Turriff will receive a dedicated ambulance in March, as part of efforts to curb lengthy waits for patients.
Earlier this year ambulance chiefs pledged extra support for the town, which has historically faced poor response times.
Previous investigations have shown patients were left waiting more than three times the eight-minute target for 999 calls – but some progress has been made since.
As it stands, the nearest emergency vehicles for Turriff residents are 16 minutes away in Banff or 28 minutes away in Huntly, according to the Unite union.
What happens before Turiff gets its own ambulance?
Chiefs have now laid out the timetable for this initiative for the first time.
An ambulance will be deployed “on a part-time basis” in Turriff, when it isn’t responding to incidents elsewhere. Another will be stationed in Banff.
The two vehicles will require 17 staff members between them, including relief workers, with just one extra role needing filled.
They’re expected to be up and running in March.
Locals and politicians have long been campaigning for a dedicated ambulance for Turriff.
This includes Banff and Buchan MP David Duguid, who was elected in 2017, and says the news will be welcomed by many – including hard-working health staff.
“Several people have expressed to me that they now have a sense of fear living in the town when an emergency occurs due to the lack of local ambulance provision available to them,” he added.
“This situation has been exacerbated by the ongoing crisis within our NHS with ambulances seen queuing for hours outside Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
“For seriously ill patients suffering strokes or heart attacks, even minutes could be the difference between life and death which is why having an ambulance in Turriff is so vital to the community.”
An ambulance service spokeswoman said its median response time for Grampian’s most serious calls is currently 6 minutes and 32 seconds.
It’s also introducing 68 new ambulance technicians and paramedics to the north-east, plus four more double-crewed ambulances in Aberdeen.
The spokeswoman added: “These new resources will ensure we are delivering the best possible service to communities such as Turriff.”
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