It is hoped that in the event of an emergency on campus, such as a heart attack, from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, one of the five new members and the 22 existing members of the First Responders Group will be able to be first on the scene.

First Responders certificates have been awarded to Veronyca Bates-Hughes, Secretarial Assistant in the Biological Sciences Department; Dan Cunningham, Technician in the Sports Science Department; Owen Morgan, President of the Students’ Union; and Physics undergraduate student Anthony Williams. Christine Williams, Events Coordinator in the Computer Science Department, also qualified but was unable to attend the presentation ceremony.

The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust has trained the volunteers to use defibrillators and oxygen supplies located at key points around the campus, which is used by around 2,500 members of staff and 12,000 students, as well as visitors and members of the public.

Steve Roberts of South Wales Ambulance Service, who presented the certificates, said: "Specialist training for members of the public in basic life support skills can and does save lives. The ambulance might only be a short distance away, but that may still be too long in the sense of not doing anything."

Coordinator of the First Responders scheme at Swansea University, Jeremy Collins, who is the University's Library and Information Services Facilities Manager, added: "We are delighted with the response from staff and students to the scheme, and we are very proud of the five new volunteers who have qualified with the scheme this month."

For further information on the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, please visit their website, and for information on the First Responders scheme at Swansea University, visit the scheme's website.