Scots car group to the rescue 08 | 12 | 2017
SCOTLAND’S LARGEST CAR dealership group, Arnold Clark, is helping to ensure one of the Highland’s leading search and rescue organisations can cope with the country’s hostile conditions. The car giant has donated a new Toyota Hilux Invincible to Trossachs Search + Rescue. The team collected its new Toyota at Arnold Clark’s Head Office in Hillington. (Related: Roadtest — Toyota Hilux Invincible)
Arnold Clark has had a relationship with the team at Trossachs SAR dating back to 2015 following a loan of a Hilux when one of the team’s vehicles suffered a mechanical failure.
“We need to rely on our vehicles to take us safely to incidents in all weathers, and that's where Arnold Clark stepped in to help us,” Stuart Ballantyne, chairman of Trossachs SAR, explained. (Related: Scots car giant 'grows' apprentices)
“Almost three years ago, our aged 4x4 suffered a serious mechanical failure and we were left with just an estate car to provide our services. Having read of our plight on social media, Arnold Clark made contact and immediately offered us a loan of a 4x4.
“That 'loan' turned out to be the donation of a Toyota Hilux Invincible crewcab in May 2015, and which has served us well daily. It proved its worth in two long-range searches to the Outer Hebrides in the Spring of 2016, where we visited six islands assisting HM Coastguard in searches of wild coastline for a missing fisherman over a period of two weeks. The vehicle safely carried four members, three search dogs and necessary rescue equipment. (Related: Scots car giant seeks 200 technicians)
“That vehicle recently passed 40,000 miles and had new tyres fitted in preparation for this coming winter. We were taken aback when Arnold Clark made us an amazing offer: they wanted to donate a second Toyota Hilux Invincible crew cab to us, to enable us to provide even more support to our local rural communities.”
Trossachs SAR is a unique lowland and urban search and rescue organisation which often operates in hostile conditions such as heavy snowfall, flooding or even within collapsed buildings.
Now in its 20th year, the 32 volunteers deliver a range of services in support of local communities and the professional emergency services on a daily basis.
These services include searching for missing persons, assisting with the rescue of persons having sustained sometimes life threatening injuries, teaching emergency life support skills such as CPR and use of a defibrillator.
The team also checks its network of 120 public access defibrillators and provides community first responders, specifically attending life threatening emergencies for the Scottish Ambulance Service. The team's specialist search dogs operated at both the Stockline factory collapse and the Clutha Pub tragedy in Glasgow. (Related: Arnold Clark backs apprentice awards)
The new Hilux is the latest model, so the team now has a thoroughly reliable and capable workhorse at the forefront of delivering vital services, as well as the backup of the older model.
Within two hours of receiving the new vehicle, it was fully kitted with medical rucksack, defibrillator and oxygen bottles as well as a rescue stretcher, splints, lifejackets, throwline and torches.
Two dog cages enable the team to transport search dogs, a vital resource to locate people who are concealed under rubble from collapsed buildings or heavy snow, and missing people in general.
“We value the support we have received these past two-and-a-half years from Arnold Clark,” Ballantyne continued, “and know that people in our rural communities do as well. In fact, without their support, we could not provide anywhere near the level of support we currently do.
“All staff at Arnold Clark Head Office and branches make us feel as if we are part of their big family and really go out of their way to support us.”
The keys of the new Toyota Hilux were handed to Stuart Ballantyne by Andrew Marshall, Arnold Clark Toyota Franchise Manager.
“We’re delighted to continue our support for Trossachs SAR Team,” Marshall said. “They provide vital services and it’s crucial they have the right vehicle for the job.
“The Toyota Hilux Invincible is tried and tested in treacherous conditions and will help them traverse the most challenging terrain to reach those in need and save lives.”
Related: Arnold Clark plans new Volvo dealership in Scotland
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Jim McGill
Captions:
Main image: Trossachs SAR member Sion Barrington with Mitch, outside Arnold Clark Head Office and the new Toyota Hilux Invincible
Group image (from left): Trossachs SAR members Sion Barrington and Brian Devlin, with Andrew Marshall, Arnold Clark Toyota Franchise Manager handing the keys to chairman Stuart Ballantyne