Mrs. Iris Robinson:   To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many trained first responders there are in each district council area in the Province. [49318]

Mr. Woodward: Information on the number and distribution of trained first responders is not held centrally. However, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) is aware of the schemes set out in the following table. This should not be regarded as a comprehensive list of first responders.
Scheme    Location    Council    Number of volunteers
Public Access Defibrillation (PAD)                North & West Belfast    270 Lay people
Antrim                        130 Lay people    24 PSNI
Ballymena                    155 Lay people    35 PSNI
Magherafelt                    85 Lay people    23 PSNI
(Volunteers in this scheme are cardiac defibrillation trained responders and not fully trained first responders in the recognised meaning of the phrase.)

St. John Neighbourhood Responder Scheme  Islandmagee                31 Lay people

Lifesavers West                                        Newtownbutler & Roslea  24 Lay people
Gortin and Plumbridge   10 Lay people
Park and Claudy            20 Lay people

There are approximately 300 volunteers trained in the use of automated external defibrillators by the Cormac McAnallen Trust in the West of the Province. It is understood that this group provide their services at local sporting venues.

(Hansard, 7 February 2006)

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