To provide more staff with essential life saving skills, East Midlands Railway has partnered up with Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

The scheme, which provides the training, began in November 2023, and now three more station staff at Sheffield station have completed the First Responder course.

The course trains staff to carry out cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), administer oxygen and operate a defibrillator.

The total number of staff fully trained is now six, with another three due to begin their training next month.

The training allows trained staff to aid those in a medical emergency until an ambulance arrives.

The training also provides these staff with the capability to monitor blood pressure, pulse rates and blood sugar, to accurately inform ambulance responders, which is proven to improve patient outcomes.

Sheffield station is readily equipped with a defibrillator and oxygen supplies, and East Midlands Railway wants to continue strengthening its emergency response capability.

“We’re delighted to see the extension of the EMR scheme with additional colleagues now trained up as First Responders in such a busy station.

“First Responders make an extremely valuable contribution in this work setting, and passengers using Sheffield station have the added benefit of them being on site.

“We know that in many medical emergencies, such as a heart attack or a collapse, the first few minutes are critical. If effective treatment can be given within that initial time period, lives can be saved.”

James Marshall, Community Defibrillation Trainer with Yorkshire Ambulance Service