Former army officer, Peter Scott, will be on duty this Christmas Day and New Year’s Day – something he’s done for over 10 years - through his volunteer role as EMAS Community First Responder (CFR).
Peter, 68, is no stranger to life on the frontline, having served 20 years as an officer in the Territorial and Regular Army. He always enjoyed the first aid training he received with the army, as well as through scuba diving - a passion he shared with his wife Ina - and in a former role as first aid trainer and assessor for St John Ambulance.
Peter said: “First aid has always been something I’ve enjoyed doing and when my wife Ina saw an advert in the paper looking for people to set up a Community First Responder group in Melton, we thought it sounded like an ideal opportunity for us both.”
In the last 12 months alone, Peter has attended 220 emergency calls and has been booked on ready to respond to emergencies for over 1,300 hours. The eight-strong Melton CFR group supports EMAS with coverage all year round.
Peter, who has two step-children and four grandchildren, said: “I’ve been on call on Christmas Day for so long now my family are used to ‘grandad popping out for a while’. It’s become the norm and I don’t mind doing it, if I can help someone.”
After 16 years as a CFR responder, Peter’s wife Ina now runs the Melton Community First Responder group.
“A service like this is really important for local people – you never know when you might need it. Being able to put something back into the community is so rewarding and I think that’s why we have such a strong group in Melton. The current members have been responding for many years and that speaks volumes for how much they love what they do.” Peter said.