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'Overweight' firefighter sacked | 'Overweight' firefighter sacked |
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A firefighter facing the sack over claims he was overweight has been dismissed for failing to improve his fitness enough. | |
Kevin Ogilvie was initially dismissed in 2008 after 22 years with Grampian Fire and Rescue Service. | Kevin Ogilvie was initially dismissed in 2008 after 22 years with Grampian Fire and Rescue Service. |
He was then kept on, under conditions which included a three-month period in which to become fit. | |
Grampian Fire and Rescue said the key issue had been a failure to meet fitness targets, not weight. | |
Peter Murray, the service's assistant chief fire officer, said: "The target was set. | |
"The service had the right to terminate the contract and very sadly that's what we have had to do." | |
'No surprise' | |
Mr Ogilivie had previously declined to speak, and was unavailable for comment on the decision. | |
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said Mr Oglivie's dismissal was "disappointing and unnecessary". | |
But FBU brigade secretary for the Grampian, Alan Paterson, said the move to terminate his contract was "no surprise". | |
He told BBC Scotland: "The three months stay of execution was unachievable, they had set the bar too high and it was designed to fail. | He told BBC Scotland: "The three months stay of execution was unachievable, they had set the bar too high and it was designed to fail. |
"We would have preferred to see a period of nine to 12 months." | "We would have preferred to see a period of nine to 12 months." |
Firefighters in the north east of Scotland had previously threatened industrial action in support over the case of Mr Ogilvie. | Firefighters in the north east of Scotland had previously threatened industrial action in support over the case of Mr Ogilvie. |