A co-located Scottish Ambulance Service response and training facility was officially opened in Clarkston last week.

Work first began at the co-location in October of last year, with nine staff members including five paramedics and four technicians moving into the new Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Clarkston Community Fire Station.

However, the official opening day ceremony was postponed until last Thursday due to Covid-19 restrictions.

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SAS and SFRS colleagues will now have the chance to work together in downtime, building existing relationships to ensure they are best equipped to work together at the scene of an incident.

Other active co-locations in the region include Clydesmill, Calton, Johnstone, Maryhill and Castlemilk with plans to open two further in Dreghorn and Ardrossan later this year.

Deputy assistant chief officer Stephen Wright, who is the SFRS head of service delivery for the west of Scotland, said: "We always welcome ways to work more closely with our key partners.

"We already enjoy a close working relationship with the Scottish Ambulance Service, but these moves will ensure our operational crews are even more aligned in their preparation and response to emergencies.

"Co-locations mean firefighters and ambulance service staff can regularly share knowledge and expertise while building rapport. It also presents an opportunity to better understand each other's challenges.

"Ultimately, co-locations are good for Scotland's emergency services, but also for communities right across the country."

 

Glasgow Times:

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Through the Demand and Capacity Programme, which is funded by the Scottish Government, 241 front-line staff have been recruited in the West region over the last financial year.

Wendy Quinn, deputy regional director for the west of Scotland with the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: “The past 12 months have been the busiest in terms of recruitment for the Scottish Ambulance Service and we are delighted to have co-located to these new bases alongside our emergency services colleagues at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

"We look forward to working with them and building on existing relationships."

To find out more about the Scottish Ambulance Service click here.