'It'is nice to be able to help people in their hour of need and assist when panic sets in'

Since January this year, 152 people in life-threatening situations have been helped by the Blackwater Community First Responders.

The voluntary group which is based in Carnaross responded to 152 calls this year alone and last year came to the assistance in 181 emergencies.

“It can be distressing, but it can be very rewarding. It is nice to be able to help people in their hour of need and to assist when panic sets in,” says co-ordinator, Maria Murphy.

The volunteers are trained in dealing with heart attacks, cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest and stroke and are contacted by the National Ambulance Service (NAS) as emergency calls come in.

“We can respond within four to nine minutes and then when the ambulance arrives, they take over.”

“We had an open day in Carnaross recently and a man we had to resuscitate earlier this year, came in to thank us. “

Maria explains that the Blackwater First Responders were set up in 2021 when a number of people in Carnaross did a CPR course.

“The Community Engagement Officer from NAS asked us would we be interested in being first responders and, of course, we agreed. We started training under the auspices of the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council under the supervision and guidance of the NAS.”

The Blackwater Community First Responders operate within an 8km radius of Carnaross, which includes the town of Kells, as well as Moynalty, Ballinlough, Carlanstown and Crossakiel.

“We are also extending into Mullagh where we now have one first responder and we are always recruiting more.”

They are volunteers and are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The group currently has 16 members, eight of whom are active responders, while others do a lot of fundraising and paperwork.

“We monitor and check that the defibrillators in the area are working properly. We replace the pads and batteries on defibrillators. There are 14 in Kells, three in Moynalty and there are some in all the villages in our catchment area.”

The first responders rely completely on donations to help finance the maintenance of the defibrillators.

“We are registered with the National Ambulance Service. They tell us where the nearest defibrillator is and give us the code to get it.”

Maria explains that when a first responder goes into a house where there is an emergency, they bring a bit of calm to the situation.

“It gives them reassurance that somebody is there to help.

“As well as treating the patient, we get all the patients details, so the ambulance can leave immediately for a hospital.

“If somebody is having chest pain we administer aspirin if they can take it, and we have the defibrillators if somebody is in cardiac arrest. Four of us who respond most often carry defibrillators,

“We are the first link in the chain of survival. If we get there early it is amazing what can be achieved and we can respond in between four and nine minutes. Our role is crucial in saving lives.

“Sometimes, you have a couple of quiet days and then you can have a night where you have two or three call outs.

“We have a very good response rate but we want more members of the community to become first responders.”

Maria explains that when someone rings 999 or 112, as they are giving details, NAS are instantaneously sending a message to the first responders.

If there is a defibrillator in place when somebody falls ill, the ambulance service will talk the person who made the call through what to do until the first responder arrives.

“They will talk to you through putting on the pads and what you should do until the first responder is on site.”

As well as responding the Carnaross group run an educational programme including fully certified heart saver courses which take place every second Wednesday night of each month. The classes take place in Eureka House or the Carnaross Inn. Participants learn what to do in the event of a heart attack and to differentiate between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest.

Participants must book in ahead of the courses and they regularly have sport groups and community organisations doing courses.

The Blackwater CFR recently celebrated World Restart a Heart day at Carnaross School where the younger students got training on what to do in an emergency, the numbers to ring, to make sure they know their eircode and to keep talking to the man or woman that answered the 999 or 112 call. The older students learned how to give chest compressions and use a defibrillator.

There was an ambulance on the scene and hearty, a giant red heart also attended.

Those interested in joining the group to become a first responder or who wish to donate can contact Maria at 086 385 4294, email BlackwaterCFR@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page, Blackwater CR group.

Maria says that speed is vital in saving lives and it is important to ring an ambulance if somebody is having chest pain, if they collapse and are unresponsive, if they have pain down their arm, or are cold and clammy. In women, a pain between the shoulder blades can also be a sign of a heart attack.

You can recognise a stroke and know what to do by using the word FAST. F is for Face - the face may have dropped on one side, the patient may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eyelid may droop. A is for Arms - they may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in one arm. S is for speech - speech may be slurred or garbled, or they may not be able to talk at all. T us for Time - it's time to dial 999 immediately if the patient has any of these signs or symptoms.