Royal honour for Lochgoilhead former marine and firefighter
A Lochgoilhead woman has received a prestigious award in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Crew Commander Stevie Maybanks received the Queen’s Fire Service Medal on Thursday June 2.
Stevie decided aged 11 that she wanted to be a Royal Marine Commando, an ambition she achieved at the age of 17. She served in the Marines for more than 13 years, then joined the fire service as a volunteer firefighter in her home village of Lochgoilhead.
Keen to serve her community, she provided an emergency response to incidents as part of the local volunteer unit and attending community events to engage with the public on community safety issues. It was at this stage in her life she applied to become a whole-time firefighter, with her first role being at Oban fire station and, over a period of years in the service, she worked towards her promotion, firstly to Crew Commander, then into her instructor role, drawing on her experience to train others in the service.
She worked at Clydebank fire station, one of the busiest stations in the service, attending a range of incidents, many of which were large scale and complex and contributed to the service’s prevention and protection work through the delivery of community safety initiatives.
Stevie transitioned her gender while working for the fire service and has recently retired.
She continues to work tirelessly to make workplaces better based on her own experiences. Her colleagues say she has left a legacy and a long-lasting positive impression on staff.