Two veterans are flying high after successfully qualifying to become firefighters – landing jobs at the same station in Aberdeen.
Michael Rimmer, 56, worked as an aircraft engineer in the RAF for 31 years, while John Cairns, 43, served as a warrant officer in the army for 24 years.
The pair have now switched to serving the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service after completing their 12-week training and will be based at Aberdeen Central.
For Mr Rimmer, becoming a full-time firefighter has been a long-held ambition – and he is determined to prove you’re never too old to follow your dreams.
He said: “Just because you may be a bit on in years, it doesn’t mean you don’t have a lot to offer. Working alongside young people half my age was quite amusing, but we were all in it together and everyone was very supportive.
“I suppose there was a bit of a fatherly role involved. People did ask me for advice on ironing their shirts and polishing their shoes, but I loved the challenge and do wonder why I didn’t do this years ago.”
Originally from Carlisle, Mr Rimmer moved to Foyers in the Highlands in 2018 with his wife Alison.
On-call firefighter
Shortly after moving north, he joined the fire service as an on-call firefighter, responding to emergencies via a pager system.
The couple then moved to Banchory last November, where he continued the role from his new hometown station.
In addition to his full-time firefighter position in the Granite City, Mr Rimmer intends to maintain his on-call role in Banchory.
He said: “There is an enormous sense of achievement involved with the on-call firefighter role.
“Responding to people who are in dire straits and doing everything you can to help them makes you proud to wear the badge. Becoming an on-call firefighter is something I would recommend to anyone.”
Best trainee
Meanwhile, Mr Cairns – who was recognised as best trainee – is also looking forward to getting started.
The 43-year-old from Lossiemouth said: “It is quite emotional, moving from the military after 24 years to the civilian world, but I already feel part of the SFRS family, so it makes it easier.
“The journey only starts when I get to the fire station, but I look forward to the learning and development over the next three years.”
The fire service’s head of training Bruce Farquharson said: “Both Michael and John show there is no one-size-fits-all approach to becoming a firefighter.”
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