The Seaford Community Responders started up two years ago and has steadily grown in that time.

Tom Pullen, co co-ordinator of the organisation, said, "It was quite a slow start at the beginning and not very well organised.

"Then 18 months or so again there was a big recruitment drive and the response was massive and we now have around 10 to 11 volunteers."

Anyone can join the organisation regardless of experience as they are given training by the ambulance service.

Everyone is given a kit which consists of a defibrillator, bag, t-shirt, fleece, hi-visibility jacket and mobile phone and each responder carries identification.

They are still in need of more defibrillators for some of the responders and it is hoped they can purchase new equipment soon.

The group is taking part in yearly refresher training to requalify and currently meets once a month for a training session to build their skills.

As well as attending emergencies, they also give talks to community groups to promote the organisation and explain what they do. They have also attended Barn Theatre during performances as back-up in case anyone needs their services.

Sue Haren joined after hearing about community responders in the paper. She said, "Personally I really like doing it and it's nice to help somebody in the community you live in and give something back to the town."

The volunteers work on a rota basis and are hoping in the future to provide 24/7 cover which will aid them in going from a silver scheme to a gold one.

The range of incidents the team covers can vary from someone having a cut on their leg to a person suffering a cardiac arrest.

If there is an incident the responder is contacted by the ambulance control room via text message and it is up to them to determine whether to respond to the job.

Tom, who is also a senior lifeguard, said, "We get sent the address, the problem and the incident number.

"It's quite a new system. It used to be that someone would call on the phone and verbally give the information and you would have to write it down. Since the text system the calls have risen dramatically. "It's a lot faster."

They focus on incidents where people have had a medical collapse, breathing problems or allergic reactions.

They then attend the scene and aid the patient, whether it's carrying out CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) or dressing a wound while waiting for the paramedics to arrive.

A lot of the time part of their job can involve trying to keep people calm while they wait for assistance.

Sue recalls one incident when she was off-duty. She said "I just happened to be in the street and some guy went down behind me and I went straight over to him. Somebody rang the ambulance service and I had no kit but another responder turned up and did everything we normally do and then the ambulance guys arrived.

"I think it's nice for people that were initially there for someone to come in and take control.

"By the end of it we had the patient smiling."

Some jobs are more life-threatening. Earlier this year, Tom had to deal with a situation where someone had been run over by a forklift truck and his first ever job involved tending to two boys at Splash Point who had been 'tombstoning' - a dangerous trend of jumping from piers and rocks into unknown sea depths and hazards.

One of the boys had a nasty gash on his leg while the other had fainted and hit his head, knocking him unconscious.

Sadly there have been some casualties that could not be saved but Tom, who has just finished his first year on a paramedic degree, said it's the positive response from the community that keeps them going.

The community responders are also looking into news ways of raising money as one of their future goals is to buy a vehicle which would not only be beneficial for their role but help promote them within Seaford.

Emma Sallows is a responder who has just started a paramedic degree. She said, "The degree is great. I have a family to juggle and it's going to be hard but it's what I have always wanted to do.

"A lot of people want to give something back to the community. I think my experience as a responder has helped me greatly to get a place on the course.

"I feel it's a valuable experience."

Tom added, "I think the thing I like most about being involved is people fundraising for us and giving us support because it goes straight back into the community.

"If you're supporting some organisations it could be that it's something you don't ever experience or benefit from but this is Seaford residents supporting a Seaford group.

"It's something that one day they may need to use, they may need our services to help save their lives."