Published:Wednesday | February 17, 2016

Jamaica National (JN) Foundation launched its First Responders Programme at Cardiff Hotel in Runaway Bay, St Ann, with the certification and installation of the first cohort of 14 volunteers in the field.

The First Responder Programme aims to equip community volunteers residing in rural crash prone areas to respond and provide emergency pre-hospital care for crash victims.

The programme, conceptualised by JN Foundation and the Jamaica Automobile Association (JAA), has as its main objective, minimising loss of lives among crash victims, has received support from Jamaica Constabulary Force, Jamaica Fire Brigade, Action for Road safety and St John Ambulance, which trained the volunteers.

General manager, JN Foundation, Saffrey Brown said the pilot project is in response to the continuing high number of fatalities caused by road crashes every year. She said JN Foundation and JAA sought to develop an intervention to reduce fatalities and after consultation with Mona GeoInformatics Institute and Dr Parris Lyew Ayee, it was felt the most beneficial corridor to pilot the project would be from St Ann’s Bay to Discovery Bay.

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