Firefighters across Scotland dealt with more than 500 bonfires on busiest night of the year
Initial figures indicate that Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) crews responded to approximately 511 bonfires across the country between 3.30pm and 11.30pm on Thursday, November 5.
Meanwhile Operations Control handled more than 1100 calls from members of the public.
There were also 12 reported attacks on crews, however no injuries have been reported.
With public events cancelled amid continuing Covid-19 restrictions, the SFRS had appealed to the public to be aware of the dangers of both fireworks and deliberate fire-setting and to also consider the impact of their actions on communities and emergency services.
Assistant Chief Officer Stuart Stevens is the SFRS Director of Service Delivery. He said: “Bonfire Night is traditionally one of our busiest night of the year. Our frontline crews and Operations Control personnel and support staff have shown extreme dedication over this period and I would like to pay tribute to their professionalism and resilience.
“I must also thank our partners and indeed communities across Scotland for their continuing support.”
Libby Logan is the SFRS Area Commander for Operations Control. She said: “This was a busy and challenging evening, but I would like to praise our Operations Control staff who have once again worked tirelessly to ensure we respond to those who need us the most.
“Their dedication has allowed us to meet this challenge and continue to protect communities throughout Bonfire Night.”
Condemning attacks on emergency service workers, Assistant Chief Officer Stevens added: “Attacks on emergency service workers are completely unacceptable.
“This type of behaviour not only prevents our crews from bringing any emergency to a safe and swift conclusion, but it can impact on our emergency service colleagues including the police when they must escort us at the scene.
“This type of behaviour is, of course, carried out by a very small minority and we once again thank our communities for their continuing support and working together with us to stay safe.”
Police Scotland is supporting local communities across the country with a range of specialist resources to keep people safe around Bonfire Night.
Operation Moonbeam was launched in 2018 in reponse to high levels of public disorder and violence witnessed during the same period a year earlier.
This resulted in lower levels of disorder in 2018 and 2019 and similar resources will be in place this year to reassure communities and tackle criminal activity.
A number of specially-trained officers will be deployable within the North, West and East of Scotland to support local officers during this busy period.
With organised bonfire events cancelled across Scotland in light of the coronavirus pandemic, anyone planning their own garden bonfire is urged to be considerate towards neighbours and pets when setting off fireworks.
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs, Gold Commander for Operation Moonbeam, said: “Typically, the Bonfire Night weekend, and surrounding days, are extremely busy for police and other emergency services.
“While the cancellation of public bonfire displays and the coronovirus restrictions in place is likely to result in a slight reduction in the number of people out and about, we cannot be complacent in terms of preserving public safety.
“Divisional Commanders will be given significant levels of specialist resource, including public order trained officers, to supplement their local policing teams and help them address any issues that arise.
“The police alone cannot tackle anti-social behaviour and bonfire-related disorder. We are once again taking a tri-service approach with the other emergency services, aimed at not only responding successfully to reports of criminality, but preventing them in the first instance.
“We have been engaging with young people extensively through our school inputs to highlight the risks associated with reckless behaviour involving fireworks and of course, alcohol.
“Parents and guardians of young people also have a vital role to play and I would ask you all have very frank conversations with those in your care about the risks of getting involved in violence and disorder.
“Let me be clear, any behaviour that puts our communities at risk, or endangers the safety of our officers and other emergency service personnel, will not be tolerated.
“The Chief Constable has made it clear that we are asking people to take personal responsibility to do the right thing to aid the collective effort of staying safe, protecting others and saving lives by preventing the virus from spreading.
“While the vast majority of communities across Scotland are co-operating with the existing restrictions, a small number are still intent on hosting or participating in parties and gatherings with other households.
“These are not confined to certain age groups and people should not be in any doubt that house gatherings allow the virus to spread. Where we encounter wilful, repeated, persistent or flagrant breaches we will, as the public would expect and support, act decisively to enforce the law.”
Deputy Assistant Chief Officer (DACO) Alasdair Perry is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Head of Prevention and Protection. He said: “First and foremost we would urge all of our communities to follow advice and guidelines around social distancing to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
“With many public events cancelled due to COVID-19, we know people may consider hosting their own firework events.
“But we want to highlight that the private use of fireworks can be dangerous- and that children are particularly at risk.
“We are therefore strongly encouraging anyone who does wish to host a private event to reduce the risk by ensuring to familiarise themselves with our fireworks code and fire safety guidance. Do not take risks because the consequences can be devastating.
“This is already a traditionally busy period of the year for ourselves and our partners and it is very important that we maintain an ability to respond to other emergencies.
“We know it’s a very small minority of people who engage in anti-social behaviour, but there’s no question it can impact on our firefighters and Operations Control colleagues as well as our partners.
“A deliberate fire can also put property, resources and indeed lives at risk so it goes without saying that we will always take a zero-tolerance approach to fire-setting and attacks on our crews.”
“For more information visit our fireworks safety page: https://www.firescotland.gov.uk/your-safety/fireworks-safety.aspx”
Community Safety Minister Ash Denham added: “Halloween and Bonfire Night this year are going to feel very different and at this usual time for celebration I urge everyone to follow the rules on meeting up with other households to help stop the spread of the virus.
“We know that some people may consider setting off fireworks in their back-gardens, if you do plan on using fireworks this Bonfire Night please do so responsibly and safely. We are asking families to avoid guising this year but our newly published Parent Club guidance has lots of fun and creative ideas for families to enjoy a safe celebration at home.
“Police Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and all emergency service workers have my complete support, particularly over the busy bonfire season.”
Lauder Fire Station has celebrated its 20th Anniversary and firefighters have been reflecting on what it means to serve their community.
When the Borders station opened in 2000, there were 45 applicants to become firefighters, and 15 were successful. Still serving from that very first crew are Watch Commander (WC) John Connell and Crew Commander (CC) Dougie Scott.
Both are retained firefighters and balance being on call for their local community with holding down full-time jobs.
CC Scott is a postal worker. He was a leading firefighter at the crew’s first call out, which was to a horse transporter alight.
CC Scott said: “The first incident was the day after the station officially opened, and I drove to this call, as I was a selected driver. My heart was racing. We were supervised by a full-time Sub Officer, everything went to plan and our training kicked in.
“It was the start of 20 years enjoyable service with great highs and the inevitable lows.
“The camaraderie and team work of my colleagues help to lift you when times are hard, and I always remember that no matter what, I am helping our community at their time of need.”
When the Station opened, full-time farmer, WC Connell was Lauder Fire Station’s Sub Officer.
WC Connell said: “I was honoured to join the crew at Lauder and to lead them as Sub Officer. I had no idea what I was letting myself in for, and it’s been a rollercoaster.
“We have served our Community on over 2,000 occasions, but it’s only a small part of the picture. We are available for them 24/7, working around our families and main jobs as well.
“There’s great satisfaction in talking to a member of the community about joining and their journey to become part of the crew, which is like a family.
“I continue to be honoured and proud to be part of the Lauder crew, to serve our community, and I intend to do so for many years to come.”
Lauder Fire Station was officially opened on September 1, 2000 by HRH The Princess Royal.
Retained firefighter Christine Jaffray was part of the first crew. She’s since left the Service and she’s also the aunt of current Scottish Borders Group Commander (GC) Michael Jaffray.
She met Princess Anne at the official opening which was reported in the Border Telegraph newspaper on September 5, that year.
She said: “The Princess asked me how my family felt about me being a firefighter and what I did as my main job? I told her my family are fine with what I do and I’m a registered nurse, which can come in handy when I’m called out.
“I decided to become a firefighter because it was a challenge for me and it was something for the community that I could be involved in. They had an open day and I thought I would give it a go, I never thought for a minute that I would actually make it, but here I am.”
Lauder Fire Station celebrated the milestone occasion with a socially distanced ceremony.
This was attended by Assistant Chief Officer (ACO) John Dickie, Deputy Assistant Chief Officer (DACO) David Lockhart, Local Senior Officer (LSO) Steve Gourlay, GC Michael Jaffray, Station Commander (SC) Don MacNeil, and the Lauder crew.
ACO, John Dickie was involved in the initial and continuous training of the Lauder crew for their first three years.
He said: “It was very satisfying to observe the team develop from limited knowledge and experience as trainee firefighters to being signed off as ready to go on the run protecting the community of Lauder. Now 20 years on, it was good to meet and chat with some of the original crew again on the anniversary of the station going on the run.”
The SFRS is currently on the look-out for retained firefighters in areas across Scotland.
Retained firefighters must be aged 18 or over, live within five to eight minutes’ drive of their local station and have the permission of their primary employer before joining the SFRS.
999 agents across the UK handled a call every three seconds during Covid-19 peak
BT’s technology helps to pinpoint 999 caller’s GPS position
BT’s 999 key workers in Scotland handled more than 10.5 million calls in the last year.
The company today revealed the latest 999 call handling volumes for its two centres in Scotland – with agents handling over 28,000 calls every day – as BT joins the emergency services to mark this year’s 999 Day [9 September], an annual celebration of the work of emergency services across the UK.
BT’s 999 agents are the calm and confident voice answering every 999 call. Six BT call centres handle all the UK’s 999 calls in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, passing calls to the relevant emergency service.
The number of 999 calls handled by BT has increased significantly in recent years, jumping from around 25 million calls a year in 2000, to over 33 million calls in the last year – nearly a third of which were answered in Scotland. When the UK entered into lockdown in March, BT 999 call advisors were given key worker status and put the needs of the public first to fulfil their critical role in answering 999 calls.
Nationally, during the Covid-19 peak, BT’s 999 call handlers were responding to unprecedented levels of demand, answering a daily average of 105k 999 calls[2]. The busiest periods saw 999 agents handling a call every three seconds. To meet this demand, BT trained an additional 100 staff to support with answering calls, including a number of volunteers who put themselves forward to help out.
Lacey Talbot, a BT employee who volunteered to work in the 999 team during the Covid-19 peak, said:“It was an honour to be trusted to do such an important role and I will never forget my experience.
“It made me feel proud to support the 999 service, especially during a nationwide pandemic. The people who perform this role each day under immense pressures are unsung heroes.”
BT’s Advanced Mobile Location (AML) technology provides a critical role to the emergency services, providing the exact location of a 999 caller by sending an automatic text to the 999 call handler.
The majority of mobile phones (70%) – including Android and Apple smartphones – can now detect that an emergency call is being made, with the caller’s precise GPS position being sent to the 999 service during the call and pinpointing their position to within just three metres in some cases.
This plays a really important role in helping the emergency services reach incidents more quickly and save lives. For example, Police Scotland says it helps them locate people in difficulty who may be lost.
Amanda McDonald, National Head of Service Centres, Police Scotland, said:“When it comes to emergency calls it’s all about location, location, location. Advanced Mobile Location is a valuable tool for Contact, Command and Control (C3) Division to help locate people who are in need of our assistance but don’t know where they are.
“From road traffic collisions, people lost along the coastline or in the hills to ongoing dynamic incidents which require an immediate police response – AML helps us get there.”
Brian Henderson, Contact Centre Manager of BT’s two 999 centres in Scotland, said:“Many people are unaware of the crucial role our people play in supporting our emergency services.
“Our teams answer every initial 999 call and my colleagues in Scotland handled nearly 29,000 calls every single day last year.
“We’re proud to support our emergency services partners and join together today with the nation in celebrating the amazing work they do.”
Alan Lees, BT Enterprise Unit Director for Scotland, added: “During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic our 999 call agents faced a significant increase in calls, and have gone above and beyond to provide a critical role to the UK public.
“Our AML Technology also enables our call handlers to pinpoint a 999 caller to as close as three metres in some cases. This could mean, for example, being able to tell which side of the motorway the call has come from, helping an ambulance or fire engine get to a scene ten minutes earlier, which is potentially life-saving.
!Our 999 agents and the emergency services do phenomenal work and we’re delighted to be celebrating them on Emergency Services Day.”
BT plays a critical role supporting the emergency services – from its 999 call centres, building the Emergency Services Network (ESN), to BT’s emergency service volunteers working across the country from Cornwall to the Scottish Highlands and globally.
[1]Average daily call volumes YTD (from 1st April 2020 – Sunday 16th August 2020)
[2]Average daily call volumes during height of lockdown (17th March 2020 – 20th March 2020)
A Fire Service search and rescue dog that has responded more than 300 times to protect communities in Scotland and abroad has now officially retired.
Springer Spaniel Diesel has hung up his protective boots and doggles after helping locate casualties over the past eight years – or approximately 55 ‘dog years’.
The clever canine joined the United Kingdom International Search and Rescue team in 2012 and then the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in 2015.
And he was trained to use his powerful nose to move quickly through collapsed buildings or across wide areas of land to detect the live scent of an injured or trapped survivor.
Based in Portlethen, Aberdeenshire, Diesel has been working side-by-side with handler Gary Carroll who is a Crew Commander with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
The pair were notably deployed to Nepal in 2015 as part of the UK’s International Search and Rescue team after an earthquake hit the region and thousands sadly lost their lives.
11-year-old Diesel was the first search dog employed by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and will officially hand over the lead to his protégé Mac.
Looking back at their time together, Crew Commander Carroll said: “Myself and Diesel have had a great working relationship over the years.
“I’ve had him since the day he was born and have been able to watch him grow into an incredible search dog.
“When we’ve attended incidents he’s always checking that I am ok, in the same way that I have done with him.”
He added: “He’s been a real asset and been able to help firefighters and other agencies at incidents by searching large areas in a short time frame.
“By doing this he’s able to help ascertain whether someone is within the search area – and, if not, then we can quickly move the focus onto another search area.”
Mac is a four-year-old English Springer Spaniel and has been an operational search dog with the national service since October 2019, also based in Portlethen, Aberdeenshire.
Martin Blunden is the Chief Officer for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
He said: “Firstly, I want to thank Diesel for his service – he’s been an important part of our response across Scotland for a number of years now.
“Even though he sees searching as a game, he’s dedicated a large part of his life to helping people when they are in need and that should be commended.
“I’d also like to thank Gary and his family for the hard work and time they have put in to training both Diesel and Mac.”
Crew Commander Carroll works as an Urban Search and Rescue instructor at the training centre in Portlethen.
Chief Officer Blunden continued: “It’s an incredible level of commitment shown by both handler and dog to be there for people across Scotland when needed.
“Whether it is the middle of the night or just as dinner is being served, a call can come in and Gary will drop anything to provide a potentially life-saving resource.”
To find out more about search dog Mac follow him on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @sfrsdog.
A new online fire safety quiz has been launched by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to support people to stay safe at home – and potentially save lives.
The ‘Fire Safety in the Home – Self Assessment’ survey asks a series of simple questions and then automatically generates a home fire safety report for them.
People are also encouraged to sign up for a free Home Fire Safety Visit from firefighters who can provide further safety advice, check smoke detectors and fire evacuation plans. These visits would be conducted in line with present social distancing and safety restrictions.
The quiz could help to save lives and property, says the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s head of prevention and protection, Alasdair Perry.
He commented: “This is a fantastic resource that can help people stay safe in their own homes – and they can even take the quiz on behalf of a relative or neighbour to help keep them safe too.
“The questions and the advice are simple and straightforward – but heeding that advice could help save a life, or prevent an emergency from occurring in the first place.
“We would encourage as many people as possible who have access to the internet to take the quiz, for your own home and for any others you may know who would benefit.”
The quiz goes through topics such as heat and smoke detectors, electrical sockets and smoking in bed, with potentially life-saving advice appearing on screen where needed and depending on the answers given by the user.
The tool also encourages users to sign up for a Home Fire Safety Visit – limited numbers of which are currently being carried out to those who are at highest risk of fire in the home during the coronavirus pandemic.
The senior officer continued: “While this tool is incredibly useful, it does not replace our free Home Fire Safety Visit service, and we remain committed to reaching the most vulnerable people in our communities to help them stay safe.
“That is why we are encouraging people to get in touch with us if they believe someone they know is at risk, or if they are over 50, smoke and also either live alone, use medical oxygen or have mobility issues.
“If you do not fall into a high risk category, you will still be placed on the waiting list for a visit from our highly trained crews, to be carried out when it is safe to do so.
“By working together with our communities, we can continue to drive down the number of completely unavoidable fires we see in Scotland’s homes, and the number of avoidable injuries we see as a result.”
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service received more than 1,000 emergency calls overnight due to severe weather on Tuesday night.
Crews were mobilised to a number of flooding incidents caused by heavy rain, and fires believed to have been caused by the weather across Scotland, with the east and north of the country particularly affected.
Between 10pm on Tuesday, August 11 and 8am on Wednesday, August 12 the Service’s Operations Control room in Edinburgh received more than 500 (five hundred) 999 calls – almost 400 of which were related to flooding, while Dundee received 300 calls and Johnstone more than 200.
This included calls to a significant landslide at a caravan park in Pettycur, Fife affecting 450 caravans. Crews assisted in the rescue of 27 people and also the relocation of 218 people from the site.
A further 14 people were rescued by firefighters following significant flooding on the M8 motorway, where a number of cars were submerged between junctions 5 and 6.
Six fire appliances and more than 20 firefighters were mobilised to a fire within a kitchen showroom in Falkirk.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms which is currently in place for parts of the country until Thursday, August 13.
Ross Haggart is the Deputy Chief Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. He said: “This was an extremely challenging night where we received an incredibly high number of calls, making this one of the busiest nights the service has seen this year so far.
“We have seen high numbers of flooding calls from the Lothian, Falkirk and Fife areas which were severely affected by serious rainfall – resulting in a significant localised response from the national service.
“Crews also attended a number of other serious incidents including road traffic collisions and fires which may have been caused by the weather.
“My thanks must go to our crews and Operations Control for their outstanding work overnight in very challenging conditions, and to our partners for their continued assistance.”
The atrocious weather conditions are thought to have been a factor in the train derailment near Stonehaven which resulted in three fatalities. Investigations are now underway.
Police ScotlandAssistant Chief Constable Judi Heaton said: “We can confirm that a joint investigation into the tragic incident near Stonehaven yesterday is being conducted.
“Officers from Police Scotland, British Transport Police and the Office of Rail and Road are working together closely as the investigation seeks to establish the full circumstances of what happened and will utilise the skills of all agencies.
“The investigation, which will be carried out under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, is in parallel to the independent safety investigation by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB).
“The multi-agency response to the incident remains ongoing and we are working with partners to support the family and friends of those involved as well as the rail family and local community.
“I also want to thank the responders who attended yesterday and were faced with a challenging scene. Our thanks must also go to the local community who rallied around the emergency services with many offers of assistance and we are grateful for your support.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with those affected at this difficult time.”
The three people who died at the derailment incident have been formally identified and can now be named as follows:
Brett McCullough (45) – Driver Donald Dinnie (58) – Conductor Christopher Stuchbury (62) – Passenger
Family tribute for Christopher Stuchbury aged 62 from Aberdeen:
“Chris was a much adored husband, son, dad, stepdad, grandad, brother and uncle and was a treasured and loved friend to many, including the Targe Towing Team where he was an integral and valued member of staff.
“He also volunteered at Roxburghe House in Aberdeen during his spare time which he thoroughly enjoyed doing.
“We are devastated by his death and we request privacy at this difficult time as we come to terms with our loss.”
Brett’s wife Stephanie has requested that Police Scotland issue the following statement on their behalf:
“Brett was a much loved husband, father, son and uncle who will be sorely missed by all.
“It is an extremely difficult time for us as a family and we would ask for privacy as we try to come to terms with our horrendous loss.”
Statement from the family of Donald Dinnie:
“As a family we are devastated by the sudden and tragic loss of Donald, a loving and proud dad, son, partner, brother, uncle and friend.
“No words could ever describe how much he will be missed by us all and there will always be a missing piece in our hearts.
“It is so heart warming to see how many people have fond memories of Donald and I am sure they have plenty of happy and funny stories to tell. He was a kind, caring and genuine person who was never found without a smile on his face. We know he will be deeply missed by all.
“Together we thank each and everyone of you for your kind words and condolences but we kindly ask at this time that we have the chance to grieve privately as a family.”
Critically ill patients across Scotland are set to benefit as a project to upgrade defibrillators used in Scottish ambulances is completed.
The new devices, which have been installed in 528 Scottish Ambulance Service Accident and Emergency response vehicles and supplied by The Ortus Group, are more reliable and enable transfer of patient data from some of the most remote parts of Scotland to a receiving hospital.
The project – which was completed under budget and by the target completion date – involved the training of 3,029 staff, where 500 training sessions were held across 75 training locations.
Consultant paramedic Dave Bywater said: “I want to thank everyone who has been involved in fitting our ambulances with these new defibrillators, putting Scotland at the cutting edge of this new technology. We are delighted patients are going to benefit from it.
“This has been a great team effort from everyone involved – the project was delivered under budget and by its completed target date. This was done through what were very challenging circumstances and involved a great team effort.
“In addition to defibrillation for out of hospital cardiac arrest patients, they also automatically record a patient’s vital signs, freeing the ambulance crew from recording this data manually and enabling them to give more focus to patients.”
The new Corpuls3devices will automatically pass clinical information and data into the Electronic Patient Record, which can then be picked up and monitored by hospital clinicians ahead of the patient arriving – paramedics and technicians will also be able to easily record which drugs they have administered.
Project Manager Roslyn Scott said: “This was a very logistically challenging migration project, ensuring the staff training programme and vehicle installation plan were well aligned and executed whilst minimising impact on our frontline services.
“There was excellent team working between the project team, wider Scottish Ambulance Service colleagues and our supplier, The Ortus Group, to complete the project under very difficult circumstances.”
The Ortus Group Managing Director Craig Hall said: “To be involved with The Scottish Ambulance Service on a project of this importance has been fantastic. The entire Emergency Services world watched its progress and I am delighted how my team here at The Ortus Group worked with the Project team at SAS.
“We had a few issues to deal with in regard to Covid and the logistics around it but everyone stepped up and delivered when it counted, finally I hope all within SAS enjoy using the Corpuls3 and that the choice in selecting this product is rewarded by a clinically enhanced outcome for the people of Scotland.”
These pictures show the incredible moment a Scottish Ambulance Service paramedic was reunited with his daughter after he chose to live separately to protect his family during the Coronavirus.
Jamie Brannan, 41, of Newburgh, Fife, said he made the decision on March 27 to keep his wife, Louise, and daughter, Jessica, aged six, safe during the peak of COVID-19.
With restrictions eased in Scotland over the last month, Jamie, based at Perth Ambulance Station, decided it was time to come home and was reunited with his daughter on June 10.
Jamie explained: “When we began attending more and more suspected Covid cases, I decided the best thing to do was separate myself from my family.
“Being reunited with my family was the most amazing feeling. My wife and I have been together for 15 years now, 14 of which we have lived together. So being separated for so long was such a shock to us both.
“But I have to say, and I don’t think my wife will mind me saying, the biggest reward of all was getting that first hug from my daughter. Being able to hold her again was amazing and emotional. It felt as though we had Been separated for years. Moving out was such a difficult decision but it was also the correct one.
“I’d also like to say I’ve heard many stories from across the service of staff making sacrifices. All with the aim of protecting their loved ones and continuing the amazing work they do every day within the service.”
Two years ago, Louise became very sick with sepsis, which resulted in her slipping into septic shock. Jamie found her unconscious, and after she was rushed to hospital, he was told she would likely die.
While she bravely recovered, she remains immunosuppressed, meaning she has a weakened immune system.
Jamie added: “Thankfully she was strong enough to fight the infection and woke up from an induced coma after 24 hours. However, she remains immunosuppressed so, when we began attending more and more suspected Covid cases, I decided the best thing to do was separate myself from my family.”
Jamie said he was in a fortunate position where he had a flat to move into, and added: “The flat is in the same village so I was able to have mostly daily visits when I wasn’t on shift.
“Keeping my distance of course and avoiding all contact. I never entered the house and sometimes, if it was raining, I would have to stand outside and talk from the other side of the window.
“This was by far the hardest aspect of it all – being separated from my family. I remember going to visit for the first time and my daughter ran over to hug me and I had to stop her.
“I can honestly say I’ll never forget the look on her face – one of confusion and sadness. Luckily she grew to understand why I was doing what I was doing and it wasn’t forever.”
A paramedic has died from Covid-19, the Scottish Ambulance Service has confirmed. The staff member has not been named.
Pauline Howie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: “It is with very great sadness to report the news that one of our dear colleagues from the Scottish Ambulance Service has tragically passed away after contracting COVID-19.
“The staff member, a Paramedic in the West Region, sadly passed away in hospital on Saturday (May 2). On behalf of everyone at SAS, I would like to offer my heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to the family. Our focus will be on supporting them during this very difficult time.
“I would also like to thank our NHS Scotland colleagues for the compassionate care they have shown our friend during their illness.
“I know there will be many people within the Service who will be affected by this very tragic news and we are working to support our staff. ”
Out of respect for the family, no further details will be provided at this stage.
