A FIREFIGHTER who has been a familiar face at emergencies throughout the county for more than three decades has hung up his emergency pager for the last time.

Murray Stewart, who was part of the retained crew at East Linton’s fire station, called it a day yesterday (Wednesday) after 34 years with the fire service.

The station’s watch manager is confident that he is leaving the station in good hands after colleagues bid him farewell on Saturday at East Linton Community Hall.

He said: “The watch manager is in charge of the station. When you go out to a job, it is your job to risk assess; that’s the biggest thing. You make sure the crew is safe and safe to do their job.

“You run the station and in this station we have got a good mix of guys. It is in good hands with a mix of old and young.”

Murray said that a number of the men and women who were based at the station over the years had become friends “forever more”.

Ten firefighters are based at the station, which Murray joined on March 14, 1984.

Equipment and health and safety have come on leaps and bounds since he followed in the footsteps of his father, Thomas ‘Sunshine’ Stewart, and joined the fire service.

No longer are crews equipped with heavy breathing apparatus but instead more lightweight cylinders.

Murray, who runs James Sandie and Son Painters and Decorators, told the Courier: “I’ve been to some good jobs, I’ve been to some bad jobs and I’ve been to some unusual jobs. But our motto always is to ‘expect the unexpected’.

“That is one thing that I have drummed into the guys here – you never know what you are going to go to.”

One of the most memorable jobs for the 60-year-old came eight years ago, just a week before Christmas in 2009.

His daughter Emma and wife Alison were travelling on the A199 near Pencraig Hill when they were involved in an accident.

Murray said: “I just drove straight up to it. I just had to get there and I knew my daughter was distressed when I heard the phone call.

“It is not a nice feeling. It is a difficult side to the job but they were fine. My wife had a cut on her head and my daughter had a concussion but they were fine and it could have been worse.”

The East Linton High Street resident thanked his family for being so understanding.

He added: “You cannot be in the fire brigade without your family being in it.

“Every time that pager goes off, my wife is up at the door with my keys and phone.

“They have missed out on going to things and then having to cancel [and there have been] dances where you are late in getting there or leaving events and by the time you get back it is finished.”