SFRS crews share life-saving guidance with Old Firm youth stars
Firefighters from East Dunbartonshire recently shared CPR training and defibrillator guidance with Rangers and Celtic B Team players and coaches.
Firefighters have shared life-saving guidance with some of Scottish football's brightest young talents.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service visited the training grounds of Rangers and Celtic to pass on vital CPR techniques to players from each clubs' B Team.
Players and coaches were also given live demonstrations of how to operate a defibrillator by the crews from Milngavie, Bishopbriggs and Kirkintilloch Community Fire Stations
Watch Commander Chris Spence helped to facilitate the awareness sessions.
He said: "This was an excellent opportunity for us to help shine a spotlight on the importance of learning some life-saving skills and techniques.
"Our crews regularly take part in CPR and defibrillator awareness events involving young people within schools and community groups, so this was a really positive way of furthering our efforts.
"Both Rangers and Celtic were very supportive and I would like to thank them for their assistance. The feedback has all been very positive."
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a life saving procedure performed when someone is in cardiac arrest – it helps to pump blood and oxygen around a persons body when their heart can’t.
Chris Milne, Head of Rangers Academy Medical Services, said: “We were delighted to welcome the SFRS to the Rangers Training Centre to deliver CPR training to our B Team.
“It is a valuable life skill for our young players to possess, with the initiative equipping them with the necessary skills for situations which they may encounter at any point in their professional careers.
“The high-profile incidents which have occurred in recent years have brought the issue into focus, and it’s vitally important that our players understand how best to react in situations where they could save a life.”
Stephen McManus, Celtic's B Team Coach added: “The CPR training we have undertaken was really powerful and enlightening both to our young players and the coaches involved and something we all agreed will be really useful to us going forward.
“As we have seen on so many occasions in the context of football at all levels, serious incidents and emergencies can happen at any time and it is vital therefore that our young players are armed with the knowledge and skills to make a difference.
“Ultimately, handling a situation in the right way can be the difference between life and death, so the importance of this training cannot be underestimated.
“We sincerely thank the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for their support and expertise.”
Please visit Save a Life for Scotland to learn more about CPR awareness and to learn skills which could help you to save a life.