Community First Responder [CFR]

A volunteer, often with first aid or emergency medical training, who is dispatched by the ambulance service to respond to cardiac arrests and other life-threatening emergencies in their local community — typically arriving before the ambulance. Community first responders are registered with and supported by their local NHS ambulance trust. They carry a defibrillator and are trained in CPR. Their presence in rural and semi-rural areas, where ambulance response times may be longer, can be particularly significant for cardiac arrest survival.