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NEW ANGLESEY FIRST RESPONSE TEAM LAUNCHED

The latest addition to the Anglesey First Response Scheme with a new team based in and around RAF Valley was officially inaugurated on 21 April 2006.
This is the fourth team to go ‘live’ since the scheme’s inception in March 2004 and with other teams located in Llanddona, Rhosneigr and another covering Holyhead, Trearddur Bay and Valley village the scheme now has a membership of over thirty people which assists in supporting the Welsh Ambulance NHS Trust in reaching casualties in need of emergency treatment.

At a reception hosted by RAF Valley’s station commander, Gp Capt Tony Barmby presented First Responder certificates to the new members and spoke about the important work the volunteers did for the scheme within the community.  He also remarked that the links the RAF base had made within the community would become even more closely forged with the launch of the new team.
A keen supporter of the scheme, Albert Owen M.P. thanked the members for the time they had devoted to training to become First Responders and also paid tribute to the dedication of the NHS Ambulance Trust which was represented at the launch by Regional Staff Officer Harold Burrows, Locality Ambulance Officer Rod Owen and Ian Laing, who was standing in as First Response Liaison Officer.  Mr Owen also went on to emphasise the value of the support given to the trust by the Anglesey First Response Scheme.

The scheme’s Secretary, Alyn Prince, thanked the RAF for their support, which, along with other local business and individual donations, has enabled the scheme to achieve its initial target of obtaining twenty defibrillator kits.  Mr Prince also stated that, as well as giving possible lifesaving first aid treatment to casualties, First Response Schemes also contributed towards the Ambulance Trust reaching the government imposed target of reaching those casualties within eight minutes.
With potential new members being lined up to join who live in the north and north-west of Anglesey, plus several more volunteers around Beaumaris, the scheme has set an ambitious target of having recruited around a hundred people by the end of this year which, in turn, means doubling the numbers of kits and other equipment they have acquired to date.

If you think you can spare the time to become a first responder (there are no set hours to what you have to do – as much or as little as you can manage) more information can be found at the scheme’s website, http://www.angleseyfirstresponse.co.uk.  Also, look out in the near future for the scheme’s new leaflets which are being produced for distribution around the island.