‘Ageism’ douses burning ambition

AT 63, Alex Sutherland prides himself on his fitness. Earlier this year he won a bronze medal in his age group in the national cross country championship and last year he completed the Baxters 10k event in under 39 minutes.

So the man who runs five days a week and regularly cycles, canoes and competes in Highand games was surprised when he applied to become a part-time firefighter and was turned down because he was not fit enough.

Mr Sutherland is now accusing Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service of ageism, pointing out that they have turned him down at a time the service is running a recruitment drive to find more local volunteers.

The former access officer with Highland Council has now been rejected twice by the service and has turned down an invitation to try again.

However, he has issued an invitation of his own to the area’s firemaster to race him up a local hill, while other firefighters have been challenged to attend a running club he leads to help improve their fitness.

Mr Sutherland, of Errogie, near Inverness, said: “I have twice applied to join the service and have been turned down both times on the grounds of lack of fitness despite experiencing no undue stress during the testing process.

“I was a bit disappointed, when they are having a problem with recruitment. I have suggested to them it is ageism. That’s what it looks like to me.”

Part of the fitness test involved doing step-ups at speed for ten minutes while being able to carry out a normal conversation, designed to test the ability of an applicant’s heart and lungs to cope with the physical demands of the job.

Mr Sutherland said he felt comfortable during the exercise but was told later he failed. When he queried the results he discovered his performance had been “corrected” with an age- related factor that put him outside the service’s fitness parameters. Mr Sutherland said shortly after the rejection he competed in a 15-mile race when he finished ninth – two minutes ahead of the fire service’s fitness adviser.

The crofter and ghillie said he first applied to the service when he heard of shortages at his local station and wanted to help the community. He is chairman of Stratherrick and Foyers Community Council and was a member of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team for 12 years.

He added: “I wanted to put something back into the community and be part of David Cameron’s Big Society. But I’ve decided now I don’t want to be a member of the fire brigade.

“However, I am concerned that the criteria for turning down more mature candidates may be fundamentally flawed and rules out a source of recruits from those in the population who are living longer and staying healthier.

“I think the service needs to take a long, hard look at this aspect as part of its strategy to maintain its retained units.”

A spokesman for the Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service said: “The recruitment of firefighters is a multi-staged process incorporating a range of assessments. The various stages of the recruitment process are in accordance with the nationally agreed firefighter selection standards, are non-discriminatory and compliant with the provisions of Equality Act.”

The service is presently advertising for retained and community response firefighters.