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Karen Smithson
Lives near Wroxham
First responder volunteer for NARS and the East of England Ambulance Service, and a full time Project Director at an experiential marketing agency.
What do you do in your role with NARS?
I am a first responder and I joined in July 2018 when we launched the first responder car. We are tasked to life threatening medical emergencies in Norfolk providing medical attention during the vital minutes before an ambulance arrives. I cover as many shifts for NARS as I can, which is around three per month for 6-12 hours per shift.
As a first responder, when we arrive on scene our primary focus is the patient but once support arrives and we become part of a larger team, our role often turns to also the support for their relatives and friends. We can then take the time to look after their loved ones and perhaps help them pack a bag, give them advice on what happens next, how to contact and find the hospital and can also be there to provide a reassuring and comforting presence.
Why do you volunteer for NARS?
I realised a couple of years ago that I didn’t know a great deal about first aid or life-saving skills and I decided it was something really important for my both my own family and those who live around me. This was following having to care for my husband, Phil, who was involved in a serious motorcycle accident in 2012 and some of my friends who live locally suffering cardiac arrest and a stroke, and it really did make me realise how precious and fragile life is.
I decided to look into becoming a Community First Responder by contacting my local CFR Group, Stalham and Smallburgh First Responders. I qualified as a CFR with EEAST in 2017 and have since gone on to complete further qualifications, including becoming a first aider at work for TRO Group and my FREC4. NARS is an amazing charity, which helps people all over Norfolk and it is an essential service. All of the NARS responders are passionate about the work they do and the support we offer.
What are your hobbies?
First responding and my family. I am married with two children, aged 11 and 9 years, who love to cycle and a border collie who loves going for long walks, which is good practice for our walk in January.
Why is this walk, fundraising and raising awareness of NARS so important?
NARS is a charity which people tend not know about until they need it. This needs to change and we need to raise awareness at every opportunity.
The work all the volunteers do in NARS literally saves lives. Volunteering with NARS is really rewarding, and the feeling when you are actually part of a team that saves a life is amazing. Getting feedback from patients and their families with a thank you card or email makes me very proud to be part of such an awe-inspiring organisation.
I’d also like to say what a fantastic gesture the 4x4 car the Potters Friends Foundation donated to is and it will certainly help us to save lives during the winter months.
What are the team at NARS like?
The best! We are all likeminded and motivate and help others and well as each other, and NARS is our passion. We all know that however difficult the job we are sent to, there is always someone at the end of the phone to listen.
