Friday 9th August 2013 – 12.30pm – Claire Brown.
A leading boiler manufacturer is helping to ease 999 pressures thanks to a generous donation to volunteer life savers in the Black Country.
Baxi Commercial, based in Birmingham, has a very unique employee who sells commercial heating and hot water solutions by day and responds to 999 calls to save lives by night.
Mark Gibbons, Baxi Commercial Northern Regional Sales Manager, gives up his spare time to be a Community First Responder (CFR) for Fastaid Black Country. CFRs are members of the public who have been trained by West Midlands Ambulance Service to a nationally recognised level and provide lifesaving treatment to people who dial 999 in their local communities. They provide vital first aid quickly to those living nearby, prior to the arrival of an emergency ambulance service vehicle.
Impressed by Mark’s dedication to the cause, Baxi Commercial has decided to support Fastaid Black Country as their chosen charity this year with a £3,000 donation.
Mark, who has been a volunteer life saver for 2 ½ years said: “This is fantastic news for Fastaid and will help us with the purchase of a dedicated response car and telephony for the CFRs. We’re extremely grateful to Baxi Commercial for this generous donation, thank you.”
Carol Waite, Fastaid Black Country Chair and CFR for 4 years, said: “Being a CFR has made me extremely thankful for what I have because when you respond to 999 calls you see some sorry sights. It’s so rewarding to give something back to the community and, with donations such as this it really does help to keep us going.”
Emma Wilkins, the Trust’s Black Country Community Response Manager said: “It’s great to see a large organisation such as Baxi Commercial striking up a supportive relationships with such a valuable community charity. Not only does it help to further boost public awareness about the role of Fastaid CFRs, it also gives the charity the security to keep their invaluable life-saving work going.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Photograph 1 – pictured front row (left to right): Fastaid Black Country CFR and Chair Carol Waite, WMAS Community Response Manager Emma Wilkins, CFR Julie Enbury and Mark Gibbons. Back row: Baxi Commercial’s Sales Director Gavin Watson and Finance Director Roger Purchase holding the £3,000 cheque for Fastaid.
- Fastaid Black Country has 64 active Community First Responders and responded to 211 999 calls in July.
- Baxi Commercial, based in Birmingham, is the single source supplier of high efficiency, low carbon commercial heating and hot water solutions through its market leading brands, Andrews Water Heaters, Baxi-SenerTec and Potterton Commercial.