It’s end of an era for Eddie
Fire chief reflects on proud 30-year career
He didn’t quite make it to the Royal Marines but East Kilbride’s fire chief is now glad his mum wouldn’t sign the papers as he looks back on a successful 30-year career.
Stewartfield’s Eddie Kelly has done most things during his time with the fire service – from being part of the team involved in emergency planning at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to tackling high-rise blazes.
However, he now feels it is time to hang up his hat and begin a fresh chapter in his life.
He was determined to go out in style and challenged himself and his firefighters to raise as much cash as possible for two charities close to his heart – the Fire Service Benevolent Fund and the Everyman cancer charity – with a number of events planned.
Eddie was diagnosed with testicular cancer several years ago but successfully fought the illness and received a clean bill of health.
He took part in a 10k Mud Run in Kilmarnock alongside firefighter Scott Kennedy recently and raised nearly £300 – although when all the challenges are complete he hopes to add a few more noughts to this total and so far has generated more than £6000.
It all began for Eddie in 1988 in Greenock, Inverclyde, where he is originally from.
After he toyed with being a PE teacher and a Marine, it was a training day while working with a chemical engineering firm that started his journey with the fire service.
“I went on a breathing apparatus course with the fire service and got put through various scenarios,” he told the News. I had a great time and thought it would be great to do this as a job and that’s where it all began.”
Eddie, 51, worked his way up the ranks at fire stations in Glasgow before being seconded to the Commonwealth Games before and during the event.
Three years ago he became station manger at East Kilbride.
“I moved to East Kilbride to live in 1990 with my family and I couldn’t think of a better place to finish my career,” he said.
“I would like to thank the community of East Kilbride – everyone I have worked with in the last three years, from the council to the police and many other groups, has been absolutely fantastic.
“Although I know it is time to move on I will very much miss it and especially the personnel here at East Kilbride. They have been so supportive and I can honestly say I have had the best job in the world.”
Eddie added: “You never know what’s going to happen from one day to the next. It’s such a varied job and is a challenge unlike anything else.
“One rescue stands out when I was in Pollok. It was a fire in high-rise flats.
“The fire had jumped a floor and we had to rescue four or five people that day. It was tough – two of our guys had burns and heat exhaustion but the satisfaction that we had saved lives was incomparable.
“While in Glasgow I was also among the first at the blaze in the Glasgow School of Art in 2014.
“But at the other end of the scale, you have heard of the cat up a tree. Well, we had a chinchilla up a chimney. I didn’t even know what they were but this thing could shift!”
Father-of-two Eddie is now planning to coach athletics and spend more time with wife Anne, who is a chemist.
You never know what’s going to happen from one day to the next. It’s such a varied job. Eddie Kelly