A 2019 Review

As 2019 has come to an end, the Selsey Community First Responders Scheme would like to thank all our supporters who have given so generously to the scheme.

From the Corporate Partners (Bunn Leisure, S-Fabs and Trident Structures). local organisations and clubs (Selsey Open Gardens and Walking Festival, Manhood Classic Cars, The Shanty Men, Gainsborough Singers, Sue Bringloe Yoga Class, Selsey Golf Ladies and Veterans, West Sussex Carpet Bowls, Crablands Bowls, Selsey Fireworks, the Lions, St Wilfrids Swimathon, the Local Business Alliance, The Seal, Brian Ridley (the busking flautist) and all the good people of Sesey who have put a donation in our collection boxes distributed around the town. And to our own team of fundraisers for their fantastic commitment and hard work in attending Lifeboat Day, the Village fete, numerous Table Top Sales and for organising a very successful Curry and Quiz Night and the recent Christmas Market at Selsey Town Hall.

Finally, to Colin Rose (Rose Electrics) who gives his time and fittings free of charge installing the defibrillators around the town.

Every penny received is invested back in the Scheme.

The Scheme is totally dependent upon donations as we receive no financial support either from the local ambulance authority (SECAMB) or the NHS.

Whilst SECAMB is responsible for the recruitment and training and on-going assessment of our Responders our Scheme is responsible for providing everything else from vehicles, uniforms and maintaining the operability  of the defibrillators around the town.

The Scheme also purchases defibrillators for each of our Responder Team who are all volunteers giving up their personal time to help the Selsey community when asked to attend a medical emergency by the ambulance authority.

The base cost to  the Scheme of car tax, car insurance, vehicle maintenance and maintaining defibrillators is £3500 and, additionally, each Responder defibrillator costs £1000+.

To date, with the donations from the Selsey community, the Scheme has been able to purchase and instal 11 Public Access Defibrillators (PADs) around the town. Given our relative remoteness on the Manhood Peninsular, a combination of Responders and PADs (each defibrillator and cabinet costs in excess of £1500) is vital in helping to save lives in the community. WHERE EVERY SECOND COUNTS….

For more information about the Scheme, how you can help to support the Selsey Community First Responders, or if you have an interest in becoming a First Responder email:

info@selseyfirstresponders.org 

Meet Nigel…

Introducing our new Responder – Nigel Allfrey.

Nigel has very recently become operational and here is his experience to date.

It takes an ambulance 18 minutes to get to Selsey from Chichester – if an ambulance is available and the single road isn’t blocked.

On average, it has taken me 8mins 12secs from receiving an alert to being at the patients address over the past month of calls. On each of the 20 calls I have received in that time, I have been there ahead of the ambulance, sometimes by 20 minutes. We know also that every minute over 4 minutes decreases a  patients chances of recovering fully from heart failure by 10%. If the brain can be kept oxygenated, 18 minutes is the accepted time to be able to restart a heart. So we are looking at fine margins.

The geographical challenge of emergency access to the town as well as the reality of a large relatively elderly population is why I applied for the voluntary role of Community First Responder in Selsey. Before moving here I was a Samaritan for 5 years and was looking for something a little different when we came in 2017.

Its a role that requires commitment – a 5-day intensive training course is only one of the many steps that need to be passed to even start out on a ‘mentoring’ time. As well as continuous professional development and team meetings, there is the time ‘logged on’ – at any moment being alerted by a text message to go to the help of a patient with only very limited information as to their state of health. The role is flexible in relation to when you ‘log on’ with a minimum amount of time required (which is not exacting) to deliver. Personally, I have been able to be available for 110 hours in the last month, although some dedicated CFRs do as much in a week.

It is true that all calls are not an imminent danger to life. However, being there with the equipment should things take a turn for the worst reassures patients and their worried families. On many occasions, taking observations enables stressed people to be calm and  practical steps can make the wait endurable as well as making the ambulance crew’s jobs much easier when they arrive.

In Selsey we are really lucky in that the community really appreciates the CFR service. People contribute to funds to enable us to have the best equipment as well as installing ‘Public Access Defibrillators’ all around the town (we are a charity and have to self-fund our activities). Also, we train as many people as possible how to use a defibrillator and have confidence to step in when there is a crisis rather than walking away. The number of people who have said ‘Thank goodness a First Responder is here!’ is a wonderful appreciation of the work we do and definitely makes it worthwhile. Attending charity events, it’s also heartening how many people willingly dive into their purses when they see our banners rather than steering around the stall!!

Also, we are actively promoting the ‘GoodSam” app through which people with some first aid training are alerted to an emergency events in their immediate vicinity.

There is a gap, though ……..

We really want to staff a 24/7 service in Selsey, but that will need more volunteers to be trained. So, if you feel you have the energy, time and inclination to join our team and embark on a rewarding new venture with a huge learning curve or for more information about our charity and how you can help to support the Selsey Community First Responders then please contact us. See the ‘Contact us’ page.

A news up-date

Thank you to the Gainsborough Singers, Manhood Classic Cars and Brian Ridley, who busks in Selsey High Street playing his flute, for their contributions to our Charity and all our supporters.

As a Charity we rely entirely upon the generosity of the Selsey community for keeping our Responders on the road, helping to save lives in the community.

Selsy First Responders are available to give demonstrations at any time and we would encourage community groups to consider them as a way of getting more information and confidence in dealing with a medical emergency were it ever to arise. Please e-mail info@selseyfirstresponders.org if you have an interest in booking a demonstration.

Nigel Allfrey is now fully operational and is a very welcome addition to our Responding team.

SELSEY FIRST RESPONDERS WILL BE HOLDING A CHRISTMAS FAYRE ON SATURDAY, 2ND NOVEMBER IN THE SELSEY TOWN HALL FROM 10am until 2pm. DO COME ALONG AND SEE US.

Selsey Walking and Outdoor Festival 2019

The Selsey Community First Responders (SCFR) Scheme wish to say a huge thank you to the Selsey Walking and Outdoor Festival/Open Gardens Scheme for their organisation of a fantastic event and to all garden owners who chose to present their gardens in such a fabulous way to be enjoyed by all those who visited on the day of the Selsey Open Gardens event.  Everyone’s hard work culminated in the SCFR being presented with a cheque for a magnificent £3,136.

Whilst South East Coast Ambulance (SECAmb) recruit and provide the initial and on-going training for our Responders ensuring that they are always compliant with with best practise, SCFR is responsible for ensuring that the Responders are fully supported to fulfil their roles, which are given on a voluntary basis. We supply our Responders with a defibrillator, medical supplies, a uniform and the transport to respond when assigned to a 999 emergency call by SECAmb.

SCFR has a fleet of 3 cars at present bought from contributions made by Selsey Town Council, local businesses and the people of Selsey. Each vehicle has to be taxed, insured and serviced as required.

In addition, SCFR has over the past 2 to 3 years procured and installed defibrillators in eleven locations throughout Selsey.

It is hoped that, with the continued generosity of the Selsey community, the installation of defibrillators will be extended in the coming years, but our first priority will always be to keep our Responders on the road helping to save lives in the community – every second counts

…AND YET ANOTHER PAD

Another Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) has been fitted to the East Beach Kiosk and, as the name implies, is for use by the public in case of emergency. However, it is important to understand that these PADs are operated in conjunction with the South-East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb)  so ……

HOW TO USE A PAD

Make a 999 call and the SECAmb call-taker will assess the situation and, if needed, the rescuer will be given the location of the nearest PAD and the code to unlock the box.  Keep the line to the call-taker open so that further advice or help can be given.  Make sure you have the code clearly in your mind before heading off for the nearest PAD. Without it you will not be able to open the box.   The box contains a Smart Defibrillator which will tell you what to do and when to do it. With the line kept open, the call-taker will be there to help.

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT -2019

My Reports for 2017 and 2018 repeated the 2016 headline in the Chichester Observer – “Desperate Selsey First Responders at breaking point”. I am delighted to report that this headline no longer applies. We are now financially and operationally fit for purpose.

Operationally, training of Responders by SECAmb has been the major problem. As a result we have had, and lost, several volunteers. Therefore, I wrote to the CEO of South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) to advise him that the Selsey Community First Responder service was in jeopardy unless we get our volunteers trained. A positive response was received, initially from the CEO and subsequently from the Director of Operations.  Changes within SECAmb coincided with this correspondence and a recruiting period occurred during January/February 2019. Two of our volunteers, Heather Gaughran-Gritt and Carol Jerram, have been trained and are in the process of being validated making them operational.

SCFR’s registration with the Charity Commission ceased in 2010, presumably because our annual income was below the required £5K.  However, we remained registered as a charity with HMRC. An improvement in our income allowed us to renegotiate our position with the Charity Commission and, after nearly 12 months hard work by the Treasurer, our registration was renewed. Our old charity number, 1096931, has been resurrected.

The support SCFR receives from the Selsey Community remains impressive. So much so, that we have been able to purchase another car (Kia Picanto) and this is in the process of being branded and should be operational in a few days. Our original and old Picanto was sold earlier in the year for £500. It passed its MOT, but it was clear that expensive repairs would be needed before the next MOT. Presently we are financially secure. However, the Corporate Partners final payment is due this year and the agreement will have to be renegotiated, hopefully for another 3 years. Oceanair has been taken over by Dometic and it is uncertain whether they will accept the agreement made with Oceanair. A letter has been sent to the CEO of Dometic, but no reply has been received to date. I would like to thank every individual and organisation who have supported us so generously throughout the year.

Requests for demonstrations on the application of CPR and the use of defibrillators are regularly being received. So much so, that we now have one Responder being tasked as Demonstrations Coordinator. At present, arrangements for 2 demonstrations have been finalised, but 3 more are pending. As usual, there will be a demonstration on Lifeboat Day.

We have placed a further Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) on the East Beach Kiosk, making 10 installations operated by SCFR. A further site presently is being considered. Once again, our thanks to Rose Electrics for installing the PADs without charge; a considerable financial saving for us. Our PAD at the Southern Cooperative was activated in October 2018 and, as a result, the gentleman concerned recovered.

We shall take part in ‘Lifeboat Day’ and ‘Lights Day’ again this year and further fundraising events are being planned. Here I should like to thank Liz Watson and her fundraising sub-committee for their enthusiastic efforts; both in raising funds and spreading the word about the SCFR. I am sure the momentum will be maintained during 2019/20.

Our Responders Frank Doel, Phil Ingram and Tim Watson continue to work incredibly hard, but with 2 more Responders coming on-line their work load should ease. There is another volunteer to be trained, but it is unclear when this might be. Lives have been saved.

I should like to thank our Treasurer/Purchasing Manager for all he has done, despite illness making things more difficult. He has been a great support to me and a wise adviser.

Finally, Bernie Stevens (Treasurer) is retiring and so is Liz Watson (Lead Fundraiser). Their devotion to the SCFR over the years has been quite exceptional and, without their determination to succeed, there have been times when organisation could have failed.

I am retiring likewise and cannot emphasise enough that the support I have received from the members of the Team and the Selsey Community in general allows me to depart with the SCFR in good heart. Thank you so much.

(Dennis Collins)

Chairman

Two new PADs

Sadly, on 14th August 2017 a much-respected Selsey gentleman died in hospital. His family decided that any funds raised should be donated to the Selsey Community First Responders and asked us to say how the money would be spent. In the event, the money raised by the family and friends was substantial; indeed, sufficient to fund a complete Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) installation. It was suggested to the family that this is how the money should be spent and they agreed. Therefore, a new PAD has been installed on the front of the public toilets at the end of Hillfield Road close to the beach. It carries a brass plaque which reads:  In loving memory of Gary Byford, 20th June 1958 to 14th August 2017. ‘Continuing to help others’.

This is the first time in Selsey that a PAD has been funded in this way and we are very grateful to the family for thinking of us.

Another ‘first’ is the fixing of a PAD to a private house in a residential area. Colin Rose (Rose Electrics) has been installing all our PADs at no cost and has been a great supporter of the First Responders. He took this a stage further by asking if he could sponsor and fit a PAD security cabinet to his house. We readily agreed and said we would provide the defibrillator. Finding locations in residential areas is very difficult and does have legal implications. So, a hige thank you Colin.

How it’s done …….

As many of you will know, we have been fitting Public Access Defibrillators (PADs) around Selsey and there are now 6 in place with at least 2 more to come. But we know also that people are very wary of them indeed, one may say frightened.  To show that there is no magic in using them, we decided that we needed to give ‘hands on’ demonstrations as to their use.

We have given demonstrations in the past to selected groups and on Lifeboat Day. However, a more general event was needed and, thanks to St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church for giving us the use of their Hall and to many members of the church for their considerable help, the event was arranged. But, how many would come-10 -20 -, we had no idea. In the end, over 100 people attended. A figure well beyond our expectations. The businesses and residents of Selsey funded the PADS and it is clear that they have a great interest in how to use them and the success of the scheme.

We will be holding general demonstrations at different locations in the future and these will be advertised well in advance.

Finally, as you can see, you are never too young to learn CPR and the skill of defibrillator use.

…the magnificent three

Although the prime task of The Selsey Community First Responders Scheme is to provide rapid response to accident or emergency as directed by the South East Coast Ambulance Service, we do look at other areas where we believe protection of the community can be improved.  For example, we have been collecting funds and placing Public Access Defibrillators in strategic places around the town.

One area which is causing us some concern is the skateboard park. Quite understandably it is a very popular facility and we would not wish to suggest any restrictions to its use.  However, we would like to emphasize the desirability of users wearing some form of protection such as kneepads, elbow pads and head protection.  To this end, we thought that we would hold a painting competition for children to paint a scene depicting the need to wear protection when taking part in fun, but potentially dangerous, activities.

All the schools agreed to take part and we were delighted to receive sponsorship from Selsey Arts Dream which enabled us to present a prize of a £25 book token to the winning painting from each school.  The winners were selected by the members of the Tuesday morning Art Group and the pictures were displayed at the Autumn Exhibition in the Town Hall.  Also, Colin Rose, of Rose Electrics, offered to take the winners for a spin in his Suburu Impreza rally car, but not at rallying speeds!!

Who were the winners?  

The other winner was Boroka Kiss from The Academy, but she declined to have her photograph taken.

Finally, the top 2 winners, Jack Oliver and Boroka Kiss, had the opportunity to name our vans.  This worried us a little as we were not sure what to expect.  In the event, Jack chose ‘Hope’ and Boroka ‘Grace’.

A recent incident

Very recently, a 999 call was made to the South-East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) and the caller was directed to the nearest Public Access Defibrillator and given the box code.  Here the situation became rather confused as it seems the shop didn’t have any information about the PAD and no one knew where the key was.  I cannot say exactly what happened, but suffice to say the caller was unable to gain access to the defibrillator.  This was not good and I will come back to that.  The most important thing in this case being the outcome as far as the patient was concerned.

The 999 call resulted in a First Responder being activated.  Luckily, he was very close to the patient and arrived on site within 3 minutes to start care and stabilisation.  He was joined by an ambulance, and then 2 cars; one with a Critical Care Paramedic, and the other with a Clinical Team Leader. Therefore, the patient was attended by a highly skilled team. Sadly, and despite this, the patient did not survive.

Now back to the PAD box.  The first question is, why do we lock them.  The answer is quite simple. As a charity, we can obtain a smart defibrillator for a little over £800, but on the open market you would have to pay over £1000.  I regret to say that if they were not in a secure cabinet they would disappear very quickly.  Also, as they need to be available 24/7 they have to be outside and visible. As you can see from the picture, a PAD is in a large yellow box which has a key pad used to enter the code to open it.  They are sited at the East Beach Evangelical Church, The Fisherman’s Joy, St Wilfrid’s Roman Catholic Church, the Southern Coop, the Fire Station and the Selsey Centre.

When a 999 call is made, the SECAmb call-taker will assess the situation and, if a defibrillator is required, the rescuer will be told the location of the nearest PAD and the code to open it.  The line to the call-taker should remain open so that any further advice can be given.  The defibrillator is a smart unit and will instruct the rescuer on its use.  The call-taker will give guidance as required.

Situations such as that which occurred recently can be very stressful and confusing.  The only advice we can give is try to stay calm and keep in contact with the SECAmb call taker. Easy to say, but hard to do.

We are aiming to do demonstrations around the town and these will be advertised in good time.  The last demonstration was given on Life Boat day.