Page 52 - Lion Oct Nov 2016

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Bridlington First Responders
Since 2013, Bridlington Lions Club has been working with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust to provide extra services to the Bridlington community.
In many medical emergencies the first few minutes are critical. If effective treatment can be provided in this time, lives can be saved and disability reduced. Prompt treatment with an automated external defibrillator can save the life of the person. A defibrillator helps restore the natural rhythm of the heart
when a person is experiencing cardiac arrest.
Six sites were identified in Bridlington for the location of defibrillators and a five year supply and training package was put together. Bridlington Lions Club provided the funding and Yorkshire Ambulance Service the expertise, training and back-up and sourced the defibrillators.
The team trained for the Promenades Shopping Centre quickly expanded their work to provide a First
Responder service for the town centre in shopping hours. Again Bridlington Lions Club funded the equipment while the Yorkshire Ambulance Service provided the training. The first responders are called on by the Yorkshire Ambulance Service if it is not possible to get an emergency vehicle to a patient within the first few vital minutes.
Early in 2016 another team of volunteers were trained in basic life support skills, the use of an automated defibrillator and to administer oxygen. A further defibrillator was provided by Bridlington Lions Club. This now enables the Bridlington Community First Responder Scheme to operate all hours.
Working with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service these teams provide additional responders to the Bridlington community and the many visitors to the town. Bridlington Lions are proud to be working with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service on these community projects and have been
delighted with the response and enthusiasm of the volunteers.
The team were ZC Lion Peter and Lion Carol Wells, PDG Lion Julian Chadwick, Lion Peter Bryan and Lion David Gubbin with PDG Neil in a consultative role.
Next year is already being planned and 100 years of Lions will be celebrated in a spectacular manner. Coincidentally our patron, HRH the Countess of Wessex is also President of the Devon County Show 2017!
The Clubs involved were Exeter, Exeter West, Okehampton, Holsworthy, Plymouth, Babbacombe and St Marychurch, Crediton, Sidmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Honiton and Seaton, who all donated towards the cost of the stand. A further donation was received after the Show by South Moulton Club who were inadvertently missed off the original mailing list. The organising team are very grateful to those clubs without whom the screening service could not have gone ahead.
October/November 2016
www.lionsclubs.co