Horsham lifesaver awarded for 1,000th emergency call

Horsham Community Responders’ (HCR) Andrew Clark regularly volunteers his time to respond within his community to emergency calls alongside the ambulance service.

Andrew has been a community first responder (CFR) since November, 2008, and attended his 1000th call earlier this year, earning him the award from the group.

“I find it tremendously rewarding to know that we can make a real difference,” he said.

“I really enjoy the chance to help patients in my local community.

“I couldn’t do this without the support from my wife and family.

“Often we are in the middle of a meal or putting the children to bed when my phone will go off and I drop what I’m doing to attend a call.”

HCR responds to a mix of calls including cardiac arrests, breathing difficulties, heart attacks and injured falls within his community, often arriving before an ambulance and can offer potentially lifesaving first aid to stabilise the situation.

Andrew regularly volunteers over 10 hours a week being on duty and is ready to drop everything to help members of his community.

Over the time Andrew has been a CFR, he has had more than one successful resuscitation which is a great success.

Team Leader Marc Harrold said: “It is a pleasure to have such a dedicated and experienced member of the team and I would like to congratulate Andrew on achieving his 1000th call and his continued dedication to his local community.”

CFRs are trained by the ambulance service to respond to calls within their community, where they are able to attend the scene of an emergency in a very short time – often within the first few minutes, and are often they are the first on scene.

The responder can then begin vital life saving first aid before the arrival of an ambulance, further increasing the patient’s chance of survival.

CFRs carry a vast array of equipment ranging from an advanced first aid kit, oxygen, some basic drugs and a defibrillator.

The volunteers answer calls in their neighbourhood and the potential for them to arrive on scene before an ambulance, especially in rural areas, is vital in providing immediate life-saving treatment.

For more information about what the team do or to support the scheme, visit: www.horshamresponders.org or follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

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