Press Release

Fire emergency help in Scotland

30 November 2007

The Red Cross’ fire and emergency support service (FESS), which helps people evacuated from their homes following a fire, flood or similar incident, has just been launched in Scotland.

Using a specially adapted vehicle, FESS volunteers will attend emergencies in Lothian and Borders and provide shelter, clean clothing, telephone use, hot shower facilities and use of a toilet. They’ll also provide emotional support to distressed residents and, if necessary, help them find temporary accommodation.

David Miller, operations director, said: “This service will be invaluable in supporting people struggling to cope with the devastating aftermath of a domestic emergency. Often people have lost everything, with their only possessions being the clothes they stand up in.

Emergency support

“Sometimes they need practical help, such as sorting out insurance or somewhere temporary to stay. In other cases, people may just need a quiet space and a reassuring presence to help them recover.”

More than 30 volunteers have already signed up with the new service, which also helps the emergency services. For example, volunteers Donna Kane and Steven Lauder recently attended a multiple car pile-up in Livingston to provide support to exhausted emergency crews.

Donna said: “I was a paramedic for three years and you get fairly used to gruesome scenes, but the accident we attended was really bad and quite harrowing for the police and fire officers.

Practical help

“In the middle of all the chaos of crashed cars, with fire and police vans flashing, our van provided an oasis of calm, somewhere warm to catch their breath and have a cup of tea. Steven and I also provided emotional support – one of the officers even told us it was just ‘like being at home’.”

Gary Laing, from Borders fire and rescue service said: “It’s fantastic for us to be able to direct those who’ve suffered the detrimental effects of involvement in a road traffic collision, or other emergency incident, to such practical help and emotional support.”