Leeds Student Community First Responders began in 2016 as the slightly rogue idea of a now almost final year medical student. We have since grown to encompass over 100 volunteers, and are proud to recruit and train students from across the university.  Over the last 3 years, we’ve logged over 12,000 hours of on calls and are now responding to our busiest month yet, attending an astonishing 19 calls in 33 hours on shift. 

CFRs work under a committee of volunteer medical students, in partnership with Yorkshire Ambulance Service to provide rapid, life-saving and holistic pre-hospital care to seriously ill patients in our community. The idea being that CFRs based in the community have scope to reach patients before an ambulance and begin care, whether that’s life-saving CPR or a friendly face and reassurance.

As well as direct work in the community, we devise and run regular CPD simulations from triaging major incidents to extracting casualties from caves. We also run regular community outreach projects alongside the ‘Restart A Heart’ campaign, bringing life-saving CPR training to the general public, this has ranged from open sessions in the centre of Leeds to local Brownie groups. If all of this isn’t enough LSCFR are also responsible for maintaining the public access AED many of you will have spotted outside Hyde Park Picture House!

Our CFRs have developed a bit of a reputation with staff at Yorkshire Ambulance Service for their enthusiasm, knowledge and delivery of high-quality care, but perhaps the real value of our work is heard best through our volunteers. They tell energetically of the wholehearted team efforts to restart hearts and more gently of the cup of tea they shared with the wife of a patient reaching the end of his life. But equally, they speak of the friendships they have developed, the skills they have grown and the fulfilment in serving our community. 

You can keep up to date with us on and maybe even follow along a live shift on our social media channels!
Twitter: @LeedsStudentCFR
Facebook: Leeds Student Community First Responders
Instagram: @leedsstudentCFR

Image: Leeds Student Community First Responders at Yorkshire Ambulance Service HQ for simulation training