FIRST responders at Braehead shopping centre have been recognised for the role they are playing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The seven-strong team from the centre’s security staff have been specially trained by the Scottish Ambulance Service to deal with certain kinds of medical emergencies until paramedics arrive.
Now they have been presented with special commemorative coins for their expertise, dedication and care to visitors to Braehead – particularly during the difficulties faced due to coronavirus in the past 18 months.
Susan Gardner, community resilience facilitator of the Scottish Ambulance Service West Region, visited Braehead to meet some of the centre’s first responders and present them with their commemorative coins.
The Braehead First Responders have been trained to deal with medical emergencies ranging from strokes, heart attacks, falls, epileptic fits, to various types of trauma injuries, including car crashes, when they are first on the scene of any incident.
Susan said: "Community first responders are volunteers who are trained by the ambulance service to attend certain types of emergency calls in the area where they live or work.
"Their aim is to reach potential life-threatening emergencies in the first vital minutes before the ambulance crew arrives.
"Their role is to help stabilise the patient and provide the appropriate care until a highly skilled ambulance crew arrives on scene to take over the treatment.
"Myself and Anne Harrison, West Region Community Resilience Paramedic team leader, were delighted to present all the community first responders at Braehead with Covid Coins as a thank you from the Scottish Ambulance Service for all their dedicated work throughout this pandemic."
Peter Beagley, director of Braehead shopping centre, added: "Having our own fully-trained first responders skilled in life-saving techniques means a seriously ill patient can receive early intervention while the professional ambulance crew is on the way to Braehead.
"The first few minutes of a life-threatening medical emergency are vital the chances of survival.
"Braehead is a much safer place thanks to our first responders and also that we have two defibrillators in the centre that can be used in a medical emergency.
"The commemorative medals from the Scottish Ambulance Service are a welcome recognition of the skills and dedication of our first responder staff during the Covid crisis."
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