A new state-of-the-art mountain rescue vehicle is set to help save lives in rural parts of Tayside.
The pick-up truck – which carries a range of life-saving equipment – can now be used in emergencies by the 50-strong volunteer team based in Aberfeldy.
It comes after the charity received a £10,000 donation from The Enchanted Forest Community Trust.
Plans for training base in north Perthshire
Some of the cash will also be used for a training base in north Perthshire, where about two-thirds of the team’s call-outs come from.
The Ford Ranger, which replaces a nine-year-old Land Rover, can carry five people at a time along with blankets, first aid kits, a defibrillator, a fridge with refreshments, lighting, power packs for charging phones and various ropes and related climbing equipment.
Kevin Linklater, president of Tayside Mountain Rescue, said: “Developing an outpost for training in Aberfeldy is one of our key objectives as it will offer training opportunities to other emergency responder volunteers and essentially build a bigger and stronger team.
The vehicle has been kitted out to provide everything we need to help people who get into difficulty”
“Donations like the one from The Enchanted Forest Community Trust and other support from our community take us a step closer to our goals.
“This state-of-the-art vehicle is great news for our team and the local residents.
“It’s been kitted out to provide everything we need to help people who get into difficulty while they’re out enjoying the Tayside countryside.
“It’s a vast improvement on the old vehicle – more economical to run, greener and with the very latest technology.”
The donation was made after the rescue team provided safety support to technicians working on the Enchanted Forest display in October last year – which was watched by hundreds of residents from the safety of their own gardens, following the cancellation of the main event.
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