Community First Responders (CFRs) around Ireland are celebrating the 20th anniversary since the first CFR schemes were launched in January 2005, and now CFR Ireland – the National First Responder Network – is putting final plans in place for its ‘Respond 2025’ conference, which takes place on 27 September in Mullingar.
The last 20 years have seen major changes to community first responding in Ireland, with advancements in CPR and AED training programmes and assessments for community first responders (CFRs), coupled with an increase in the number of CFR groups now linked up with the National Ambulance Service.
At the end of 2005, just over 20 CFR groups were linked to the National Ambulance Service (NAS). In 2014 there were 63 Community First Responder (CFR) schemes in Ireland and today there are over 350 CFR groups in operation, with all volunteers linked to the NAS.
On looking back over the last two decades, John Fitzgerald, Chair of CFR Ireland, tells ‘Emergency Services Ireland’ that the very first Community First Responder (CFR) information meeting was held in Shillelagh, Co. Wicklow in August 2004.
“The meeting, which was attended by over 200 people, was organised by local Fine Gael TD Billy Timmins in conjunction with Advanced Paramedics from the HSE National Ambulance Service – Shane Mooney and Richard Shannon.”
He recalls that over the course of the following months, information nights were held across Co. Wicklow and parts of the next-door neighbour Kildare, e.g. the first Dunlavin CFR information night was held in in November 2004.
“The first CFR groups were established in parts of Co. Wicklow and next-door Kildare from January 2005 onwards, with the first training programme held on 12 and 13 February provided by instructors from the National Ambulance Service.
“Community First Responders (CFRs) from Dunlavin, Hollywood, The Glen, Donard and Rathdangan. CFRs were taught American Heart Association (AHA) Heartsaver CPR and AED for adults, children and infants, and the use of oxygen therapy for chest pain management.”
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REPORT.
The ‘Respond 2025’ Conference returns on Saturday 27 September. “Respond 2024 was our tenth and largest conference to date, which attracted up to 550 delegates from all parts of Ireland,” noted Fitzgerald, and added that with having reviewed the feedback from the ‘Respond 2024’ survey, “we will develop and resource new workshops to add to the popular selection”. Registration for this year’s conference is due to open in the next few weeks.
The National Ambulance Service, Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council, Irish Heart Foundation and many more similar stakeholders will once again be there to support Respond, while major first aid and AED equipment suppliers will also showcase their latest range of products and equipment for CFR groups.
Reflecting over the last 10 years of Respond, Fitzgerald said that while there have been many highlights, the most memorable was when Professor Douglas Chamberlain (pictured above) addressed the ‘Respond 2015’ conference, held in Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
“He was due to attend our first conference in 2014 but having injured his ankle he could not travel from the UK. However, he had requested to attend the event the following year and the rest as they say is ‘Respond history’,” Fitzgerald recalls.
“Over the following years, we were very fortunate to meet the ‘The Prof’ on several occasions and to hear him speak. A huge supporter of community response, he was known as the ‘Godfather’ of CPR. He shared with us a number of what he called his ‘laws’.
“He wanted to bring CPR to the masses and demystify the use of AEDs. One of his laws was – 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐄𝐃, 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭. Prof Chamberlain, who passed away in May of this year, has left a legacy that will not just impact the UK and Ireland, but Europe and across the world. A true legend. Go raibh dea-shúil de ar a anam.”
YouTube video of Prof Chamberlain’s keynote presentation at Respond 2015:
