On 06 October 2015, Fiona Laing of Pirnmill was presented with a Brave@Heart award by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP at Edinburgh Castle.
Each of the 35 winners from across Scotland richly deserves of their award in recognition of the courage they displayed.
It is right to take the time to celebrate the acts o
f bravery shown by not only the emergency services but also members of the public who acted when faced with danger or exceptional circumstances.
Fiona was nominated for the award by the Scottish Ambulance Service and, following consideration of nominations submitted by ‘blue light services’, an independent validation panel selected Fiona as a winner.
Fiona is recognised as the driving force behind North Arran First Responder Group which has provided 24/7 cover to patients on the island for over 10 years and has been selfless in training members of the group and fundraising for life saving medical equipment.
Whilst driving on the Island of Arran Fiona came across a small van on its side, hanging dangerously over an embankment. As there was no mobile phone coverage at the incident site she sent members of her family to call the emergency services. The van was wedged against a tree and had two adults and three dogs still inside.
After carefully making her way down the steep embankment and having assessed the medical condition of the people in the van, she assisted the male driver out of the vehicle via the window as the door was jammed. She then assisted the female passenger who was having difficulty releasing her seatbelt and helped her out of the window too. Once the man and woman were safely out of the van she returned to rescue the three dogs from the van.
Her calmness and decision-making skills helped a couple who were in serious distress.
