An army of volunteers who own boats and 4x4s are offering to assist the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) in an emergency.
Members of rural communities who have access to private vehicles that can be used to cross water or negotiate rough and rural terrain have signed up to a Community Asset Register (CAR).
They may also have specialist skills such as mountain rescue.
A Highland Perthshire business owner is among the first to pledge his support to the scheme which has just been launched.
David Fox-Pitt, owner of outdoor adventure company Wildfox Events which operates from Kindrochit on Loch Tay, owns an impressive array of equipment.
It includes off-road vehicles such as a Unimog, a motor boat, large event marquees, generators and outdoor lighting, all of which can be used to aid the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and emergency services.
“Supporting my local community has always been something that was important to me,” said Mr Fox-Pitt, 52.
“This idea of community resilience in the midst of emergency situations was something which I was very keen to discuss when I was chairman of the local community council.
“As a business owner, we are kept busy, especially in the summer months when we do have several, large scale annual events such as the Glencoe Marathon.
“However it is clear to us that the equipment which we have at our disposal has the potential to do a lot of good in helping our emergency services.”
As an organiser of challenging outdoor sporting events with years of experience from hiking and travelling across the world, MrFox-Pitt has a keen appreciation for the power of the weather and he highlights severe flooding as an example of the type of incident in which he could help.
He said: “The Unimog has a very high ground clearance and can wade through deep water. We also have a motorised boat.”
Volunteers who wish to offer their support to the scheme should go to SFRS.CommunityAssetRegister@firescotland.gov.uk
