A family affair – the daughter and dad saving lives

A DAD-AND-DAUGHTER duo in the coastal idyll of Seahouses help save lives as volunteer Community First Responders for the North East Ambulance Service.

- SAM VOLPE

Andrew and Jade Park are dispatched to 999 calls nearby where they can provide first aid including CPR and defibrillation.

The service helps to keep people in harder-to-reach communities alive while paramedics rush to their side.

Andrew's motivation for taking up the role was personal - a family member had experienced the care of a previous Community First Responder (CFR) first-hand.

He said: "Having experienced the care of Community First Responders first-hand, I was aware of the vital role they can play with early intervention, especially in a more rural community.

"Having witnessed a serious car accident a few months earlier, I wanted to be more helpful than I had felt in that situation. Also, if I could help to get the Seahouses kit operational again, it would be great for the community."

Andrew has now even set out on a career change inspired by his spare-time volunteering. He is soon to begin training as an apprentice ambulance support practitioner. His daughter Jade, who volunteers alongside him, is also looking to her future, and looking to become a paramedic.

In the meantime, though, they have both even attended calls together.