Nine members of the shopping centre staff, including security officers and management personnel, have been trained by South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust (SCAS), and have successfully completed a Basic Life Support and AED course. The main difference in their level of training as opposed to basic first aid is that they have been trained in the use of special equipment, such as a defibrillator and oxygen sets, which are kept on the shopping mall in readiness when needed.

This means that whilst an ambulance is on its way to the centre, patients are given immediate attention. The training includes how to deal with people who are unconscious or suffering respiratory or circulation problems as well as other medical emergencies. The responders have also been trained in patient assessment so that valuable time is saved when the ambulance arrives.

The responders work closely with a team of SCAS responders who patrol the centre of Aylesbury on mountain bikes and, to help their work, an office has been provided in Friars Square. The scheme was launched in time for the 2007 Christmas shopping season and has proven to be extremely successful. Whilst SCAS provide some basic supplies and all the training, including a six-monthly refresher course, the major equipment has been donated by Apple Security, the company that holds the contract for providing security officers in Friars Square.

The team responds to emergencies in two ways: if a security officer notices someone in difficulty, or they are seen by the shopping centre CCTV operator, staff community responders are alerted and attend the scene. Friars Square security control then notifies SCAS emergency operations control so that an ambulance can be sent. Alternatively, if a member of the public dials 999, the emergency operations control will not only send an ambulance but also alert Friars Square so that their staff community responder can attend immediately. This facility covers most of the centre of Aylesbury, including the rail station, bus station and surrounding shopping streets and car parks.

Speaking about the scheme, Paul Kirkham, Friars Square security manager said:

"All of our security officers must have a basic knowledge of first aid to qualify to work here. However, with a reasonable frequency of visitors to the centre suffering medical problems, we considered that it would be useful to equip our staff with much more than the basic skills. This means that our customers, possibly without being aware of the fact, have a level of protection in Friars Square, which, as far as I am aware, is not matched anywhere else. Fortunately the type of incident that occurs is usually relatively minor, but even a fall and broken arm can ruin a day out shopping, let alone a suspected heart attack! So this is a winning situation for everyone: the public get immediate treatment if needed; the ambulance paramedics have an initial assessment done for when they arrive; and the centre of Aylesbury is a much safer environment in which to shop".