Sierra Golf residents train to beat slow ambulance times with defibrillators and CPR courses

Rural living brings peace, yet it also brings longer waits when hearts suddenly stop. Sierra Golf, a community of around 570 villas near Murcia, now has its own answer: a volunteer first aid group armed with defibrillators and trained neighbours ready to act.

Founders spotted a clear gap

Previous club members launched Sierra Golf First Aid Group in 2017 after noticing how hard and slow emergency vehicles found the urbanisation to get through. Response times caused real worry. Four founding members began the work. Legal hurdles and fundraising took more than two years before the project properly took shape.

By September 2021 the group had raised enough money to buy two automated external defibrillators (AEDs). These AEDs sit at equal points across the urbanisation so help can reach any villa quickly. A third defibrillator and a CPR training dummy arrived more recently as donations.

Volunteers come from many backgrounds

Around ten to twelve residents form the core team, depending on work and holidays. Military, civil service, medical and teaching experience all feature among the members. One recent addition holds full UK First Aid Instructor qualifications and is already shaping continuous training plans.

Spanish law under the Murcian Health Authority normally restricts CPR and AED use to registered people. A Good Samaritan approach still allows ordinary citizens to step in without fear of prosecution when lives are at stake. Group members completed full retraining through FAST, a professional outfit based on the larger Camposol urbanisation that runs 29 responders for more than 5,000 residents.

How the call-out system works

Residents ring a single central number. A VOIP system then cycles through every trained volunteer until someone answers. A private WhatsApp group keeps the whole team linked. Call-outs aim for two responders on scene, with a third waiting at the entrance to guide ambulances straight to the right house.

First aid bags receive regular restocking thanks to local donations. Mobility equipment such as crutches and walking aids also sits ready for community use. Regular fundraising events and Facebook posts keep the service visible.

Why reaction speed matters so much here

Sudden cardiac arrest kills most victims who wait too long for a shock. Survival falls by up to ten per cent with every passing minute. Middle-aged residents living far apart face higher risk, especially during physical activity or in hot weather. Ambulances can struggle to locate the right villa quickly on a spread-out rural site.

Having defibrillators within reach and neighbours trained to use them changes the odds. Early CPR keeps blood moving to the brain while an AED restores a normal rhythm. Together they give patients the best chance until professional crews arrive.

Sierra Golf First Aid Group shows what determined residents can achieve when they refuse to accept long delays as inevitable. Training continues, equipment stays ready, and the community now has a practical safety net that did not exist nine years ago.

Anyone interested in getting involved, contact the group via the Facebook group Sierra Golf Community Group.