MARKET Lavington residents have been the first in the county to sign up for a new scheme in which ordinary people attend medical emergencies in their own area.

Market Lavington Parish Council has agreed to be the first in Wiltshire to run a Neighbourhood First Responder scheme after it expressed its concerns to Wiltshire Ambulance Service about the response times of ambulances called out to the village.

Parish council chairman Peggy Jones said: "There was a delay in responding to a call about a chap who had collapsed in a pub with a suspected heart attack.

"Fortunately the man survived and has made a full recovery, but it could have been very serious.

"We wanted to know why there had been a delay. We asked representatives of the ambulance service to come along to one of our meetings and address us, and they mentioned this scheme.

"We put out lists in the village pharmacy and other centres for people to volunteer for the scheme. Over 30 responded and more than half of them turned up to a meeting at the Old School Centre on Saturday. The rest will be sent information about it."

Each volunteer will receive 21 hours' training on first aid, covering everything from small cuts to suspected heart attacks.

It will be the responsibility of the First Responder to attend the scene of the call-out and administer first aid and support to the patient as far as possible before the arrival of ambulance paramedics.

They will then assist paramedics and write a report of the incident for the ambulance service.

They will carry oxygen tanks in their own car and a defibrillator machine for heart attack cases, which can deliver measured electric shocks.

The parish council has agreed to contribute towards the £2,000 cost of a defibrillator and will also apply to the British Heart Foundation for a grant.

A parish councillor has offered to cover any shortfall in funding for the machine.

But the Neighbourhood First Responder scheme differs significantly from the First Responder scheme which uses members of the armed forces.

Volunteers will not be asked to attend road traffic collisions or any incidents that may expose them to danger.

They will not be required to attend children under the age of 12, and will not be allowed to exceed the national speed limit.

At the volunteers' first meeting on Saturday, Bob Sanderson, St John Ambulance's assistant commissioner for training, told volunteers that there had been 73 Category A call-outs ones that required an emergency response in Market Lavington in the last 12 months.

The volunteers were told that in all cases of life-threatening conditions the first ten minutes are the most crucial.

Chances of survival and the prevention of deterioration are improved if prompt, appropriate action is taken in the first few minutes.

Volunteers must live within six minutes of any address in the Market Lavington area, travelling at 30mph.

The volunteers will be expected to use their own cars and must inform their insurance companies that they are taking part in the scheme.

The scheme is being run by Market Lavington Parish Council and is supported by St John Ambulance and Wiltshire Ambulance Service.

Anna Farquhar, the chief executive of Wiltshire St John Ambulance, said: "This is a great initiative and something I fully endorse. I am so impressed by the enthusiasm of the volunteers. Hopefully, we will save some lives this way."

Anyone in the Market Lavington area who would like to take part in the scheme should phone parish clerk, Lynne Askey, on (01380) 818837 or e-mail lynne.askey@tesco.net

lcowen@newswilts.co.uk