Buckie Fire Station Newest Recruit Callum McIntosh with His Dad Ewen.
FAMILY ties have paid dividends for Buckie fire station as it drives forward with a campaign to recruit more retained fire-fighters. The newest recruit at the station is 18-year-old plumbing and heating engineer Callum McIntosh, who signed up in June and is now working through his three-year on-the job training period. Joining the crew was not a complete leap into the unknown for him however – dad Ewen has been a member of the crew for the last 28 years and is currently a crew manager. Mr McIntosh said: “It was definitely my dad who inspired me to join. “I grew up with the fire service and it gave me a real insight into what it’s really like. “I signed up in June and it’s been magic since then. One of the biggest things about the job is the relief in somebody’s face when you help them. There’s also a huge adrenalin rush when your pager goes off. “It’s all been good so far and I’m really grateful to my employer, Thistle Plumbing and Heating Services, for agreeing to give me the time off.” For his dad, seeing the teenager begin his journey in the fire service family is a matter of great pride, although there are no favours being handed out! Mr McIntosh snr said: “I was really chuffed when Callum said he wanted to join, very proud. “As I said to him, it’s one of those jobs that the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. “That said, I’m not doing him any favours or protecting him – he’s got to learn it all for himself and make his own mistakes just like we all have to.” The latest addition to the crew is a welcome boost for the fire station’s watch manager Colin Forbes. “We’re all delighted to welcome a new member of the crew, especially when it’s one of the younger ones coming through,” he said.
Full story in Banffshire Advertiser 20th August 2019