Life-savers set for 400th call

A volunteer group that provides life-saving treatment until an ambulance arrives has responded to nearly 400 calls in five years.

The Southwell Defibrillator Group, which works in conjunction with East Midlands Ambulance Service, hoped to reach the landmark figure this week.

It started with ten volunteers in March 2003, rising to more than 30 in 2006, but numbers have decreased recently to 15 members.

The chairman, Mr Mario Stankovic (58) of Lower Kirklington Road, Southwell, said they were looking for more volunteers.

They have recently replaced their two defibrillator kits, which cost about £2,000 each, after receiving donations from church groups and Southwell Lions.

The kits, including bag, mask and oxygen, are carried by on-duty members.

Mr Stankovic said whenever possible they tried to have two people on call at any one time, which is why it was so important to have more volunteers.

“The more volunteers we have the more we can assist,” he said.

The group are on call from 8am to 10pm, seven days a week, 365 days a year. As well as Southwell, the group covers villages within a five-mile radius.

Mr Stankovic said some volunteers did as little as four days every fortnight.

“Anything is better than nothing,” he said.

Volunteers must have their own vehicle and are not allowed to speed on the way to calls.

“That is the beauty of living in Southwell. You can get from one end to the other in three minutes without speeding, Mr Stankovic said.

“When someone stops breathing it takes four minutes before the brain starts to shut down, so you still have time.”

When a 999 call is made to the ambulance service it goes through a control room in Nottingham and is prioritised.

Life-threatening situations are category A calls and an ambulance crew is immediately dispatched.

At the same time a pager message is sent to the on-duty members of the Southwell Defibrillator Group.

The volunteers are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation — heart massage and squeezing a bag to force air into the lungs through a mask over the mouth and nose.

They are also trained to give oxygen via a mask and can use a defibrillator to shock the heart with an electric current.

Mr Stankovic, a member for 41/2 years, said the group began when a number of like-minded people found out there was a need in their society.

He said: “The nearest ambulance station is either Newark, Nottingham or Mansfield.

“At best the response time to get to Southwell is ten minutes — you can be dead in four.

“If someone else can get there before that time it is not going to guarantee that they are going to live, but it gives you a better chance.”

They will soon be working alongside Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue service, who will become co-responders with Southwell Defibrillator Group from Monday.

Mr Stankovic said it was a sensible idea to work with the fire service as they could cover calls when the defibrillator volunteers were not on duty.

For more information about the group or becoming a volunteer call Mr Stankovic on 01636 814494.