About us

Local volunteers, on call for our own community since 2012.

Who we are

We are your neighbours: local volunteers trained in CPR and defibrillation who respond in our own time, in our own cars, unpaid, day and night. When the call comes at three in the morning, it is someone from Rush who gets up.

How it works

1. You ring 112 or 999.
2. The National Ambulance Service dispatches an ambulance and, at the same moment, alerts responders here in Rush.
3. Whoever is closest and free goes straight to you with a defibrillator and emergency equipment.
4. Because we are already in the town, we are often at the door within minutes, well before an ambulance can reach Rush.

We are sent to the emergencies where minutes change everything: cardiac arrest, heart attack, stroke and choking. On average we are called out three times a week.

What we are not

We are not an ambulance and we do not replace one. We do not transport anyone, and we cannot be called directly. What we do is buy time until the ambulance arrives. In a cardiac arrest, survival falls with every minute that passes before CPR and a defibrillator.

No government funding

We receive no government funding. None. Every defibrillator in Rush, every set of pads, every piece of equipment we carry was bought by us, with money raised in this town. When a defibrillator reaches end of life, we replace it ourselves or it does not get replaced.

Training the community

We regularly provide free CPR and defibrillator training to groups and events around Rush. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for the next one, and please do come along. It is worth an hour of anyone's time.