A newly formed Vale of Leven team specialising in cardiac arrest is strengthening emergency services in the area.

The Vale of Leven Rapid Resuscitation Response (3RU) team, with more than 100 years of combined frontline experience, will respond to the most pressing calls from the Scottish Ambulance Service or aid an ambulance crew during major emergencies.

These include cardiac arrests that happen outside hospital premises or severe traffic accidents.

The 3RU team, consisting of five professionals, comes with advanced resuscitation tools such as a mechanical CPR device, intubation, intravenous and intraosseous deliverable emergency drugs, as well as training, education, and experience.

They cover the Vale of Leven, Dumbarton, Helensburgh, Rosneath Peninsula, Arrochar and Tarbet areas, however are also able to tasked to other areas.

Jimmy McGrath, a member of the team, said: “The 3RU team act as the pre-hospital resuscitation team leader, assisting with critical on-scene decision-making, and responding to life-threatening emergencies such as cardiac arrests.

“Trained in leading resuscitations and advanced decision making, this adds a new layer of medical and trauma skills to what is already available in the area with regards to ambulance response. It has already helped many local people and helped save lives.

“We are delighted to have such a strong team with some of the most experienced pre-hospital clinicians staffing the 3RU resource including Gerry Brown one of the most experienced senior paramedics in Argyll & Clyde who has 35 years of ambulance service; Wayne Dalton a Clinical Team Leader, and former Area Service Manager; Caroline Davie is a Clinical Team Leader & paramedic mentor, Raymond Fleming is a Clinical Team Leader, assessor & reviewer.

"As mentioned with well over a century of ambulance experience collectively the team aim to bring this to benefit the public."