AYRSHIRE’S longest serving female firefighter has been saluted. Jane McCulloch, crew commander at Maybole community fire station, was joined by family, friends and work colleagues for a special ceremony to mark her long career. Jane received a good conduct medal and was honoured for 20 years’ long service.

After joining Strathclyde Fire Brigade in October 1989, Jane has been a dedicated member of the retained duty system station at Maybole and attained the role of crew commander in 2005. During this time, Jane has successfully managed her family life, a full time day job as a veterinary nurse, and has still been able to provide a critical emergency service to the community of Maybole and South Ayrshire on a part time basis.

Area commander Paul Tanzilli said: “Jane takes on this responsibility, and often after having already completed a hard day’s work will respond to a pager to deal with an emergency incident. “As the local area’s longest serving female firefighter, I know she have been an inspiration to other females who may never have considered a job in the fire and rescue service, and she has taken part in campaigns to increase the percentage of women applying for a career with us.”

Area commander David Morison added: “It is important that we acknowledge the role played by the families and primary employers of our retained firefighters, who accept and adapt to the fact that their loved one or employee can be called away at any moment, and work around the disruption this may cause in the interest of this vital service to our smaller towns and communities. “Having known Jane since she first started with us, I would commend her proactive approach to her work as a retained firefighter and she has always been keen to volunteer her services for additional work to promote safety in the community. “Recently, Jane has used her expertise as a veterinary nurse to be part of a project that will enhance Strathclyde Fire and Rescue’s ability to deal with rescues involving large animals such as cattle and horses, which we are often called to deal with.