Tributes paid to Vale community champion who trained thousands of first aiders

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Heartfelt tributes have been paid to a “kind and caring” community stalwart who saved many lives and trained thousands of first aiders throughout the country.Robert Muirhead, 82, known as Bob or Bobby, dedicated his life to helping others, volunteering as an ambulance driver in Alexandria and founding Leven First Aid.Over the decades, he has instructed thousands of people how to deliver first aid and CPR.The father-of-two stayed in Bonhill with Fiona, his devoted wife of 46 years, who led tributes to him this week after he passed away on January 10 following a brave battle with prostate cancer.She told the Lennox Herald: “Bobby was always passionate about first aid and helping other people, working right up until he was 80.“He was very kind, caring and giving – the type of person who would give you their last pound if it meant it was going to help you.“Nothing daunted him and he was a very compassionate and positive person.

He was a wonderful husband.”Robert, who had two children Jane and Robert, volunteered as an ambulance driver in the 1960s, operating out of Glens Garage in Alexandria.There, he discovered his passion for first aid and in 1980 he joined St Andrews Ambulance Association, progressing to the position of commandant with a responsibility for 50 first aiders.He later pursued his dream of launching his own business Leven First Aid in 1996 and went on to train as an emergency medical technician, joining charity Basics Scotland, which works with agencies to provide pre-hospital emergency care.Finally in 2019, he joined the first group of volunteers for the newly formed Helensburgh and Lomond First Responders.