LOCAL fire crews have been a part of more than one hundred community events over the past 12 months.

Speaking at a meeting of the board of Community Planning West Dunbartonshire, local senior officer, Paul Devlin - who also doubles as the board’s chairman - said the fire service has been busy in the local community - and not just by putting out fires or rescuing cats from trees.

Read more: Group fundraise to get defibrillators installed in Old Kilpatrick

On top of the events, which could be anything from local fetes and gala days to Police Scotland open days, firefighters have also helped 389 people in the past year learn vital first aid skills, through a partnership with the British Heart Foundation, which aims to teach people how to perform CPR to save a life.

Mr Devlin also told how the fire service works with local causes like West Dunbartonshire Community Foodshare, where they attend events, often speaking to people about fire safety and offering free home safety checks.