DENTDALE FIRST RESPONDERS TRAINING PROGRAMME 2012 

 All sessions will be held at 7.30pm in the schoolroom behind the Methodist Chapel Main St Dent. The September reassessments will begin at 6.30pm with a practice session. Please attend as many training sessions as possible to ensure you keep your skills up to date and that you are ready for your reassessment.

Tuesday February 7th A practice session on CPR, Airway management and use of oxygen in different practical scenarios. Led by Peter Knapton

February 24th  Christmas meal  Meadowside

Wednesday March 7th Preparing area and managing transfer of patient to Air ambulance Led by Peter Munday

Thursday April 19th  Dealing with Unexpected Death Led by Cumbria Police. TBC

May 3rd 7.00pm AGM. (Click HERE for poster)

Tuesday May 15th A Route finding exercise in the dale, combined with practice of CPR and use of oxygen. Led by Tony Playfoot and Tim Woods

Wednesday June 20th Call out procedure, handover and debriefing. Familiarisation with patient report form, defibrillator bag and personal equipment bag. Led by Peter Knapton

Thursday July 12th Signs, Symptoms and Treatment of common medical conditions Led by Peter Munday

Tuesday August 7th Route finding exercise in the dale, Combined with practice of CPR and use of oxygen. Led by Tim Wood and Tony Playfoot

Thursday September 13th and Tuesday September 18th

Annual reassessments, to be conducted by NWAS paramedics, 6.30pm refresher session led by Peter Knapton.

Thursday November 8th First aid Led by Dale Smith

Tuesday December 4th A practice session on CPR and use of oxygen in different practical scenarios. Led by Peter Knapton.

TO PRINT A COPY OF THE 2012 TRAINING PROGRAMME  Click HERE  (WORD format)

Annual General Meeting

Reports from committee members :-

Dale Smith on Training

There are currently 15 active Community First Responders in Dentdale, one person ready to retrain and one person currently undergoing training.

Over the past year Dentdale Community First Responders have had a varied training programme. Although the visit to Broughton Ambulance Control Centre was cancelled at short notice it has been rescheduled this year on Thursday June 23^rd. In addition the programme benefitted from the hard work of 2 Dentdale Responders who organised the two Route Finding exercises in the dale, complete with a scenario at the end location. Several of the training sessions were attended by NWAS personnel and our thanks go to David Webster who carried out the annual re-assessments, all of which were successful.

NWAS have also been busy devising new training opportunities for Community First Responders. The website now has an e-learning area where responders can use their PIN number and a password to log on and go through a selection of learning material from questions and answers to videos’. The website also has information on Field Trainer courses and several other teams advertise their training schedules in the diary section.

Looking to the future, the new Enhanced Community First Responder course was launched on the 25^th March at the first CFR Conference. This will be a 6 month course that will provide Community First Responders with the skills to deal with trauma cases and paediatrics. It is hoped that a number of Dentdale Community First Responders will take up the challenge to provide an extended service to the community.

Dale Smith
Dentdale First Responders Training Co-ordinator.
April 2011

Peter Knapton on Equipment

Recent audit of the kit bags revealed that a number of items including bandages, dressings, hand gel etc were “out  of date” therefore replacement items were ordered from NWAS and have since been replaced in the kitbag.  Individual responders are asked to replace the alcohol gel in their bags by contacting me for a replacement.

I have been told by NWAS that is no longer necessary to carry the swine flu equipment in the kit bags so these have now been removed.

Responders are reminded to periodically check their own personal equipment and ensure that it is functioning correctly (head torch etc).  If replacement equipment like disposable gloves, face masks etc are needed then please contact me and I should be able to provide them immediately or very soon after that.

I am informed that the cost of a new AED for the potential Gawthrop site is £350 if funding is sought through BHF or if we lose patience waiting for funding then it would cost £875 plus VAT.  The provision of a new free kitbag is not automatic and NWAS would only provide these on an indentified need basis, if we were not successful in an application for a kitbag then this would cost us an extra £400.  I am currently awaiting information on a cost for the provision of a metal cabinet which I hope to be able to update the Committee at the AGM.

Peter Knapton
Equipment coordinator
Dentdale First Responders

Dorte-Lis Stephenson on finances

Years are never quite the same, but this year our finances are very similar to last year. In addition to the usual collections from the Dragon and Dent Stores, we received a number of individual contributions.

Expenses were down slightly; no claims from anyone, neither committee member nor First Responder. This is unusual. Hence our assets are in good heart and the committee will await a specific financial reason to launch a fund raising event.

RECEIPTS                                                PAYMENTS

The accountant R.Lewes reviewed the records and confirms that this account  agrees with the records !9^th April 2011

And finally, from Jenny Pilgrim, the Chair of Dentdale First Responders:

This past year has felt very much like one of consolidation for the First Responders in Dent.  We have had a steady call-out rate, perhaps slightly down on previous year’s and have maintained the number of active First Responders, with some stepping down and others coming forward for training.

I continue to be hugely impressed by the commitment of First Responders, not only to call outs, but also to the regular training events. Although we do not have our own field trainer, the enthusiasm and involvement of Peter Knapton, Dale Smith, Jim Burton and Tony Playfoot, as well as John Sugden of the committee, has ensured that  training is up to date and varied. We have two new first responders fully trained and a third about to start; those newly trained enable us to now have a presence in Gawthrop, and the third new recruit will, all being well, bolster the Cowgill team.

The number of call-outs has slightly reduced this year, but in speaking to other First Responder groups, it is apparent that they are experiencing the same reduction; the issue was raised at the recent FR Conference in Lancaster, and  it was clear that there would be further investigation, particularly as this seemed to coincide with the move of the control room to Broughton.

Our external relations within the dale are strong:

·        the WI funded, printed and distributed new “yellow cards” last year

·        although we are not overtly fund raising, we have received donations within the dale

·        any feedback we have received has been positive and very supportive, and

·        our website is up and running on www.dentdale.com/firstresponders

Peter Knapton (and Tony Playfoot in Cowgill) are in charge of the equipment and it is due to them that during the past two very cold winters, we have had no problems with storage and use; their diligence in regular checking has certainly paid off.

Dorte-Lis has ensured that our finances are on the straight and narrow. We have few outgoings, and the committee again authorized the “Christmas bash”, as a way of saying “thank-you” to responders; it is a small gesture, but one that we think is very worthwhile. This year we shall also fund an evening for those who are able to visit the control room in Broughton.

And the future? 

·        The committee is discussing the possibility of placing a third equipment box in the dale – in Gawthrop, and it is likely that this year we shall try to raise the money to  fund this.

·        The introduction of “Heartstart” by the British Heart Foundation, has raised the profile and importance of life saving skills; under this scheme, defibrillators are placed in prominent public places, such as supermarkets and railway stations – readily available for access should there be an emergency. BHF are currently trying to include life saving skills as part of the mandatory element of the school curriculum. The number of FR groups within Cumbria continues to increase and there is no doubt that we are highly respected by NWAS.

·        A new enhanced scheme is being considered by NWAS and is currently being developed. Essentially it focuses on the training of a number of first responders to be able to respond to trauma and children. All is at an early stage at the moment, although the structure of the training is developing – this would involve on-line training over 34 weeks, with 6 days of support and assessment included. As yet we are not clear how this would fit into the current group structure of FRs, but currently FRs are being asked to express an interest should they wish to go forward for the training.

I would like to record my thanks to those active first responders who venture out with such considerable regularity; and I would also like to thank the members of the committee for their support and commitment throughout the year.