Aberdeen First Responders revives life-saving kit with help from Scottish Building Society Foundation
The Scottish Building Society Foundation is supporting Aberdeen First Responders to save lives across North East Scotland with new and vital defibrillator equipment.
The Foundation has awarded £5,000 to Aberdeen First Responders, providing the volunteer-led group with funds to upgrade its community defibrillators and essential life-saving equipment.
Working closely with the Scottish Ambulance Service, the community group provides essential first-contact emergency assistance to those in need across the city and the surrounding areas.
Throughout 2024, the community group volunteered over 4,200 hours collectively, arriving first on the scene at more than 700 incidents, supporting patients to overcome a range of health emergencies including cardiac arrests, heart attacks, strokes, and seizures.
For people suffering a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital environment every second is vital and a defibrillator can increase the chance of survival by 70% if used within the first few minutes.
Across Scotland, between 1st April 2023 and 31st March 2024, there were 3,752 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) where resuscitation was attempted, representing an incidence rate of 683 OHCA per million people across the country.
Founded in 2018, Aberdeen First Responders’ primary goal is to arrive at incidents as quickly as possible and help stabilise patients in the crucial minutes before an ambulance arrives, helping to alleviate pressure on emergency services.
Recognising the lifesaving role it plays, the group sought funding to upgrade key equipment that had reached the end of its lifespan.
The funding has helped cover the cost of new defibrillator units, replacement pads, batteries, and maintenance equipment.
The devices are located in public areas and also carried by responders, meaning they are available 24/7 for emergencies across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Aberdeen First Responders Chairman, Andy Bruce, said: “Our volunteers give up their time to respond to life-threatening emergencies, often being the first on the scene. Having the right equipment and making sure it’s reliable is absolutely critical.”
The initiative to regenerate its defibrillators was led by Aberdeen First Responder Ewan Pow, who was recently named the First Aid Hero of the Year at the St Andrew’s First Aid Scottish First Aid Awards in April.
Ewan won the First Aid Hero of the Year award on his first solo call as a volunteer responder, where a routine house visit saw a low-risk patient collapse suddenly and go into cardiac arrest during assessment.
Ewan called for backup, guided the patient’s daughter to carry out CPR, and used a defibrillator to revive the man, keeping him stable until paramedics arrived 11 minutes later.
He said: “I’ve seen first-hand how early defibrillation can be the difference between life and death. With the support from the Scottish Building Society Foundation, we’re now able to refresh key pieces of kit, giving our team greater confidence to act quickly and help those in urgent need.
“It’s an investment that will have a real and lasting impact in our local community.”
Paul Denton, Chief Executive of Scottish Building Society, said: “We’re proud to support Aberdeen First Responders and the critical work they do. Their team is made up entirely of volunteers, yet they provide an essential service that has already saved countless lives and will continue to do so.
“As a mutual organisation, we are committed to strengthening communities across Scotland and initiatives such as Aberdeen First Responders is exactly why we set up the Foundation – to support the incredible work happening on the ground to tackle issues such as health, isolation, and community safety.
“We look forward to supporting them further, empowering them to continue to make a positive difference, and we are proud to be part of their journey.”
Launched in May 2023, The Foundation awards grants of up to £5,000 to charities and positive causes in local communities with a view to making a life-changing impact across the country.
It recently closed its fifth round of funding, seeing almost £30,000 donated to local charities and good causes across the country.
Since it launched, The Foundation has awarded grants to more than 40 charities across the country, allocating over £155,000 to date.
For more information on the Scottish Building Society Foundation visit: www.scottishbs.co.uk/scottish-building-society-foundation