UNSUNG HERO’S VITAL 999 COMMUNITY ROLE

HE’S been a valued member of the greenkeeping team at Royal Dornoch for nearly 20 years.

But Alexander “Dander” Richardson is also a retained firefighter on-call 120 hours a week for a key community service.

He can be manicuring greens or driving a tractor on the celebrated Championship Course one minute and at the wheel of a fire engine en route to a shout the next.

Today marks the 6th “Thank a Greenkeeper Day” promoted by the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) and Royal Dornoch is proud to give Dander scope to combine his work commitments with a vital role in the wider community.

“The nearest full-time fire station is in Inverness, 45 miles away,” Dander (37) explained.

“Everything to the north and west is reliant on retained stations in the likes of Dornoch, Golspie and Tain.

“We cover fires and incidents across the Highlands, so it is a vast area. The Dornoch team has been summoned to the far north and west coasts, and south of Inverness, to tackle major moor fires over the last two summers.

“Given the distances involved, we also provide cover when another retained unit is out on a call.

“It is probably unlike any other job because there is no start or finishing time.

“I was walking to work one day nine years ago when I bumped into the station commander at the time and he asked if I’d think about the role.

“I felt it would be interesting and very different from the day job, while doing something to help the local community.

“There’s a training centre at Invergordon and we undergo physical tests every couple of years.

“You need an understanding employer and thankfully, Royal Dornoch and my colleagues in the greenkeeping team have always been very supportive.”

After leaving Dornoch Academy, Dander began a forestry course before a summer job on the links paved the way for an apprenticeship.

“It’s a great place to work. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t still be here after all these years,” he said.

“The roles as a greenkeeper and a retained firefighter are very different and that is part of the appeal.

“Initially, I think we were all surprised by just how busy it can be, so if there are essential jobs to be done around the golf courses, I book off from the Meadows Road fire station rota by phone.

“Obviously I will be sleeping for some of the on-call hours I am committed to, and regular summer hours at the golf club are 5.30am to 1pm. But once the greens are cut, I am usually on call.

“It’s not just fire cover we provide. Over the years we have responded to quite a number of road traffic collisions but thankfully those have been fewer in recent years.

“We help the ambulance service with lifting patients and of course everyone loves a tale about helping cats stuck up trees!

“I have been on two or three calls to rescue cats since I joined, and on one occasion, we had to rescue a Clydesdale horse stuck in a bog.

“Fortunately, the way the retained system works, there are people from all sorts of jobs and backgrounds, with a varied skill set.

“There are 13 of us in the team but some of the nearby stations are looking to add to their personnel.

“There must be a minimum of four in the team heading for a shout, including the driver.

“I am a qualified driver so I can swap a tractor for the fire engine when the pager bleeps and flashes.

“Fortunately there are no black spots out on the Championship and Struie Courses, but we also get text alerts as a back-up.”

Scott Aitchison, deputy course manager, said the club management was eager to support Dander’s off-course role.

“As the town’s biggest employer, we were determined to support Dander and the local community,” he explained.

“Obviously there’s no predictability, but we quickly came to an arrangement which suited everyone involved and it works very well.

“Dander is an amazing character. I don’t know when he finds the time to sleep!

“We’ve seen him about to have his morning piece when the pager goes off and he’s away before the first bite.

“He must have scope to down tools and go. His workmates always have his back and pick up the slack.

“They all live locally so they know how valuable the work of Dander – and his colleagues – is to the community and far beyond.

“Given the way the fire service cover is set-up, it depends heavily on volunteers like Dander and supportive businesses. They are unsung heroes.

“We haven’t counted up the hours we have lost Dander for but we have adapted and I’d encourage any employer in the Highlands, with the capability, to support an employee keen to sign up to the retained fire service.”