The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Emergency service swings into action
As an organisation the Red Cross is more commonly associated with disaster zones in foreign countries.
However, as Scotland faced its first ever Met Office red alert for snow, it swung into action to help keep the country moving.
In Tayside, two volunteers in a 4x4 vehicle were taking key nursing staff to and from hospitals in the Perth and Kinross area.
In Glasgow, it supplied bedding for up to 100 people in case passengers were stranded overnight after flights were cancelled and the airport was closed in the afternoon.
The volunteers faced blizzard conditions as they took sleeping bags, mats and blankets to the airport.
Elsewhere, around 60 emergency response volunteers were on standby to help vulnerable people and make sure they had everything they needed to withstand the freezing weather. In Northern Scotland, power companies put the Red Cross on standby to carry out checks in the event of power cuts.
Red Cross senior emergency response officer Nick Mort said: “This is the first time Scotland has had a red warning for snow so we’ve geared up to meet whatever challenges arise.
“The Red Cross has vast experience of responding to all sorts of emergencies and our highly trained volunteer staff share the skills to help people who need it.
“At the moment, our teams throughout Scotland are on standby but their equipment and vehicles have all been prepared, ready to go wherever they are needed.”