A FIREFIGHTER, who by joining up followed in his grandfather’s footsteps, has called it a day after almost 30 years’ service.

Allan Kerr joined Dunbar’s fire brigade in 1987 when he was in his early 30s.

Now, after almost three decades of tackling a variety of fires and other incidents, the 64-year-old has called it quits.

Allan, who is president of Dunbar Bowling Club, told the Courier he was going to miss the job but said it was time to move on.

He said: “It’s like an extended family. You are always there for each other and, when you get a job, you’re mucking in together.”

Allan, who works as a self-employed painter and decorator, had wanted to join the fire service when he was living in East Linton.

He said: “My grandad Charlie was in the fire service at East Linton.

“He was in it for a long time there but I lived just outside the 30 miles per hour limit.

“You could not join the East Linton fire service unless you lived inside it and I lived at Phantassie.

“Those were just the rules they had and I could never join.”

However, on moving to Dunbar in 1973, he got talking to a few people and later signed up to become one of the town’s retained firefighters.

Since joining in December 1987, he has been out to a variety of incidents, including the major fire at the Bellevue Hotel in Dunbar.

The hotel, on the town’s Queen’s Road, was severely damaged and has since been turned into retirement/sheltered housing.

The Woodbush Court resident added: “The car crashes are the worst. They effect everybody and that has always been the worst.”

However, Allan stressed that the job was not without its lighter moments.

He told the Courier: “We used to have the open days at the station.

“Before Hallhill Sports Centre, there was an open field where there was corn growing.

“We had an open day and the field was on fire.

“We had to reverse the fire engine through the tunnel there and put out the fire – everybody thought it was a great demonstration, but it was a real fire!”

A retirement party was held at the town’s bowling club last Saturday, with colleagues and ex-colleagues from Dunbar, East Linton and North Berwick present.

Allan, who plans to play a bit more golf at Winterfield with his new-found spare time, said: “I will definitely miss it but it is one of those things.

“I’m 64 and cannot expect to go on forever. It is time to let somebody younger take the reins.”

He was presented with a certificate from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service marking his years of service, as well as a special plaque from the crew in Dunbar.

He said: “I would just like to say it has been a pleasure serving the community of Dunbar over all the years and helping the people of Dunbar with their fire calls.

“To me, it was never about money, it was about being able to serve the community.

“I want to say thank you for all the lovely presents I have received and to my colleagues at sister stations at North Berwick and East Linton and Dunbar for the gifts.”