A north-east man who has worked as a firefighter for a quarter of century will retire on the day his son joins the service.
Terry Poole from Stuartfield near Peterhead has dedicated 25 years of his life to protecting communities close to home and around the globe.
But as the 50-year-old hang ups his helmet for the last time his son Kobi will be starting his own career.
Mr Poole was part of the emergency team at the Stockline gas explosion in Glasgow in 2004 and he was also involved with the international response following the deadly earthquake at Christchurch in New Zealand in 2011.
He said he is looking forward to celebrating his son’s success next week.
Mr Poole said: “It’s quite coincidental how it’s all worked out and to say that I am proud of Kobi would be a massive understatement.
“My last day was supposed to be April 13, but that is the day Kobi passes out, so I had to get my last shift covered.
“This means my final shift is now April 12 – which strangely enough is Kobi’s birthday – so it is a time of great celebration for our family.”
Kobi Poole, a former Mintlaw Academy pupil, said becoming a firefighter was his childhood dream.
The 25-year-old said: “My dad retires on the day I pass out – the timing is just crazy.
“But I am so proud to be following in his footsteps at a truly exciting time for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and the potential is incredible.
“There is no doubt that becoming a firefighter just like my dad is something I’ve always wanted to do.
“It’s exciting because it’s not just about fighting fires, there’s lots of different areas to the job.”
Mr Poole senior said that in his two and a half decades as a firefighter he has had to deal with plenty of difficult situations.
He said: “A lot of the time it was urban search and rescue work we did – trying to locate people in the most desperate of circumstances. It was really rewarding work to help locate those people and get them to a place of safety.
“I did attend at Christchurch as part of a highly co-ordinated international response but was also mobilised across Scotland including to the Stockline gas explosion in Glasgow in 2004 where nine people very sadly perished.
“We do work in a dynamic environment – one minute you were on your normal watch and then you would get a call to attend at an earthquake on the other side of the world.”
