Last month our longtime team member Bill Rose was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by Scottish Mountain Rescue in recognition of his service to mountain rescue in Scotland spanning many decades.
William (Bill) Rose has been a stalwart of Killin Mountain Rescue Team since its foundation in 1975.
Alongside his good friend and fellow police officer the late Sergeant Harry Lawrie BEM, they brought together people with local hill knowledge and experience to provide a community and Police mountain rescue partnership to help those in need of assistance on the local hills. With many hundreds of rescues and hours of volunteering, he has played a key role in the leadership of the team in numerous roles and since 1987, as Coordinator and Secretary.
Bill is regarded by many as one of the finest coordinators and search managers in the country, and his response to command incidents has been widely recognised. His skills were often demonstrated in his ability to know the locations where to find missing people and injured people. “Local knowledge is everything.” It is this belief and knowledge that has helped develop the team into a highly regarded organisation over many years.
On 1st February 1987, the then Co-ordinator, Harry Lawrie BEM, was tragically killed on Ben More when the Wessex helicopter he was in crashed. Bill took over co-ordination of the incident, arranging the recovery of the aircraft survivors and Harry Lawrie. Along with others from the team, Bill returned to the scene the following day to assist in the search and recovery of the deceased climber. The team was widely recognised for its efforts that night and following day. That same commitment has been with Bill during his voluntary service, with a firm dedication to ensure that as a team we keep each other safe and support each other through difficult times with compassion.
Bill has been supported by his wife Fiona, who like many in the extended mountain rescue community, have given so much to support their partner in their duty.
We commend and recognise many years of service and commitment to Killin MRT.
Bill said “this award is a recognition for all in Killin Mountain Rescue Team who have served over many years to help people on the hills. Mountain Rescue is about being a team working together to bring people home to their loved ones. A mountain rescue team is a local volunteer response and as such we must recognise the support of the those in our communities both past and present who have always supported our team”
