Northumberland father and daughter volunteer as life-saving first responders with NEAS

Andrew and Jade Park volunteer for the NEAS as life-saving community first responders (CFRs) in Seahouses.

Responders provide vital initial care to patients in local communities as ambulance crews make their way to the scene, which can take longer than usual due to their remote locations.

Serving a population of over 2.7m, the service relies on CFRs to cover rural or coastal locations where stations and hospitals are fewer or further away than in cities.

Andrew became aware of the need for another CFR in the Seahouses and Bamburgh area when he saw a post on Facebook that had been shared by the widow of a CFR who had attended a member of his family.

He said: “Having experienced the care of community first responders first-hand, I was aware of the vital role they can play with early intervention, especially in a more rural community.

"Having witnessed a serious car accident a few months earlier, I wanted to be more helpful than I had felt in that situation. If I could help to get the Seahouses kit operational again, it would be great for the community.”

Volunteering has inspired a career change for Andrew, and next month he will begin his training as an apprentice ambulance support practitioner.

On having the opportunity to work alongside his daughter, he added: “I’ve had the opportunity to attend multiple calls with my daughter who is the other community first responder in Seahouses. It fills me with pride to watch her interact with the patients and crews that we meet.”

Jade’s following in Andrew’s footsteps aligned perfectly with her finishing sixth form. She explained: “Having just finished sixth form and going on to apply to university after a gap year, becoming a CFR fit in perfectly with my desire for more experience towards my course.

“I already held a lot of passion for what I wanted to do in my future, however, being a CFR has not only confirmed but also reinforced my ideas of becoming a paramedic.

"Being a volunteer within NEAS is something that I carry with great pride. Being able to give back to the community that you were brought up in is the most amazing feeling.”