Inspector J P Le Breton is a Police Co-responder who has been deploying to life-threatening emergency calls when activated by the St John Ambulance & Rescue Service. He said:  “when the idea of introducing police co-responders was first discussed, I was fully behind the concept.

Co-Responder JP Le BretonIt made absolute sense and makes good use of existing skills within the Police Force.

On a personal level, my dad suffered a heart attack several years ago.   On the journey to hospital he suffered a cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated by the use of a defibrillator. Fortunately for him he survived and has made a full recovery! This just proves how important the chain of survival is and how early intervention can save lives.

I now receive a text on my mobile for all life threatening calls or a message on the radio that I carry and, if I am nearby, I will respond and see if I can help.  I carry a defibrillator, oxygen, pocket mask, airways, aspirator, tourniquet and some wound dressings.

I enjoy working alongside the Paramedics and EMTs and have a great amount of respect for them. We, the public, tend to forget how important a good Ambulance Service is until we need it!

I have responded to a number of calls, the most rewarding of which was when a colleague and I responded to a cardiac arrest in Guernsey’s main town of St Peter Port. We had to carry out full resuscitation and deliver shocks with a defibrillator before the Ambulance arrived! The patient went on to make a full recovery and I met with him recently, proving the worth of this important scheme.”

Posted: June 2, 2014