Aberfeldy Community First Responder Group

30/12/2025

Congratulations to Dave Bywater on receiving this award. Dave has always been a great supporter of the Aberfeldy Community First Responder Group and we thank him for all he does for us, our community and the Scottish Ambulance Service as a whole.

Huge congratulations to Dave Bywater who is the recipient of the King’s Ambulance Service Medal in the New Year Honours.

Dave, SAS’s Lead Consultant Paramedic, has dedicated the prestigious accolade, to his dad Tom and daughter Rachel.

"It’s a tremendous honour and an amazing thing to receive - I am truly honoured. I’d like to dedicate this to Rachel and my dad Tom – they are a huge inspiration to me and both would have been over the moon that I’ve received this award.”

Dave joined SAS in 1996, starting out as an ambulance care assistant. He qualified as a paramedic in 2001 before going on to join SORT. His career has since spanned roles including Clinical Advisor and Practice Placement Educator.

Read more at www.scottishambulance.com/news/kam-ny-dave-bywater/

22/12/2025

Responders Unwrapped:
Day 3- Local Awareness Sessions

Community Responders aren’t just answering calls – they’re supporting Scotland to save lives.

Every CPR session, defib demo, and awareness event builds confidence and skills so that if the worst happens, someone nearby knows what to do – because of them.

From schools to sports clubs, and community groups, they give people the tools to act in those critical first minutes before help arrives.

✅ Immediate bystander CPR can double or triple the chance of survival
✅ Every person who learns these skills is another potential lifesaver

Thank you to everyone who gives up their time to share their lifesaving skills and knowledge.

19/12/2025

Responders Unwrapped:
Day 2- Ready to Respond

Community Responders check their kit, put on their hi-vis, and stand ready to give their communities reassurance and safety, attending a variety of medical emergencies.
When the radio goes off, they bring calm to chaos and life-saving care- in urban streets, rural glens, remote islands across Scotland.

Our Community Responders go the extra mile to make sure help gets there when it matters most.

18/12/2025

Responders Unwrapped:
Day 1- Supporting Local Communities

From checking in on neighbours to answering 999 calls, they bring comfort, reassurance, and life-saving care- especially during the festive season.

Here’s what they do:

✅ Respond to emergencies, often arriving before an ambulance
✅ Maintain Public Access Defibrillators (PADs)
✅ Deliver CPR and defib awareness sessions
✅ Support local health and resilience projects

Every action strengthens the bond between SAS and the communities we serve. This Christmas, we celebrate their dedication and compassion that truly make a difference.

17/12/2025

Responders Unwrapped: A Christmas Countdown

As we approach Christmas, we’re unwrapping something special, and highlighting the work of our volunteer community responders - the people who quietly show up, offer support, and help keep their communities safe.

Over the next 7 days, we’ll share a bit about what our volunteers do and recognise the various efforts of those who respond to emergencies, share life-saving skills, and support their local communities.

It’s not about grand gestures - it’s about consistency, care, and the difference made by ordinary people doing something extraordinary.

Stay tuned to see what makes our community responders so special.

(Upcoming photos courtesy of our awesome volunteers & staff)

09/12/2025

Could you help the Scottish Ambulance Service and join us as a Community First Responder? Get in touch for more information!

Last month, we received over 64,500 emergency calls.

We treated more than half of these without taking patients to hospital through our clinical hub, management on scene, and alternative pathways. Excellent work from our teams across Scotland.

Please use our services wisely and call NHS 24 on 111 for anything that isn't life-threatening 💚

16/10/2025

CPR is the most important skill to know and it's simple to learn the basics. Get in touch if you or a group you are in would like some practical training

13/09/2025

Remember, if you think you need A&E, but it's not a critical emergency, you can call NHS 24 on 111, day or night.

26/08/2025

Online training CPR training and defibrillator awareness sessions. 20 minutes of your time could save someone's life.

08/08/2025

592 calls attended by volunteer CFRs. Could you help? For more information contact us!

Here’s a snapshot of the numbers that made up our emergency response in July.

Over 50% of emergency calls to 999 were handled without a trip to A&E through management on scene, alternative pathways, and remote clinical triage.

30/07/2025

Having CPR skills means you can give potentially life saving skills to not only strangers but loved ones too. Could you become a Community First Responder? Get in touch for more information

Mary Kinninmonth’s Community First Responder (CFR) instincts and training saved her husband’s life when he suffered a cardiac arrest at home earlier this year.

John has been doing so well in his recovery that he has been able to resume his own role as a CFR again alongside Mary in the Howe Of Fife Community First Responders group.

Laura Cameron, Scottish Ambulance Service Community Resilience Team Leader, said: “Mary’s quick thinking, calm leadership, and CFR skills kicked in instantly, giving John the immediate care he needed at home.

“Mary is a testament to the value of our community responders and the extraordinary difference they make – not just to strangers, but to the people they love the most.”

14/07/2025

Here is a snapshot of the figures that made up our emergency response last month.

CFRs stands for Community First Responder and this figure includes our Cardiac Responder groups. We are proud to have almost 1,000 volunteer responders across Scotland.

If you are interested in becoming a CFR for your community, find out more: https://www.scottishambulance.com/your-community/community-first-responders/