The Website of Vale First Responders - VFR is a Community First Responder group
In association with East Midlands Ambulance Service
Covering The Vale of Belvoir - North Leicestershire and South Nottinghamshire
To read our disclaimer page, please click HERE
Vale First Responders is a charity registered in England and Wales number 1115596 - to see our registration details, click HERE
When a 999 call is made, the caller will firstly be transfered to a British Telecom operator, who will say to the
caller "emergency which service to do you require". If the caller asks for the ambulance service the BT operator
will then ask the caller for the telephone number they are calling from (in case the call becomes disconnected)
and transfers the call to the ambulance control centre.
If the 999 call is made within the East Midlands Ambulance Service area, which is the entire counties of
Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Lincolnshire, and Northamptonshire,
the call will then be routed to the state of the art EMAS control centre in Nottingham.
caller "emergency which service to do you require". If the caller asks for the ambulance service the BT operator
will then ask the caller for the telephone number they are calling from (in case the call becomes disconnected)
and transfers the call to the ambulance control centre.
If the 999 call is made within the East Midlands Ambulance Service area, which is the entire counties of
Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Lincolnshire, and Northamptonshire,
the call will then be routed to the state of the art EMAS control centre in Nottingham.
How it works
Help starts as soon as the 999 call is answered by the Ambulance control room.
The first thing asked is the address where the ambulance is required.
As soon as this information is given, a "Control Dispatcher" will immediately
start an ambulance en-route. At this point the Dispatcher also checks to see
if there is a Community First Responder on duty within the area and if there is
they will alert them by sending a pager message via the computer system directly
to the First Responder within seconds of the call being made.
The dispatcher has various resources available, including Accident
and Emergency Ambulances, FRV's (single crewed Paramedic Fast
Response Vehicles), Community First Responders (CFR's) such as the
Vale First Responders team or even the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance.
Control can now manage all A&E vehicles through a satellite tracking system. This means that staff can identify
the nearest vehicle by quite simply looking on a computerised map – which shows where help is needed and
where the nearest vehicles is. First Responders show on this system as a static resource when on duty,
so the dispatcher can quickly see how near to the incident the First Repsonder is and how long it should
take them to get there, along with the ambulance.
While this is going on in the back ground, the "Call Taker" continues to obtain other important information
such as the nature of the illness/accident, the patient's condition, age etc. They'll then begin to talk the
caller through ways to help the patient, such as how to curb blood loss, look after an unconscious patient
or perform the kiss of life.
The Government target for UK ambulance services is to reach 75% of Category A calls in 8 minutes and
95% of Category B calls in 19 minutes.
The first thing asked is the address where the ambulance is required.
As soon as this information is given, a "Control Dispatcher" will immediately
start an ambulance en-
they will alert them by sending a pager message via the computer system directly
to the First Responder within seconds of the call being made.
The dispatcher has various resources available, including Accident
and Emergency Ambulances, FRV's (single crewed Paramedic Fast
Response Vehicles), Community First Responders (CFR's) such as the
Vale First Responders team or even the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance.
Control can now manage all A&E vehicles through a satellite tracking system. This means that staff can identify
the nearest vehicle by quite simply looking on a computerised map – which shows where help is needed and
where the nearest vehicles is. First Responders show on this system as a static resource when on duty,
so the dispatcher can quickly see how near to the incident the First Repsonder is and how long it should
take them to get there, along with the ambulance.
While this is going on in the back ground, the "Call Taker" continues to obtain other important information
such as the nature of the illness/accident, the patient's condition, age etc. They'll then begin to talk the
caller through ways to help the patient, such as how to curb blood loss, look after an unconscious patient
or perform the kiss of life.
The Government target for UK ambulance services is to reach 75% of Category A calls in 8 minutes and
95% of Category B calls in 19 minutes.
Responders usually have two First Responders on call at
all times and both will carry an Ambulance Service pager
with them, along with the emergency medical equipment
in their car boot and a reflective First Responder jacket
which has to be worn while on scene. As soon as the
duty First Responders receive a call via the pager they
will drop what they are doing and proceed to the scene,
usually in their own cars. If driving is involved, it will be
under the Highway Code and Community First Responders
are expected to comply with the law while driving to
Incidents - at all times.
all times and both will carry an Ambulance Service pager
with them, along with the emergency medical equipment
in their car boot and a reflective First Responder jacket
which has to be worn while on scene. As soon as the
duty First Responders receive a call via the pager they
will drop what they are doing and proceed to the scene,
usually in their own cars. If driving is involved, it will be
under the Highway Code and Community First Responders
are expected to comply with the law while driving to
Incidents -
The pager message tells the First Responder,
where the incident is (the address) and also gives
brief details as to the condition of the patient.
First Responders either attend the incident in
pairs or sometimes alone. They carry a mobile
phone provided by either EMAS or the group
to allow them to call directly to the control
room to report back once they have arrived
on scene and to relay the condition of the
patient, which control can then pass onto the
Ambulance or Fast Response Vehicle who will
also be mobile and travelling to the scene using
blue lights and sirens. Responders can speak to
control at any time to ask for directions to the
incident or to obtain medical help or advice if
required.
where the incident is (the address) and also gives
brief details as to the condition of the patient.
First Responders either attend the incident in
pairs or sometimes alone. They carry a mobile
phone provided by either EMAS or the group
to allow them to call directly to the control
room to report back once they have arrived
on scene and to relay the condition of the
patient, which control can then pass onto the
Ambulance or Fast Response Vehicle who will
also be mobile and travelling to the scene using
blue lights and sirens. Responders can speak to
control at any time to ask for directions to the
incident or to obtain medical help or advice if
required.
