Queen's Award for FastAid Solihull and Birmingham - The Solihull Observer

Queen's Award for FastAid Solihull and Birmingham

Solihull Editorial 11th Jun, 2016 Updated: 21st Oct, 2016   0

LIFE-SAVING volunteers at FastAid Solihull and Birmingham who work tirelessly across the borough to help those in their hour of need have also been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

The Community First Responder (CFR) group works with West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) to respond to life threatening 999 calls across Birmingham and Solihull.

Volunteer CFRs are equipped with a defibrillator, oxygen and a first aid pack, they are responded at the same time as ambulance resources, but due to their location will often get to a patient just before the ambulance and are therefore able to start potentially life-saving treatment.

As well as providing care for people in their local area, the CFRs also teach life-saving skills.




Samantha Jackson and Mark Lines from FastAid attended the garden party at Buckingham Palace.

Samantha, who is a trustee and co-ordinator of FastAid said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been given this award.


“It is clearly a testament to the efforts of all those involved in FastAid, who give up their time voluntarily to help those in need of medical care.

“The fact that this award has been received in this, our 10th year of operation, means it is even more special.

“I’d like to thank the volunteers in our group for all of their efforts.

“To get this award is clearly special, but knowing that we’ve saved someone’s life is even more so, and that is why we do it.”

Praise for the team who have helped save so many lives has flooded in.

Andy Jeynes, Community Response Manager for Birmingham and Solihull, said: “There are many patients alive today because of the work of community first responders.

“Even though they might only get to a patient a matter of minutes before an ambulance, starting CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) earlier can make a massive difference to the chances of the person surviving.

“CFRs can be called upon to attend to medical emergencies such as cardiac arrest, strokes, falls and breathing problems amongst others.

“Approximately 850,000 adults suffer a cardiac arrest every year in the UK.

“About 90 per cent could be helped by early defibrillation, which is where groups like FastAid come in.

“For every minute a patient is in cardiac arrest, their chance of survival decreases by 10 per cent.”

WMAS Chief Executive, Anthony Marsh said getting the award was a fantastic achievement for FastAid and shows the value that such groups play in the community they live and work in.

He added: “As an organisation, WMAS is tremendously fortunate to have many CFR groups like FastAid who freely give of their time to help the ambulance service, but more importantly our patients.

“My warmest congratulations to each and every one of you.”

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