A TOWN'S residents are to benefit from the lifesaving skills of ten volunteers.

The First Responder scheme, which will be launched in Middleham today, has trained the volunteers in emergency medical techniques.

They have been provided with a defibrillator, oxygen and a first-aid bag to provide treatment prior to the arrival of an ambulance.

One of the volunteers, Tony Verbeken, proprietor of the Black Swan pub, said: "Through no fault of their own, the ambulance response time could be as much as 45 minutes away from here.

"You increase the chances of a person's survival if somebody gets to them in the first ten minutes.

"It's a very close community here and everybody helps each other.

"I run a business here and it seemed logical to give something back."

The scheme is run in partnership with the Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service (Tenyas).

Volunteers will be on call between 6pm and 8am on weekdays and 24 hours-a-day at weekends and bank holidays.

Tenyas also has First Responder schemes in Redmire and Carperby, with six new volunteers about to begin their training.

Pete Shaw, the First Responder scheme leader for Tenyas, said: "The volunteers have been a pleasure to teach and will be a great asset to the dales.

"The commitment from the people of Lower Wensleydale has been fantastic.

"My hope is that we will eventually get enough volunteers to enable the schemes to operate 24-hours -a-day."

Other volunteers in Middleham who have completed the four-month First Person On Scene training programme are: Christine Holland, the scheme co-ordinator; playschool leader Alexandra Adams; nurse Carol West and her husband, Garry, who works in the restaurant trade; site supervisor John Jacobs, playschool leader Karen Southgate; nurse Elizabeth Tredwell and her husband, Neil, who works for children's charity Barnardo's; and Nicola Topper, who works at a racing stables.

The scheme will be officially launched at the Key Centre at 7pm.

Today's event will be attended by the chief executive of Tenyas, Jayne Barnes, Tenyas chairman Nick Varey, Sue Young, chairwoman of Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust, and Chris Long, the chief executive of the trust.