An inspirational farming family is successfully combining careers as on-call firefighters with life on a livestock farm in Killin.
Father and daughter Anthony and Toni Dowling are both fully trained on-call firefighters who love the work they do for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, regularly attending fires and other incidents in their local area.
Anthony has been farming at Kinnell for over 30 years and it was when he first took on the farm, and was looking for some additional income, that a friend suggested he consider being an on-call firefighter at Killin Community Fire Station. He decided to give it a go and, three decades later, he has no regrets.
His daughter, Toni, is equally enthusiastic, having taken the plunge to start the rigorous training to become an on-call firefighter in 2022, aged 25, after a discussion at the farmhouse kitchen table, when her dad mentioned the need for additional resource in the crew.
“My experience so far has been incredibly rewarding. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the training and feel privileged to be part of the outstanding team at Killin. Their support has been instrumental in my development and growth, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for me in the Fire Service.”
Dougie Morrison, crew commander at Killin Community Fire Station, said farmers often make very good firefighters. “They can have excellent problem-solving ability and they bring common sense and practicality to the service and an ability to work with machinery and equipment.”
The family’s approach to farming is to keep their system straightforward, which is beneficial on many fronts, including allowing them the scope to get off-farm when needed.
“We try to keep it as simple as possible with around 200 ewes and a suckler herd of around 40 pure Welsh Blacks crossed with a Whitebred Shorthorn, for easy calving and nice breeding heifers,” said Anthony.
The father and daughter duo have made a video with RSABI talking about their shared love of farming and the fire service, and a feature on the pair appeared on BBC Landward this week.
As well as the physical benefits the role of on-call firefighter brings, it also generates a wealth of mental health benefits by helping to balance time away from the farm, developing team-working and a sense of pride in delivering a valuable service to the local community.
Carol McLaren, chief executive of agricultural charity RSABI, said the Dowlings are a great example of the way farming families throughout Scotland very often play a vital role in their local communities.
“Scotland’s farming families quietly support rural communities throughout the year in a very wide range of ways, although very often there is little recognition of the many benefits this brings, including in some of the most remote parts of Scotland.
“Anthony and Toni are also shining a light on the benefits of getting off the farm.
“Being part of a team doing something very different can bring lots of personal benefits in terms of both mental and physical wellbeing.”
Their firefighting roles mean the pair have to think about good nutrition and keep fit and healthy and they can be quite competitive when it comes to fitness training on the farm.
After three decades in the Fire Service, Anthony has no hesitation in recommending the opportunity to other farmers.
“You are working with a great crew and, while at times it can be stressful, at times it can be really good fun. It is a commitment.
“You need to have your family onboard unquestionably and there is a lot of training, but if I was starting now I would 100% do it all again.”
Anthony and Toni Dowling’s interview with RSABI is available to watch at: youtu.be/xyGAHdpwKZc
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service find that farmers often make good recruits and information about the opportunities currently available can be found at firescotland.gov.uk.