Community Cardiac Responders

Our Community Cardiac Responders play an important part in the Chain of Survival. They attend Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) calls on behalf of the Scottish Ambulance Service as a first response to provide life-saving CPR and Defibrillation.

Cardiac Responders do not replace Emergency Ambulance Crews, instead they complement the existing response provided and help communities build up a strong resilience network for dealing with Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Calls.

Training

The Scottish Ambulance Service Community Resilience Team will provide all the skills and knowledge you need to become a confident Cardiac Responder through a one-day training course.
During the course our Cardiac Responders gain both the practical and theoretical knowledge and skills required to respond in their community.

Maintaining up-to-date knowledge and skills is essential, which is why all our Cardiac Responders are required to complete an annual refresher to ensure continued readiness and competence.

Becoming a Community Cardiac Responder

To become a volunteer Cardiac Responder, you must be:

• at least 18 years old
• have a full driving license with a maximum of three penalty points
• able to demonstrate and maintain a level of fitness to meet the role
• an effective communicator with good interpersonal skills
• work under pressure, yet stay calm
• able to respond without delay to incidents
• complete a criminal records check (Enhanced Disclosure Scotland check)
• there are no formal requirements for previous experience or training as this will be provided
• you must demonstrate a willingness to make a positive difference in your community

If you are interested in becoming a Community Cardiac Responder, please e-mail sas.wildcat@nhs.scot to request an application.

Please note we are currently only recruiting for CCRs in Grampian and Dumfries and Galloway regions.