A team from Forres Fire Station completed the Beast Race at Banchory on Saturday, September 24 in aid of the Kieran’s Legacy charity
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FIVE Forres-based firefighters took on a 10km challenge featuring 29 obstacles to raise funds for a good Moray-wide cause.
Team Kieran’s Firefighters – Tim Probert, Dave Milligan, Crew Commander Dave Raeburn, Storm Saebel and Rob Fielder – from Forres Fire Station completed the Beast Race at Banchory on Saturday, September 24 in aid of Kieran’s Legacy, a charity devoted to funding defibrillators across the north-east while raising awareness of CPR and defibrillation skills.
Tim confirmed Forres Fire Station recently installed a defib on the wall outside at Thornhill Place.
He said: “Keiran’s Legacy are doing great work, which has already saved lives.
“We have no doubt that more lives will be saved in the future thanks to their efforts.”
Firefighters regularly train to ensure they are physically fit for their vital role so Tim’s team were already prepared for their Beast Race.
The course through forest, over hills and around a loch was broken up by stations with names like Beast Bog, Log Drag, Hurdle Gurdle, Drainpipe Rat, Harsh Marsh and Hitting The Wall.
Tim said: “We completed it in approximately one-and-a-half hours. There were steep inclines, mud deeper than us, cold water, barbed wire and plenty of obstacles to climb over.
“The most difficult was probably Splash Or Dash which consisted of a line of square floats, roped together to create a bridge.
“You had to dash or there’d be a cold splash!”
He added: “I must admit, the obstacles were the most enjoyable parts of the run. Most of us run regularly but it’s not everyday that you get to crawl under barbed wire, swim though cold mud and scale eight foot walls!”
In an emergency situation such as a cardiac arrest, Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) apply electricity which allows the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm. AEDs are designed to be easy to use, with simple audio and visual commands.
Tim said: “If any member of the public encounters someone in a medical emergency, they have a duty to do what they reasonably can for that person.
“Community AEDs place life-saving equipment where it’s needed most.
“When they’re needed, they’re needed fast, so it helps to have them distributed strategically so that they’re known and quick to access.”
The Forres firefighters’ fundraising page is still open for donations at www.gofundme.com/f/keirans-legacy-firefighters
