The seven volunteers, who come from a variety of backgrounds, are equipped with an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) and other medical and first aid equipment, so they can respond to life-threatening medical calls in their immediate vicinity, in a similar way to Community First Responders in Guernsey. In the future, the team will be deployed for critical and major incidents in Alderney to provide additional resilience for the ambulance service.
The introduction of the Alderney Emergency Responders follows a successful recruitment campaign and a period of on-island training by staff from Guernsey’s Ambulance and Rescue service, which took on responsibility for ambulance provision in Alderney in April 2023. Ambulance and Rescue now employs four full time paid Emergency Ambulance Crew who work on a rota basis ensuring 24/7 operational cover.
Chief Executive Officer of Guernsey’s Ambulance and Rescue service, Mark Mapp explained: “The initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to Alderney and is part a wider phased strategy to develop resilience for the island. It builds on the establishment of the new ambulance service, which became operational in April last year. I am delighted to welcome the new volunteer Emergency Responders to the team. They have all demonstrated a desire to make a difference in their community, and with their training, new skills and equipment they will be a valuable asset to the island.”
Posted: May 25, 2024
This annual initiative unites a coalition of partners committed to increasing survival rates from sudden out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Mark Mapp, CEO of St John Ambulance and Rescue, emphasised the vital importance of this collaborative effort, stating: “The Emergency Ambulance Service works closely with the Cardiac Action Group, public sector, and other community-based charities right across the Bailiwick to help improve survival from sudden out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Each year, an alliance of partners team up to raise awareness of what the community can do should they be faced with someone who has collapsed before the arrival of an ambulance.”
Restart a Heart Day serves as a powerful reminder that every member of our community has the potential to become a lifesaver. Through engaging face-to-face training sessions or the innovative Resuscitation Council UK Liversaver online interactive learning tool, individuals can equip themselves with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively in a crisis.
St John Ambulance and Rescue, together with the Cardiac Action Group, have been steadfast in their commitment to making life-saving training accessible.
Mark Mapp added: “St John provides training in schools and to the wider community, and with the Cardiac Action Group offering free awareness sessions for the past few years, there is no excuse for not stepping forward to save a life if needed.”
In a medical emergency, it is crucial to act swiftly and confidently. Mark Mapp urge: “Should anyone need help in a medical emergency, they should contact the Joint Emergency Service Control Centre immediately by calling 999 or 112. The caller will be supported with first aid advice and directed to any nearby defibrillators before the arrival of the emergency services.”
Restart a Heart Day is not just a day on the calendar; it’s an opportunity for our community to come together, empower themselves with life-saving skills, and make a difference when it matters most. St John Ambulance and Rescue and its dedicated partners are committed to ensuring that everyone in the Bailiwick has the knowledge and confidence to act in emergencies.
Join us in celebrating Restart a Heart Day and take the first step towards becoming a lifesaver in your community. Details of community events in Guernsey around Restart a Heart Day will be published shortly.
Displays will include a 4 x 4 off-road vehicle, ambulance equipment, major incident tent and first aid skills. There will also be live demonstrations and a rare opportunity to go aboard the Flying Christine III marine ambulance. The vessel will be alongside in the Victoria marina and the volunteer crew will be on hand to provide guided tours.
The special event will also feature the popular variety of Seafront Sunday stalls, family activities, attractions, food outlets, arts & crafts and market traders.
Heather Langlois, Chief Executive Officer of the St John Ambulance Guernsey charity said: “St John offers so many services in the Bailiwick and many of these operate quietly behind the scenes. This will be a great opportunity to highlight these services and to show islanders all of the great work that the St John organisation does”.
“Seafront Sundays are a great day out for the whole family and this will be a chance for people to enjoy all that the event has to offer as well as find out what St John is all about, to meet our dedicated teams and to see first-hand just what we do”.
Chief Executive Officer of St John Ambulance & Rescue Service, Mark Mapp added: “The Flying Christine III is a purpose built marine ambulance, which has been serving the Bailiwick for nearly 30 years. We are delighted to be able to invite visitors onboard the Flying Christine III to learn more about this essential lifeline service. The Seafront Sunday is also an opportunity for us to say thank you to islanders for their support.”
St John Ambulance has been active in Guernsey since the 1930s, initially with the teaching of first aid courses before evolving in to the St John organisation we know today. Throughout its history, St John Guernsey has served the Bailiwick by delivering care and compassion, reflecting the enduring charitable promise of the worldwide Order of St John to serve humanity.
Today the St John Ambulance Guernsey charity and the St John Ambulance & Rescue service provide the Badgers and Cadets youth programme, adult volunteers, event first aid, a community library, Community First Responders (CFRs), Caring Callers, first aid in schools Volunteer Ambulance Reserve, a Cycle Response Unit (CRU), the ambulance service in Guernsey and Alderney, medical outreach to the whole Bailiwick with the Flying Christine marine ambulance and major incident responses for the islands.
St John Training Services also delivers a wide range of courses as the Bailiwick’s leading provider of first aid training.
The St John Seafront Sunday event takes place on Sunday 24th September from 10am-4pm and further details can be found at www.ambulance.gg/seafront-sunday
St John volunteers from across the world including St John Wales, St John Australia, St John Gibraltar, St John England, joined the St John Guernsey volunteers and staff from St John Ambulance & Rescue, to provide first aid cover over the course of the week-long event. In a number of incidents, 67 patients consisting of both competitors and spectators directly involved with the games were treated.
“Without a doubt, the Guernsey Island Games is the largest event that St John Ambulance Guernsey has covered in recent years. The level of planning was extensive and several years in the making” said Phil Ozanne, Community Operations Manager for the St John charity “I am also very pleased that several of our St John Ambulance colleagues from across the world, gave up their own time to join us in Guernsey and provide their services and skills to complement those of our Guernsey volunteers. There has been a real team spirit across the board and many of our Guernsey volunteers in particular, stepped up to take on additional responsibilities and tasks above and beyond those of their normal duties. I’m immensely proud of all of them”
In preparation for the games, several thousand hours were spent in training sessions and on planning. More than 60 volunteers and members of staff from St John, provided in excess of 1,887 duty hours over 22 separate events. St John provided 8 vehicles, numerous temporary structures, pop-up treatment first-aid posts and several tons of specialist medical equipment. The emergency ambulance service also attended seven cases involving Island Games team members, five of which were at sporting events and two were at team accommodation.
John Hollis, Knight Commander of St John Guernsey said “What a fantastic and friendly Island Games in Guernsey, based on reactions from competitors, visitors and locals alike. Obviously, such events simply cannot take place without the considerable efforts and expertise of St John volunteers and professionals. Just as St John Guernsey provided substantial support a few years ago to Gibraltar when the Island Games took place there, we also benefitted from substantial support from our international colleagues and we give them our heartfelt thanks for it.”
Dean de la Mare Head of Operations for the Emergency Ambulance & Rescue said: “The Island Games was a fantastic week for Guernsey. As part of our preparations for the Games a number of specific response plans were drawn up and additional staff were brought in to provide cover for some of the sporting events. The Games passed without serious incident and I am pleased that our contingency plans were not needed. During this time the service also continued to provide the emergency and urgent pre-hospital care for the island. I would like to thank the crews who were on duty and the St John volunteers, including those who traveled from other countries, who also provided additional support during the week.”
St John Guernsey wishes to sincerly thank all of the volunteers & staff members. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the employers of our volunteers, as many have given our volunteers time off from work, so that they were able to volunteer their time for the games.
The First Aid in Schools programme has operated since 2008 and delivers a flexible syllabus of First Aid training to all year 5,7 & 8 students across the Bailiwick. Since it began, the scheme has taught life saving skills to thousands of the island’s school children. St John training officer Lorna Higgins-Bare said it was paramount that the course is available to all schools. “We believe that every young person should have the chance to learn first aid, it should be as much a part of growing up as learning the alphabet,” she said. “Learning first aid not only provides young people with important lifesaving skills, but it also helps to build self-esteem and confidence.”
The Guernsey Community Foundation provides support to private charitable trusts who want to award grants but lack the resources, such as time or staff, to do so. Foundation chief executive Jim Roberts explained how the St John charity was able to gain the grant. “In this case, St John applied to the foundation’s own grants programme and we approached a private charitable trust that we work with, as we felt that this would fit perfectly with their objectives.”
The grant of £12,000 will go towards the cost of running the First Aid in Schools programme for 2023, which includes buying bandages, equipment and first aid kits.
The First Aid in Schools programme is run by the St John charity and is funded by donations, grants and sponsorship. Fundraising is already underway for the 2024 programme, which commences in the new school term of September 2023. Anyone interested in supporting the scheme is encouraged to contact the fundraising team on 01481 727129 or by sending an email here
St John Ambulance Guernsey is delighted to be working with Guernsey FC again to promote lifesaving CPR as part international “Restart A Heart Day” on Sunday 16th October.
St John Ambulance Guernsey is delighted to be working with Guernsey FC again to promote lifesaving CPR as part international “Restart A Heart Day” on Sunday 16th October.
St John event first aid volunteers and St John Community First Responders will be at Footes Lane for the match against Uxbridge (KO 1300) demonstrating how to do CPR and use an AED when someone collapses and stops breathing. There will be opportunities for fans to get hands on before the match, at half time and after the full-time whistle.
St John Communications Officer Jim Cathcart said: “Anyone can be affected by a sudden cardiac arrest at any time and for every minute without intervention, the person’s chances of survival reduce significantly. CPR is a simple but life-saving skill and there are people in Guernsey today who would not be here if someone had not known what to do. Everyone in our community, has a role to play in the chain of survival, whether it’s by calling 999, doing chest compressions, locating a defibrillator, or by telling others what to do. Restart a Heart Day is about giving people the skills and confidence to help deliver simple but life-saving treatment.”
GFC director Nic Legg added: “CPR is something everyone should know. No-one wants to find themselves in that situation, but knowing what to do in an emergency can be the difference between a life saved and a life lost. Last year we had CPR and AED lessons with St John Training Services as part of our pre-season training, so we are delighted to be working with St John again this year and are grateful to the St John volunteers who have given their time to pass on their skills to our stewards, players and fans. We are also fortunate to have our own portable defibrillator pitch-side, purchased from St John after our training, thanks to generous support of three local companies. There is also a public access defibrillator at Footes Lane, unveiled by former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba back in 2013.”
Guernsey FC has also given free admission to the match against Uxbridge to all St John volunteers and Emergency Ambulance Service crews to thank them for their service to the community.
Restart A Heart week is an annual initiative led by the Resuscitation Council UK, in partnership with other charities and ambulance services. In Guernsey Restart A Heart week is supported by the Guernsey Cardiac Action Group, the Emergency Ambulance Service, St John Training Services and St John Ambulance volunteers.
Steve Ford, Head of Emergency Planning and Support at the Emergency Ambulance Service added: “In Guernsey we have been working hard to improve cardiac arrest survival rates. The Cardiac Action Group has provided basic training for thousands of islanders, we have a network of public access defibrillators, we have St John Community First Responders and a team of co-responders, and the 999 call takers at JESCC give CPR advice over the phone – but there is still more to do and the more people who have the skills and the confidence to do CPR and use an AED the better.”
According to the Resuscitation Council UK when someone has a cardiac arrest, performing immediate CPR can help double their chance of survival in some cases. Around 80% of out-of hospital cardiac arrest occur in the home, highlighting the potential benefit of family members being trained in CPR. Defibrillation within 3–5 minutes can produce survival rates as high as 50%–70%. The chance of surviving a cardiac arrest is tripled when an AED is available via a public-access defibrillation programme.
St John volunteers will also be assisting the Cardiac Action Group at their community-based sessions during the week leading up to Restart A Heart Day.
St John Training Services provides a full range of first aid courses for individuals and businesses. Contact info@stjohntraining.gg
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