Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
‘I rescued a baby girl on first day’
A DUNDEE firefighter who saved a baby on his first day working in the city is set to receive a long service award at a ceremony tonight.
Paul Grant, 40, is currently based at the city’s Macalpine Road fire station.
Along with previous stints in Perth and Dundee’s Blackness Road fire station, Paul has worked for the service for 20 years.
Now, along with 12 other firefighters from the Tayside area, he is set to be honoured by the Queen.
Paul said that since his career started in 1996, there has been a huge change in the role of a firefighter.
He said: “The job is a lot different nowadays.
“When I started, it was very much a reactionary service we provided — when a fire broke out, we attended.
“Now, the job is much more about being proactive and preventing fires from occurring.
“As well as a firefighter, I’m an urban search and rescue technician, allowing me to assist when buildings collapse, or people are stuck in mines.
“Another major part of the job is attending road traffic incidents.
“The serious injuries you see have a really sobering effect over the years.”
Having begun his career as a retained firefighter in Blairgowrie — essentially meaning he was “on call” — Paul moved into wholetime service in Dundee in 2001.
He said: “I’ll never forget my first day as a wholetime firefighter.
“We were called out to a house fire in Tayport and I had to rescue a 10-monthold baby girl.
“That was my introduction to the wholetime service.
“It was a memorable day with such a major incident, compared to the rural work I’d done before — I certainly wasn’t expecting it on my first day.”
The 13 members of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service being honoured have accumulated more than 260 years of firefighting between them.
The long service and good conduct medals will be presented by Chief Fire Officer Alasdair Hay.
Colin Grieve, local senior officer (LSO) for Dundee, Perth and Kinross and Angus, will conduct the ceremony.
Colin received his own medal eight years ago, having begun his career with the service in 1988.
He said: “The medals are presented under royal warrant, so they are essentially from the Queen. It’s a nice honour to have.”
He said: “The one thing all long-serving firefighters have in common is that we want to help people. I guess it’s that simple.”
Tonight’s ceremony takes place in the City Chambers starting at 7pm.