Emergency Response
Our volunteers are everyday people, doing extraordinary things. We create a localised response to medical emergencies in and around Rossendale.
We’re also actively looking for new CFRs to join the team. Why not give it a try?
Training
We deliver world-class Basic Life Support (BLS) training for free! If you’re a community group, school, or event leader – get in touch!
Volunteering
Everyone on the team are volunteers and give up their time to respond in the valley. Although it’s never a requirement, we would really appreciate any donations to fund better equipment or uniforms for the team.
Fundraisers
We regularly team up with Community Defibs for Rossendale (CDfR) to deliver lifesaving training to members of the community. Do you have an event coming up that we could attend?
We’d love to be there!
Defibrillator Network
Rawtenstall was the first location in the North West to receive a community defibrillator, now Rossendale has over 90 of these life savers, which we regularly check and maintain to ensure they are working when that call to 999 is made.
Our History
Team Rossendale has been actively responding to medical emergencies for over 20 years! We overcome any challenges that cross our path and we’re still going strong to this day.
Christmas 2025 & New Year 2026 Message
Christmas 2025 & New Year 2026 we’ll be here ready to respond – find out more about our Christmas message by clicking the bauble or CLICK HERE
Heart to Heart Support
Supporting those who have witnessed a Cardiac Arrest or been involved in carrying out lifesaving CPR – For more details click on the logo, or here.
CFR Zone
Access Zone for our CFR Team
News and Events
Check out some of our most recent news stories below, or click here to visit our News tab.
To see which upcoming Public Events we are attending visit our Events Hub.
Christmas Tombola is a winner!
Sunday 7th December and the team were at the Helmshore Christmas Farmers Market for the…
Santa comes to Rawtenstall and meets CFR’s
Friday November 28th saw the switch on of Rawtenstall’s Christmas lights by the Mayor &…
NWAS 2025 CFR Conference and Long-Service Celebration
On Friday 7th November, NWAS hosted its 2025 Community First Responder (CFR) Conference at the…
Our Volunteers
For our full list of our amazing volunteers, click here.
David Chatburn
Duty Team Leader / CFR
Kelvin Rice
Duty Team Leader / ECFR
Dawn Taylor
External Events & Training Co-ordinator
Dean Hebden
Training Manager / ECFR
What is a Community First Responder?
Simon explains – click the video below
Why do we do this?
Community Defibrillators for Rossendale (CDfR)
Learn More About Our Sister Organisation: Community Defibs for Rossendale at their Microsite
We’re proud to work closely with our sister organisation, Community Defibs for Rossendale — a dedicated local initiative focused on increasing access to lifesaving defibrillators (CPADs) across the Rossendale Valley. Together, we run joint training sessions for individuals, community groups, and organisations — all designed to build confidence and skills in emergency response, for the benefit of everyone in the Valley. You can also learn more about: What CPADs are and how they save lives, How you or your organisation can assist with fundraising & Ways to donate and support our ongoing efforts
Your support helps us keep the people of Rossendale safer, stronger, and more prepared.
Testimonials
We deliver top class training catered for our audience, don’t just take our word for it, have a look at some of the feedback we get!
I recently attended a CPR and Defibrillator training session in Bacup. The event was relaxed, informal and packed with really useful information. Getting hands on with the Defibrillator in a training environment gives me confidence in using one in a real life situation. An invaluable experience.
Stefan K
“The team were so helpful and explained everything clearly. Learning how to use a defibrillator was incredibly useful – I feel I could help in an emergency if I ever needed to.”
Anonymous
“It was excellent to have such a practical, hands-on session. The First Responders were friendly and encouraging, making it easy for everyone to take part and learn with confidence.”