Colombian national achieves the dream of becoming a firefighter

One of Scotland’s newest firefighters has told how he was inspired to pursue his dream job by the bravery of rescue teams after witnessing devastating earthquakes in his homeland of South America.

Cesar Colorado successfully completed his firefighter training with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), following a gruelling 13-week training course.

He is now preparing to start his new role with Amber Watch at Peterhead Community Fire Station starting this month.

Born and raised in Colombia, Cesar developed an early fascination with firefighting after witnessing the rescue teams at work during the devastating earthquake which shook his home country back in 1999.

​Cesar Colorado will be stationed with Amber Watch at Peterhead.

He said: “Becoming a firefighter has been a dream come true.

"It's an honour to be part of a team that works together to ensure the safety of others.”

The 44-year-old originally moved to Spain and pursued an engineering career before transferring to Scotland in 2014.

It was a journey that led him to Aberdeen, where he resides with his partner, and when he decided to apply for a firefighter role with the SFRS.

The path to becoming a firefighter was not without its challenges however.

Navigating a foreign land, adapting to a new language, and undergoing rigorous physical training were just some of the obstacles he had to overcome to attain his dream job.

However, Cesar praised the support from his trainers and fellow graduates which helped him graduate.

Looking back to where he started, Cesar said: “It’s an honour to graduate today.

"I’m proud of myself. And the job is going to be so rewarding.”

Cesar graduated at a ceremony in Motherwell Civic Centre on Friday, August 18, alongside 44 new Wholetime Firefighters and three Operations Control Firefighters.

Ross Haggart is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Chief Officer.

He said: “It's an honour to welcome these new firefighters into our family.

“Their unwavering dedication and commitment to the values of SFRS has been nothing short of inspiring.

"They are now set to integrate into their respective stations across the country and help protect Scotland’s communities.”