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Age: 56
Job: Health Secretary
Political Pedigree: Blairite Chum
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Community Responders are to be given the go-ahead to use Blue Lights says Health Secretary.
Health Secretary, Alan Johnson has today confirmed the introduction of legislation allowing Lay or 'Community' Responders to use Blue Lights when Responding for their local Ambulance Service as an attempt to improve response times.
Community Responders are trained volunteers who Respond to requests for help from their local Ambulance Services, endeavouring to reach a casualty before the official Ambulance and commence treatment. It is proven that the sooner someone receives Oxygen after a serious injury, or a Defibrillator 'Shock' if they have had a Cardiac Arrest, the better their chance of survival.
"Community Responders try and get there as quickly as possible, but are hampered by other traffic not knowing that they are in a rush." said Mr Johnson.
"By training them to drive fast and give them blue lights we can help them make better progress through the traffic." he said.
Community Responders will be given a custom 4-hour training course in their own car and, if they pass, will be issued with a magnetically mounted blue light.
When asked about the dangers posed by relatively untrained drivers, Mr Johnson replied that, as they respond locally, there would not be much driving and from what he had seen, Responders were, on the whole, "A pretty responsible lot" and "We would come down quite hard on anyone found to be abusing the privilege or having too many serious accidents".
The cost of the training will initially be borne by the Department of Health, but there will be a claw-back whereby if a Responder arrives before an Ambulance Crew, the Ambulance Service will be 'fined' £100, half of which would be donated to the Responder Scheme. Mr Johnson indicated that this should encourage a faster response from both the Responders and from the Ambulance Service, which would not wish to be fined - this should lead to a faster arrival and therefore a better result for the casualty.
Backed by website
A spokesperson for the popular ambulance999.co.uk website confirmed its approval. "We are always finding that Responders are asking about blue lights and the consensus on the discussion forum is that we would heartily give it our seal of approval" he said.
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It can only be a good thing
ambulance999.co.uk spokesperson
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Exemptions
Emergency dirivers normally are allowed to claim 'exemptions' from some traffic laws. For example, they can cross red traffic lights and drive at speed on the wrong side of the road if they think it appropriate. Community Responders will not be allowed to do this at first, although after 6 months of competent Blue Light driving (no more than one collision for example), they will be granted these extra abilities automatically. RoSPA spokesman Hans Friedriver has confirmed that if it saves lives, it's got to be a good thing, inint?
Legislation was set in motion during Tony Blair's reign
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Sex
Responders come from all sections of society and from either sex.
Tongue
Although the scheme operates in the UK, the recent increase in immigrants as well as the fact that some people still try and speak Welsh or West Country against all advice means that many languages in more than one tongue are heard by Responders and they need to be prepared for anything.
Oral
Training in Oxygen, lifesaving techniques and the use of a Defibrillator are all undertaken with written and oral tests at the end of the training.
Rumpy Tumpy
The schemes were originally part of a joint scheme between the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and the Government. Sir George Rumpy-Tumpy, Director of the BHF affirmed his approval. "I like it a lot" he said, when collared coming out of a London nightclub in the early hours of last Sunday.
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