Volunteers who help to save lives and support emergency work in the West Midlands are being thanked by ambulance bosses as part of National Volunteers Week.
Dedicated air ambulance charity fundraisers, voluntary aid societies, volunteer car drivers and over 1,100 Community First Responders (CFRs) are vital in helping the West Midlands Ambulance Service each year.
Water and land rescue charities and 4×4 groups from across the region provide the service with support through harsh winters, periods of high demand and at the scene of incidents when skill and time are of the essence. A host of businesses and organisations also help to save lives by giving funding to CFR groups to ensure they have all the latest equipment and even donate dedicated vehicles. Others house an automated external defibrillator (a device used to restart a heart when someone suffers a cardiac arrest) and take part in CPR training to ensure their staff know what to do in the event of an emergency.
Daren Fradgley, Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer, said: “Thank you to all of the volunteers who provide essential help to patients in the West Midlands, whether directly or indirectly.
“Supporting any facet of the ambulance service, be it the Trust itself, your local CFR group or air ambulance charity, means a great deal to West Midlands Ambulance Service and helps to ensure we continue to provide life-saving care to patients who need it the most. Very often we don’t say thank you enough. On behalf of all of our staff, thank you to all that you do. I am very proud of all of you; all of our volunteers and all of our staff, regardless of the role you fulfill.”