show. The half hour slot will help to raise awareness of the role CFRs play within the ambulance service, how they operate, how they are funded, awareness of cardiac arrests and the need for early medical access and defibrillation. Listen on 95.6 FM or online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/local_radio/ from 2.00pm.

FastAid got the go ahead from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to commence training member’s of the community in using Emergency Life Support (ELS) skills.  The BHF have provided all the training resources and the West Midlands Ambulance Service have provided all the instructor training so that the CFR’s can deliver a free comprehensive 2 hour course to teach members of the public the set of actions needed to help keep someone alive until professional help arrives.  They will also be talking about the ... Read more

Staff at a shopping centre in Solihull have helped to save the lives of three shoppers over the past three years. The incredible 100% life saving record has been achieved using Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) which saved the lives of the three men. In the most recent case, Roy Edwards, 78 from Bedworth in Coventry, was enjoying a shopping trip with his wife Gian at Touchwood Shopping Centre on 14th August when he suddenly collapsed. Quick thinking manager, Linda Jones, from BBs Coffee & ... Read more

Tim Atherton of Fastaid, Community First Responders, Solihull was recently awarded First Responder of the year at 2008 Ambulance Service Institute Awards. The Ambulance Service Institute makes the awards to mark the outstanding actions of ambulance staff across the country. An awards ceremony was hosted by Jacquai Lait MP in the Commons on Thursday 16th October. Tim Atherton was introduced to the world of Community First Responders (CFR) by his parents who both respond. He is now an active member of the FASTAID ... Read more

 Well done to Emma Wilkins whose role as Community Response Manager for Birmingham and the Black Country is now substantive.  Emma was seconded to the post in March and has successfully implemented defibrillators in a number of local communities, helped train hundreds of members of the public in basic life support and encouraged more people to become CFR’s.   Emma said “I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenges of the role. I am looking forward to increasing awareness of basic life support and first ... Read more

The West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust have been chosen to trial a new role that will be funded by the British Heart Foundation for two years, the position will be known as a Community Resuscitation Development Officer with a view to expanding the role to other trusts. Andy Whittington, a paramedic based at Solihull, has been selected to represent the foundation, and given the task to drive the development of a co-ordinated community response to achieve improved outcome ... Read more