Reducing Time to First on Scene: An Ambulance-Community First Responder Scheme

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Prehospital Care
• Medical Education

Background:

• Early access to prehospital care is critical in medical emergencies.
• Ambulance services in urban settings face response time challenges.
• Medical student training can be enhanced through practical experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the time benefit of a student Community First Responder (CFR) scheme.
• To assess the impact of the scheme on ambulance service response times in an inner-city UK setting.
• To investigate the educational value of the CFR scheme for senior medical students.

Main Methods:

• Twenty final/penultimate year medical students underwent "First Person on Scene" (BTEC) training.
• Students served as CFRs for 12 months, attending 89 emergency calls alongside ambulance services.
• A qualitative survey assessed the perceived educational benefits.

Main Results:

• CFRs reduced mean response times by 3 minutes and 8 seconds compared to ambulance crews.
• The most significant time savings were observed in fall-related incidents (12 minutes).
• Response time differences peaked between 16:00 and 18:00.

Conclusions:

• Student-led CFR schemes can significantly decrease time to first medical responder.
• The initiative provides valuable, hands-on training for medical students in emergency care.
• This model offers a symbiotic solution, improving both patient access and medical education.