By Zoe Wilson

WE ARE all aware of the Scottish Ambulance Service, and all that it does for members of the public, but have any of us ever really considered other organisations, that also help us in our time of need?

Community First Responders is that organisation, and has assisted the ambulance service for a number of years.

In layman's terms, a First Responder is a person who is trained in basic life support, who can use a defibrillator and who can assist in a potentially life-threatening situation.

With the Scottish Ambulance service responding to 650,000 emergency calls in 2015/2016, it is quite easy to understand why the service may have resources coming from further afield, due to work pressures.

Neilston and Uplawmoor First Responders make up one of the teams in Scotland, and within it, there are 20 members. They are led by Stuart McLellan and Ross Nelson, from Neilston, who are the trustees for the Neilston organisation. First Responders is an entirely voluntary service, which relies on funding to remain in place, and so many of us may question why on earth Stuart and Ross want to do it.

Ross said: "There was a need for a First Responders service in this area, according to the Scottish Ambulance Service, so Stuart decided to set up the Neilston First Responders in partnership with me. I wanted to join because my uncle had a heart attack, and subsequently died, and after that I really wanted to be able to help someone who was in a life-threatening situation."

Stuart added: "There were a lot of instances of people requiring medical assistance within Neilston and the surrounding areas, and ambulances weren't always managing to get to them in time. My gran and other family members live in Neilston, and if they ever required help, then a Community First Responder would be able to provide essential, simple, treatments in those crucial first few minutes of an incident, prior to the arrival of an ambulance. "Instances of the type of emergency we respond to are: chest pain, cardiac arrest, difficulty in breathing or choking, medical collapse or unconscious patients."

Stuart has worked in the medical industry for a few years, previously being an emergency call handler and an emergency medical dispatcher, progressing on to work for Gama Aviation, on the Scottish Air Ambulance contract, making decisions on the co-ordination of air ambulances.

"It can be stressful at times, but you just have to think about the person waiting for us at the other end, and it's great knowing that you have done something to help them," he commented. With such a difficult job, many would wonder where Stuart gets the free time to then volunteer for the First Responders - but he does. He explained: "We all work it in shifts, and try to ensure that there is always someone available on-call, so we can try and serve our community with this vital service." And what about times when there simply cannot be somebody on-call? "Obviously you do feel guilt about not having someone on-call if there isn't always that availability, however, we plan to grow our organisation further, with an aim to becoming a 24/7 service, when training courses allow," explained Ross.

Fundraising for the organisation comes in many ways, with a lot of this coming from St John's Scotland (Glasgow Branch), however, Ross and Stuart, alongside Carol Sunnucks, head of their events, and other committee members, try to ensure there are as many events held each year as possible. Ross commented: "We host a black tie charity ball every year, a Burns Supper and a Halloween family party, so we are always busy, and they are always really well-attended, well-enjoyed events, and it's a great way for us to raise funds to help keep Neilston First Responders going." It is clear when conversing with Stuart and Ross that they have a fantastic bond, which makes for a well-lead team, while everyone on the team has some sort of reason for their involvement in the organisation.

"Most of us had something happen within our families, or couldn't help someone who was in need of medical help, which resulted in us becoming First Responders. We are required to attend a four-day training course ran by the Scottish Ambulance Service, and it's a great feeling when you know you could help somebody, if they needed it," Stuart said.

One of the team that joined the organisation, Donna Kelly-West, who works full time as a call handler for the NHS, added: "My dad had a heart attack, my brother made a suicide attempt, and then my husband had a heart attack, and I was a first aider, but there was nothing I could do in those situations to help any of my family members, and I really wished that I could be able to do that! The paramedics who came to help on those occasions were just so comforting and I was so grateful for that, and I wanted to be able to give that to people as well, and that's what made me volunteer as a First Responder."

Stuart concluded: "Community First Responders are an excellent addition to the Scottish Ambulance Service and a fantastic team to be part of. It's a really rewarding job, especially knowing that you could potentially save someone's life, and we are always looking for volunteers, so if it's something you would like to be involved in, please get in touch!"