A young firefighter credits the Territorial Army with improving his performance in his “day job”.
Kieran Hughes signed up in 2007 and he says the skills he’s learned have helped him in his work at Coupar Angus fire station.
The 23-year-old from Blairgowrie was handed responsibility for carrying out crucial home fire safety visits two years ago.
He said: “I started off as a firefighter in the station in November 2009. The crew managers there were always busy with community fire safety, so I did a lot of the home visits to help out.
“I got more and more involved and it got to the point where the watch manager said I could take over the department.”
The former Blairgowrie High School pupil was asked to hit an annual target of almost 200 visits and reached it in just six months.
He said: “We were well behind when I took over in August 2011 and they were a bit apprehensive, because we have to meet our target.
“I reached it by halfway through February. I got two other firefighters to help me and we just got into a rhythm. It was good.
“And we’re already well ahead of our target for this year, which is rare. We’ve done 32 since the start of April.”
Fire stations across the country are expected to carry out home visits to provide safety tips and ensure householders have working smoke alarms.
Kieran said: “Quite often people think they have a working smoke alarm but when we ask when they last checked it they don’t know and some of the smoke detectors don’t work at all.
“But it’s not just about fitting smoke alarms. It’s about saving lives and making the community a safer place.”
Kieran, who is also a qualified mechanic, says the skills he learned in the TA are proving invaluable.
“I think when you come from a uniformed service, like the military, it’s a lot easier to take it into another uniformed service.
“When I see any crew manager or watch manager I always call them sir or ma’am. Often they tell me to call them by their first name, but they’ve reached a rank for a reason. The least you can do is acknowledge their rank. It’s about respect.
“I’m always on time. I’m professional. I’ll stay an extra 15 or 20 minutes to make sure everything is done. All the paperwork is always done, so if a crew manager or watch manager comes in, they don’t have to chase it up.
“I always ask if anything else needs done, rather than just doing your work and hiding somewhere, which takes the workload off their back.”
Kieran’s watch manager Kevin McKay said: “Keiran has taken the lead role in arranging and conducting home fire safety visits within Coupar Angus’s station area.
“His job with the TA allows him the flexibility to be available during the daytime, when we are required to deliver community safety and home visits, while other crew members have work commitments.
“He brings knowledge from experiences in the TA, which is useful to the service. The TA put him through HGV driving, which allows him to drive the fire appliance.
“They have taught him to work as part of a team and he has also been brought into the service showing good discipline.”
Kieran is now hoping to advance his career on two fronts.
“I’m aiming to become a lance corporal in the TA this year and I also look forward to furthering my career in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service,” he added.