'Age no barrier' as man becomes firefighter at 56

A erstwhile Royal Air Force technologist has said property is not a obstruction aft becoming a firefighter astatine 56.

Michael Rimmer has completed 12 weeks of Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) grooming aft a 31-year vocation with the RAF.

"I loved the situation and bash wonderment wherefore I didn't bash this years ago," helium said.

"Just due to the fact that you whitethorn beryllium a spot connected successful years, it doesn't mean you don't person a batch to offer."

Originally from Carlisle, Mr Rimmer relocated to Foyers successful the Highlands successful 2018 with his woman Alison. They moved to Banchory successful Aberdeenshire past year.

The RAF seasoned graduated this week alongside 92 chap trainees astatine a ceremonial successful Lanarkshire.

He has present joined up Green Watch astatine the Aberdeen Central occurrence station.

"Working alongside radical fractional my property was rather amusing," helium said. "But we were each successful it unneurotic and everyone was precise supportive.

"I accidental determination was a spot of a fatherly relation involved.

"If you are acceptable capable and enactment hard, past anyone tin bash it.

"The occurrence and rescue work won't discriminate against you and volition enactment you to succeed. It's ne'er excessively late."

In summation to his full-time firefighter relation successful Aberdeen, helium intends to support an on-call relation backmost location successful Banchory.

Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Bruce Farquharson, SFRS caput of training, said: "We are perfectly committed to showing that age, gender, religion, oregon sexuality are nary obstruction to succeeding with the SFRS.

"We bash person precocious standards, but we volition enactment with you each measurement of the mode to enactment you successful gathering them."