Gairloch's Community First Responders Off To A Flying Start

When a medical emergency strikes in our remote corner of Scotland, every minute counts.

That’s why the launch of Gairloch Community First Responders is such a milestone – and the group has already proved its worth, attending its first live call-out just days after becoming active with the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS), supporting a patient while they awaited the arrival of the air ambulance.

Operating under the Scottish Ambulance Service, Community First Responders are trained volunteers who provide emergency care across a range of medical situations.

More than 1,000 such volunteers serve rural Scotland, but until now, this stretch of the north-west coast had none.

Gairloch’s new group changes that.

Its members all live and work locally, collectively covering an area of over 200 square miles – from Red Point to Badrallach – with bases in Gairloch, Poolewe, and Aultbea.

Group Coordinator Amy Orr is under no illusions about what the scheme means for the community: “Response times during medical emergencies are key to both short- and long-term outcomes.

“With SAS-trained locals on call, we can ensure much speedier intervention than by relying solely on the area’s single ambulance. We’re incredibly proud to have made this happen.”

The journey from idea to reality has been enthusiastically supported by Gairloch Community Council.

When the scheme was proposed last spring, Amy stepped forward to work on setting it up, with the Community Council taking the lead in securing the funding needed to get it off the ground.

Crucial early contributions came from the Great Wilderness Challenge and the Community Christmas Hampers fund, whose generous donations have made the initial launch possible.

But the work isn't done yet. While enough funding has been secured to get the service up and running, considerably more is needed to fully equip the group and sustain ongoing training and support.

Gairloch Community First Responders are appealing to local charities, businesses and well-wishers to help them build on this promising start.

To find out more about Gairloch Community First Responders – or to support their potentially life-saving work – get in touch at: [email protected]

This story was published in issue 6 of the Gairloch and District Times. To read more stories like this hit the button below to subscribe.