Life-saving equipment installed on Kettering estate thanks to community efforts

Residents on a Kettering housing estate have been gifted a cabinet containing life-saving equipment for use in emergency medical situations.

North Northants Community First Responders funded their first combined defibrillator and bleed bag outside The Crescents Community Centre.

People using the community hub or those living in nearby streets will be able to access the cabinet by calling 999 and asking for the entry code.

Previously centre users had to wait for help to arrive - but now people offering first aid can help with the equipment following simple-to-use instructions.

North Northants Community First Responder for Kettering, Dale Love, said: “It will help the local community. It can be something as simple as a varicose vein or accidents on bikes and scooters. It’s not all about knife crime. You could bleed to death in four minutes. Having the kit will help hold on to that person until the emergency services arrive.”

Welcoming the cabinet Mandy Raffill, manager of the Crescents Community Centre, said: “We have had a emergency medical situation where somebody became ill. It took a lady ten minutes to run to the nearest defibrillator and run back. Luckily the ambulance got here, that’s why it’s so important. It’s great to have it here. I’d like to thank North Northants Community First Responders and the local councillors for organising it.”

North Northants Council ward councillors Robin Carter and Paul Marks will also fund two more.

The Community First Responder scheme (CFR) is run in association with East Midlands Ambulance Service who provide training for volunteers.

When a 999 call is received an ambulance is dispatched – at the same time a CFR in the area is alerted and asked to assist.

Registered as a charity in May 2021, North Northants Community First Responders provide a range of emergency lifesaving procedures including emergency first aid, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation and oxygen therapy.

Scheme coordinator and trustee Stacey Price will be holding a first aid course at The Crescents Community Centre in Laburnum Crescent on Monday, October, 10, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, suitable for 12 years plus.

She said: “We are keen to put in cabinets across the whole area. Anyone who would like to host one or support our fundraising please email [email protected].”