Shankill/Ballybrack Community First Responders (CFR) are a group of volunteers who are trained to attend certain types of emergency calls in our local area. CFR groups who are linked to the NAS National Emergency Operations Centre are alerted and respond to emergencies in their area within minutes of a 112/999 call being received.

Our group was established in 2016 with the aim to assist people in our community who are suffering from potential life threatening emergencies such as Heart Attack, Stroke, Choking and Cardiac Arrest. Our role is to help stabilise the patient and provide the appropriate care including defibrillation. Our responders aim to arrive in the first vital minutes of an event, sometimes before an ambulance arrives providing the quickest possible treatment for the patient. 

In order to provide best possible outcome for our patients we have three main aims:

1. Increase our communities Knowledge/Awareness of certain medical emergencies,
2. Install Public Access Defibrillators around the community in strategic areas,
3. Train and implement a group of local volunteers as Community First Responders

Our volunteer group has been funded by donations received from the public, local business's, and grants from the county council and national lottery.