Salvation Army unveils new vantosupport999crews
A NEW state-of-the-art response vehicle is ready to respond to emergency situtations in the west of Scotland.
The Salvation Army has unveiled its newest distinctive red emergency van that will provide refreshments and emotional support to first responders.
Leaders of the church and charity were joined by members of the police, fire and rescue, and ambulance services at a dedication service.
Major Ian Patrick is the organisation’s emergency services officer.
Based in Glasgow, he was part of The Salvation Army’s emergency response at Lockerbie, the Stockline factory blast in Maryhill and the Clutha helicopter crash in Glasgow.
Major Patrick said: “As a church and a charity we are here to provide practical and spiritual help to those in need. We see our support for emergency personnel and local communities at emergencies as a vital part of our work.”
Major Raelton Gibbs, the Salvation Army’s Divisional Commander in the west of Scotland, said: “The dedication of Salvation Army volunteers and officers in responding to emergencies is one of our assets.
“They are able to respond any time of the day or night to support the frontline work of our emergency services.
“The men and women of the emergency services often put their lives at risks so we look to do what we can to make their jobs easier.”
The Salvation Army’s response to emergencies includes the following providing on-site refreshments and emotional support to responders at an incident site.
They help support individuals at any designated rest centres or humanitarian assistance centres and provide support to family members and friends at the mortuary viewing area, acting as the link for relevant faith support.
The church also gives personnel to assist in any support helpline set up following an emergency.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams, from Police Scotland, said: “We are delighted to work with the Salvation Army, who have provided support for many years to the emergency services during major incidents and emergencies.
“The launch of this new emergency response vehicle will be a key asset to the Salvation Army and will assist Police Scotland and other blue light services during times of need.”
The new Salvation Army emergency response vehicle has been funded by a range of donations.
When not in use it will be based at Renfrew Fire Station.
Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Peter Heath, of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We look forward to continuing to work with the Salvation Army in support of community and firefighter safety.”