Scottish fire and rescue service assists stranded M80 motorists

Following the UK’s ‘Beast From the East’ situation, firefighters in Scotland overcame challenging conditions to provide food, water, blankets and comfort to hundreds of drivers stranded overnight on the M80.
They accessed Scottish Fire and Rescue Service supplies and also bought hundreds of pounds worth of food and water from supermarkets.
And they transported the vital supplies in SFRS 4×4 vehicles to the motorway which had been heavily impacted by snow, stranding motorists.
The crews also provided comfort and safety advice throughout the night.
Firefighters worked in tandem with partner agencies and volunteers with specialist vehicles able to overcome the hazardous conditions.
Those volunteers were mobilised through the Community Asset Register which is operated and activated by SFRS Operations Control at times of significant emergency to enhance a full response.
Assistant Chief Officer Lewis Ramsay is the SFRS Director of Response and Resilience.
He said: “This was an unprecedented weather event and there is absolutely no doubt that our firefighters went above and beyond the call of duty.
“They did everything within their power, working with our Operations Control staff and volunteers, to ensure those stranded were provided with every available support.
“Severe weather conditions is a new and emerging risk, and this absolutely underlines why it is vital that we prepare, train and equip our firefighters to respond as quickly and effectively as possible.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank our crews, our partners and all of the volunteers who worked to overcome these challenging conditions to reach those in need, and also at incidents across the country throughout the night.
“It is now imperative that the public continues to follow all available weather updates and safety advice to stay safe.”