A VOLUNTEER who supports frontline health service staff in lifesaving emergencies has picked up an award from the North East Ambulance Service.

Ian Garrett is one of around 75 community first responders who, last year, volunteered nearly 26,000 hours and attended to 1,269 patients across the region.

Mr Garrett, from Durham, has been a volunteered for the NEAS Trust for 18 years– giving more than 12,000 hours and attending to 1,000 patients in that time.

An incident that stands out for him is when a patient suffered a cardiac arrest at Durham University and, being first on scene, he provided crucial lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to save the patient’s life before the ambulance crew and air ambulance arrived.

He said: “On arrival there was a member of the public giving CPR to the patient and they had even got a hold of an automatic external defibrillator (AED). I then started resuscitating the patient until the rest of the crew arrived.

“CFR’s are valuable and it just takes a job like this to keep us motivated to realise that the training we do is worthwhile. I am grateful to be a CFR and to be able to help patients in their time of need.

“I believe early CPR is one of the most important roles we carry out; to have the ability to help train and make members of the public aware of the importance of CPR and AED use. This will over time help our local community and will give people a better chance of survival. I am very proud to be part of a great NEAS CFR team and family.”

Ian contacted the University after the incident and they have decided to list all 20 AED’s they have around the campus so they can be accessed by the public.

He received ‘above and beyond recognition’ from the NEAS Trust its annual volunteer awards ceremony held at the Emirates Riverside, Chester-le-Street, earlier this month.

NEAS acting chief operating officer Victoria Court said the Trust values the support of all volunteers, who are instrumental in the service.