Tim Morris, the chair and Trustee of Warwickshire Hearts came to update Rotarians on their activities. Tim is Practice manager at Waterside Medical Centre in Leamington and was accompanied by Vicki Larner who is a Secondary school teacher. Warwickshire Hearts are our local Community First Responders (CFR) covering Warwick, Stratford and South Warwickshire, they have been a charity since 2017 and also teach vital life-saving skills to people across the area.

  left Vicki Larner with President Dick Dixon & Tim Morris

Vicki explained that First Responders are volunteers trained and mobilised by West Midlands Ambulance Service called in to attend 999 calls to keep patients alive and as comfortable as possible until an ambulance arrives. There are 500 groups of CFR’s across the West Midlands which attended over 10,000 999 calls in the last 12 months.

Warwickshire Hearts operate 2 fast response cars based north and south in their area and can provide an urgent response to rural areas. The CFR’s carry a basic medical kit, oxygen and a defibrillator and are called in if they are nearer to a patient to provide support until an Ambulance can reach them. This could be patients with breathing difficulties or chest pain, cardiac arrest, or the elderly falling at home, but they may attend a wide range of other incidents including road traffic collisions.

Tim said that from their inception they have worked with Evelyns Gift a local charity to train as many people as possible in CPR lifesaving skills and the use of a Defibrillator (AED). They attend schools, community organisations and local businesses and provide Event First Aid to local events which helps fund some of their other activities.

If you are interested in being trained in CPR and use of a defibrillator, joining the training team, or becoming a 999 Responder contact Warwickshire Hearts via their website www.warwickshirehearts.org. Donations are also needed to support their work both in responding to 999 calls and in delivering CPR training. Courses are offered free of charge.

Thanking Tim for his interesting presentation Rotarian Alan Bailey referred to our long association with them, and our ownership of a defibrillator outside Shire Hall. President Dick Dixon said that we would be making a donation towards their work.

  Rotary 24/7 Defibrillator & Bleed kit at Shire Hall, Warwick