Glasgow Airport’s community first responders recognised for their work during pandemic

Eight-strong airport safety team received commemorative coins from the Scottish Ambulance Service – 

Glasgow Airport’s team of volunteer community first responders have been recognized for their work during the Covid-19 pandemic response. 

Paul Scott, Kevin McGuire, Steven Mitchell, Douglas McShane, Jeanette Paton,

Jennifer Mulligan, Philip Gillespie and Katy Gracey were presented with a commemorative coin from the Scottish Ambulance Service for outstanding dedication and care.

Six of those recognised form the airport’s Duty Safety Team with both Philip and Katy training with the team as part of a career development programme from airport security partners ICTS. 

The Duty Safety Team works around the clock across the airport and an officer’s duties include fire prevention, responding to fire alarms and maintenance of all airport fire suppression equipment – extinguishers, hose reels, fire hydrants and dry risers.

Critically, Duty Safety Officers are also first aid providers, and each is a Scottish Ambulance Service-trained community first responder responsible for the airport’s 4000-strong workforce and the millions of passengers who normally pass through the terminal each year. 

Susan Gardner, Community Resilience Facilitator (West), Scottish Ambulance Service, said: “Myself and Anne Harrison, West Region Community Resilience Paramedic Team Leader, were delighted to present all the community first responders at Glasgow Airport with COVID Coins as a thank you from the Scottish Ambulance Service for all their dedicated work throughout this pandemic.”

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 a potential life-threatening emergency in the first vital minutes before the ambulance crew arrives. Their role is to help stabilise the patient and provide the appropriate care until the more highly-skilled ambulance crew arrives on scene to take over the treatment.

Ronald Leitch, Operations Director at Glasgow Airport, said: “Our Duty Safety Team and the other community first responders who have been recognized today deserve huge credit for the first aid and care they provide to both our passengers and their airport colleagues. 

“It is no exaggeration to say they are life savers as all, if not most of them, have been called on to do just that. On any given shift they can deal with anything from a cut finger or a fire alarm to a cardiac arrest, so it’s fantastic to see their efforts recognised by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

“Although the vast majority of our operations were grounded during the pandemic, the airport remained open throughout to support a number of lifeline services and those receiving their commemorative coins today played a key part in our efforts to help keep the country moving.”

If you would like to find out more about being a Community First Responder click here. 

Please note that in the main pic the duty safety team are joined by Susan Gardner from SAS (left) and Glasgow Airport’s Operations Director, Ronald Leitch (right).