Welcome to Virginia Community First Responders
Community First Responders Ireland (CFR Ireland)
Each year nearly 5,000 people in Ireland die from cardiac arrest. That’s nearly thirteen people every day! These people are going about their daily lives, at home, at work, shopping, at sports events and many collapse and die without warning.
70% to 80% of these collapses happen in the presence of family or friends. After suffering a cardiac arrest, for every minute that passes, the chances of recovery are reduced by 7% to 10%. The current survival rate of Out‐of‐Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OOHCA) in Ireland is 5.2%, according to the Irish OOHCA Register 2012. We know that effective CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) within the first 3-5 minutes of cardiac arrest can produce survival rates as high as 49% – 75%.
Recognising cardiac chest pain is particularly important, since the probability of cardiac arrest occurring as a consequence of acute myocardial ischemia (heart attack) is at least 21%-33% in the first hour after the onset of symptoms. Immediate CPR, following collapse, can double or triple the survival rate from cardiac arrest. Reducing trained responder response times to 5 minutes could almost double the survival rate for cardiac arrests.
Upon receipt of a 999/112 call, Community First Responders are dispatched simultaneously with the National Ambulance Service. First Responders are only dispatched to chest pain, breathing difficulty, choking, stroke and cardiac related calls within a five 5 km (3 mile) radius of their communities. Because the people “on call” live or work in their area, they can respond within minutes and provide emergency measures and reassurance until the ambulance service arrives.
Our Team
Our team of volunteers, during an early intervention, activate the chain of survival, which refers to a series of actions that, when put into motion, reduce the mortality associated with cardiac arrest.
Like any chain, the chain of survival is only as strong as its weakest link. The interdependent links in the chain of survival are early intervention and access, early CPR, early defibrillation, and early advanced cardiac life support. And at the end of the chain the post resuscitation care can begin.
About Virginia Community First Responders
Virginia Community First Responders cover a large area.
Just some of the towns and Townland names we cover:
Virginia, Ballyjamesduff, New Inn, Castlerahan, Clonkeeffy, Eighter, Lisgrey, Killinkere, Lisnabuntry, Ballaghanea and The Lakeside Manor.
