Donegal Bay Community First Responders - About Us
Donegal Bay Community First Responders was established in order to provide a volunteer community rapid response to actual or potentially life-threatening emergencies in the Ballyshannon, Bundoran & surrounding areas in counties Donegal & Leitrim.
- Donegal Bay CFR was established in September 2017 and three local CFR Teams went 'live' with the National Ambulance service in May 2018.
- Donegal Bay Community First Responder group is linked to the National Ambulance Service's National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC).
- On-call volunteer community responders are activated by Ambulance Control following a 999 call from members of the public.
- Our aim is to reach a potential life threatening emergency in the first vital minutes before the ambulance crew arrives & to assist the ambulance crew upon arrival.
- Our primary role is to help stabilise the patient and provide the appropriate care including defibrillation, until the more highly skilled ambulance crew arrives on scene to take over the treatment.
The Chain of Survival
The following sequence of events is known as the "Chain of Survival"
- Early Access (to activate the emergency services)
- Early Basic Life Support (CPR Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation)
- Early Defibrillation (an electric shock to restart the heart)
- Early Advanced Care (paramedic intervention)