The first ambulance service volunteer Community Responder team for Abingdon went "live" this week -- thanks to the generosity of local charitable organisations.

A defibrillator -- an electronic device used to establish a normal heartbeat after a patient has suffered a heart attack -- was presented at the Long Furlong Community Centre in Abingdon on Monday by members of the Wahnerheide Lodge of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, known as the 'Buffs'.

Last month Abingdon Rotarians presented a cheque to the ambulance service for the purchase of a similar machine.

The Community Responder teams were launched three years ago throughout the county to improve the speed and availability of the emergency service.

So far 150 people have been recruited and the aim is to double that figure in the next 12 months. The scheme has the potential to reach high-priority emergency calls in under six minutes.

A patient suffering severe trauma, chest pains, or with breathing difficulties, could already be receiving aid from the trained Community Responder before an ambulance arrives.

The responder scheme, funded by the Lottery and other donations, does not replace the ambulance service that will always respond to emergency calls.

The Buffs raised £750 and received a grant of £470 from the British Heart Foundation towards the £1,000 cost of the defibrillator. With the surplus, the Buffs bought a bag and extra equipment.

The secretary of the Wahnerheide Lodge, Steve Hutchings, said: "The defibrillator is a vital piece of equipment that the responders need if they are to be effective."

The first two responders, retired policeman Dave Wood and bankworker Nigel Millward, are now ready to start. Another person is being trained.

Dick Tracey, the community defibrillator officer, said: "If someone suffers a cardiac arrest then minutes and even seconds are vital, so lives can be saved if a responder is able to get there before an ambulance arrives."

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer Community Responder can get in touch with Mr Tracey on 07967017169.