A life-saving group of volunteers are celebrating their 15th anniversary.

The South Woodham Ferrers Community First Responders went active in June 2000 and have attended over 3,400 life-threatening medical emergencies in South Woodham Ferrers and the surrounding villages.

The then Essex Ambulance Service was chosen as the national pilot service for setting up Community First Responder schemes.

The first scheme to go active was Brightlingsea in 1997.

The South Woodham Ferrers group of CFR’s was established three years later becoming the 13th group in the country and for many years one of only two groups authorised to attend medical emergencies involving children in the East of England.

The Essex Ambulance Service was amalgamated with several other county ambulance services on 1st July 2006 to form the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

The EEAST now has over 280 groups within the region.

Three of the founder members of South Woodham Ferrers CFR’s are still active members of the group including the co-ordinator and deputy co-ordinator, Peter Blackman and Ian Bolton.

Ian said: “We would like to thank all our valued members that have been part of the group over the years. The group has also always had tremendous support from our local community.”

Community first responders are dispatched by EEAST to emergency calls where minutes can make a crucial difference between life and death, like cardiac arrests.

First responders are dispatched simultaneously with a Trust crew, but often arrive beforehand as we are based locally.

The responder can start potentially life-saving care until the ambulance arrives, usually only a few minutes later.

Anthony Marsh, Chief Executive of the East of England Ambulance Service Trust said: “First Responders play an absolutely vital role in the local community, providing patients often in the most critical conditions with life support and care whilst the ambulance is on its way.

"It is a remarkable achievement to have volunteered in this life saving role for 15 years and I would like to thank Ian, Peter and the group for their dedication and commitment to helping patients.

"I am very proud of them and they will always have my full support.”

“They have made a real difference as First Responders to their local community.”

For more information about the work of CFRs and how to join, visit http://www.eastamb.nhs.uk/get-involved/community-first-responders.htm