Braintree Community First Responders

16/10/2026

❤️ RESTART A HEART DAY | Be ResusReady ❤️

Today is Restart a Heart Day — a great reminder that we can all play a part in saving a life.

As Braintree Community First Responders, we want to encourage everyone to become . That means knowing how to recognise a cardiac arrest, call for help and start CPR, and having the confidence to act when someone needs you.

A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere. In those crucial first few minutes, the actions of people nearby can make a real difference.

🔗 THE CHAIN OF SURVIVAL

Every link matters. The Chain of Survival shows four key stages that work together to give someone the best possible chance of survival.

❤️ 1. Early recognition & call for help

Recognise the signs of cardiac arrest. If someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally, call 999 immediately, put your phone on speaker and follow the call handler’s instructions. Early recognition and calling for help are vital.

🙌 2. Early CPR & defibrillation — Preserve brain & restart the heart

Start CPR as soon as possible, pushing hard and fast in the centre of the chest. The call handler will ask if someone is able to fetch an AED (defibrillator) and advise of the nearest available. When it arrives, switch it on and follow its instructions, continuing CPR as directed. Early CPR and defibrillation can make a life-saving difference.

🚑 3. Advanced & post-resuscitation care — Optimise brain & heart function

When Ambulance crews and pre-hospital teams arrive they provide advanced treatment and care during and after resuscitation, helping to support the person’s recovery.

❤️ 4. Survival & recovery — Restore quality of life

Surviving cardiac arrest is about more than getting the heart restarted. Ongoing care and rehabilitation can play an important role in recovery and quality of life.

Every action counts. Every link matters. You don’t need to be a medical professional to make a difference. Call 999, follow the call handler’s instructions and act as quickly as you can.

🏃‍♀️ COME AND SEE US TOMORROW!

We’ll be at Great Notley parkrun from 08:30, supporting the Restart a Heart campaign. Come and have a go at CPR, learn how to use an AED, see the equipment we use and have a chat with our team. Whether you’ve never tried CPR before or simply want to refresh your knowledge, we’d love to see you!

📍 Great Notley Country Park
🕣 From 08:30

📚 WANT TO BECOME ResusReady?

Resuscitation Council UK has free resources to help you learn CPR and build your confidence.

👉 Learn more about Restart a Heart and access the resources:
https://www.resus.org.uk/get-involved/restart-heart-day

❤️ Learn CPR. Act fast. Save lives.

Please share this post and help us spread the word. You never know when someone might need you.



Great Notley parkrun
Resuscitation Council UK
East of England Ambulance Service Charity
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust

15/10/2026

We’ll be at Great Notley parkrun this Saturday as part of the Resuscitation Council UK Restart a Heart campaign, to help spread the word about the importance of CPR and knowing how to use an AED (defibrillator).

🙌 Come along and have a go at CPR, learn how to use an AED, get hands-on with the equipment and have a chat with our team!
You don’t need any previous experience, we’ll show you the basics and help you feel more confident about what to do if someone suffers a cardiac arrest.

❤️ You never know when these skills could help save a life. Come and say hello, ask questions and give it a try!

📍 Great Notley parkrun, Great Notley Country Park

📅 This Saturday from 08:30
We look forward to seeing you there! 👋


East of England Ambulance Service Charity East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust

15/10/2026

We’ll be at Great Notley parkrun this Saturday as part of the Resuscitation Council UK Restart a Heart campaign, to help spread the word about the importance of CPR and knowing how to use an AED (defibrillator).

🙌 Come along and have a go at CPR, learn how to use an AED, get hands-on with the equipment and have a chat with our team!

You don’t need any previous experience, we’ll show you the basics and help you feel more confident about what to do if someone suffers a cardiac arrest.

❤️ You never know when these skills could help save a life. Come and say hello, ask questions and give it a try!

📍 Great Notley parkrun
📅 This Saturday

We look forward to seeing you there! 👋


East of England Ambulance Service Charity East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust

parkrunner Stuart Hammond from the Braintree Community First Responders (part of theEast of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust) will be coming to Great Notley parkrun on Saturday to support the "Restart-a-Heart" national initiative that will be happening this weekend. Whilst this isn't a First Aid course this is an opportunity to learn the very basics with a Resusi-Annie and an AED.

We're also looking for some Timekeepers, someone to hand out Finish Tokens and a Funnel Manager if anyone can help out!

26/09/2026

🚒🚑 What a brilliant day at Coggeshall Fire Station! 🚑🚒

Louise and Callum had a great time at today’s Open Day - and we’re not sure who had more fun, us or the visitors! 😄

There was lots to see and do, with a great atmosphere and lots of people coming along to enjoy the day. It was lovely chatting to so many of you, talking about what Community First Responders do and sharing a few lifesaving skills along the way. ❤️

A big thank you to Coggeshall Fire Station for having us, and to everyone who stopped by to say hello, ask questions and get involved.

Days like today are what being part of the community is all about. 💚🚑🚒

East of England Ambulance Service Charity

21/09/2026

We will be there teaching CPR and AED use

Coggeshall Fire Station Open Day this Saturday 26 September 🚒

Come along to our fire station open day! Have a look around our fire station, fire engine and equipment.

There will be plenty of activities for all ages 🙌

Open from 10am until 3pm

09/09/2026

💚🚑 999 Day – Emergency Services Day 🚒🚓

Today we’re proud to recognise 999 Day and everyone who plays a part in helping people when they need it most.

From the call handlers who answer that first 999 call, through to our ambulance crews, police, fire and rescue, coastguard, NHS colleagues and the many volunteers working alongside them – thank you for everything you do. 💙

We’re incredibly proud to play our small part as Community First Responders, volunteering within our local communities and responding alongside our ambulance service.

For us, being a CFR is about being there when it matters – providing lifesaving intervention, offering reassurance and support, or recognising when someone needs more help and calling for urgent backup – but always doing what we can until further help arrives.

Today we recognise everyone behind 999 – those on the frontline, those behind the scenes and all those who give their time to support their communities.

Happy 999 Day and thank you to the whole emergency services family. 💚💙


East of England Ambulance Service Charity

05/09/2026

❤️ Could you save a life? ❤️

We’re all set up at Kelvedon Institute – Small Hall today!

Come along, say hello to your local Community First Responders and have a go at some emergency lifesaving skills.

❤️ Practise CPR
⚡ Learn how to use a defibrillator
🚑 Pick up simple skills that could make a huge difference in an emergency
🙋 Ask us anything about becoming a Community First Responder

Sometimes a few minutes and a little bit of knowledge really can make all the difference.

📍 Kelvedon Institute – Small Hall; 11:00-16:00

Come and find us! 🚑❤️


East of England Ambulance Service Charity
NHS

09/08/2026

💚 A huge thank you! 💚

Just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who has donated to our JustGiving page.

Every donation, no matter the amount, genuinely makes a difference and helps us continue supporting our local community when people need us most 🚑💚

We’re incredibly grateful for your kindness and support - it really does mean a lot to the whole team.

Thank you for backing your local Community First Responders! 🙏

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/braintree-community-first-responders?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

Help Braintree Community First Responders raise money to support East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust Charitable Fund

31/07/2026

Can You Help Your Community First Responders? 🚑

We're looking for some secure storage at our local ambulance station so we can safely store our Community First Responder equipment between shifts.

We're hoping to source a 4-sided lockable roll cage with a shelf, similar to the one pictured. It must be clean, fully functional and free from rust, as it will be used to store essential medical equipment.

If you or your business has one that you would be willing to donate, we'd be incredibly grateful.

Alternatively, if anyone would like to sponsor the purchase of a new one, we have received a quote of £263 delivered.

Every penny and every share helps us continue supporting our local community and responding to medical emergencies when we're needed most.

If you can help in any way, or know someone who might be able to, please comment below or send us a private message.

Thank you for your continued support – it really does make a difference. ❤️🚑

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/braintree-community-first-responders?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

22/06/2026

🚨 A Red Heat Health Alert is in place across the East of England this week as temperatures are set to rise.

Hot weather can have serious impacts on anyone’s health and we often see increased demand on our services during these periods, including cases of dehydration, heat exhaustion and breathing difficulties.

To help keep yourself and others safe during the heatwave: 💧 Drink plenty of fluids

🌤️ Avoid the sun during the hottest part of the day (11am–3pm)
🧴 Wear sunscreen and wear appropriate clothing
👵 Check on elderly relatives, neighbours and those most at risk

We’re asking everyone to play their part — please only call 999 in a life-threatening emergency. For urgent but non-emergency care, use NHS 111 online or by phone, or speak to a local pharmacist.

✅ Taking these simple steps can help keep you safe and ensure our crews are available for those who need them most.

The Red Heat Health Alert is currently in place from 1am on Wednesday 24 June until 11pm on Thursday 25 June.