A former professional footballer has kicked the sport into touch to follow in his father’s footsteps as a firefighter.
Scott Canham was born and bred in the West End of Newcastle and was signed as a schoolboy by Sheffield Wednesday when it was under the stewardship of former Newcastle United midfielder, Gary Megson. At Wednesday he trained alongside players like former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor, Manchester City and England U21 goalkeeper Nicky Weaver, and Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison.
But at the age of 20 the one-time midfielder, who currently lives in Dinnington, decided his long-term future lay away from the pitch. Instead he tried his hand at being a sales rep and a personal trainer before opting to become a life-saver with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) like his dad, Gary ‘Spam’ Canham, who was a firefighter for nearly three decades and served the majority of his career at Byker.
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Now the 27-year-old Geordie who joined as a new recruit in September 2019 and started ‘on station’ with Blue Watch at Tynemouth Community Fire Station in early 2020, has become one of three recruits to achieve a distinction grade as part of the second cohort to complete TWFRS’s Operational Firefighters Apprenticeship programme. The other two were firefighters Craig Payne and Robert Nichols-Key.
Scott - whose football journey also took him to Spain where he played for the current La Liga team, Cádiz - said: “I always wanted to become a firefighter especially as I got older. The more I looked into it the more I realised that this is well suited to my character and personality. Being a firefighter is one of the most rewarding jobs you could ever imagine.
"Every day is different. Every day poses a fresh challenge as no two incidents are ever the same, which is exciting and definitely keeps you on your toes.”
Scott - who is putting the team working skills he learnt as a footballer to good use - knows he has a tough legacy to live up to following in his dad's wake. He said: "I think most people in the brigade, especially the older hands, will know who he is. I have kind of got a legacy to join and carry on."
The Operational Firefighters Apprenticeship scheme is delivered in partnership between TWFRS and New College Durham, and has recorded a 100% first-time pass rate and a 63% distinction rate. The apprentices are assessed under three specialist areas: a knowledge test, practical assessment with questioning, and a professional discussion. The end point assessment is independently evaluated by Skills for Justice.
Scott admitted that parts of the apprenticeship scheme were challenging. “It’s very busy when you first come on station. There’s a lot to catch up on, and you need to get in sync with the other watch members as soon as possible.
“The apprenticeship scheme can be demanding but it puts in to practice all of the skills and knowledge that you’ve acquired in the classroom and on the training ground. My colleagues and peers across the service have been very supportive all of the way through the programme. At the end of the course there’s a massive sense of achievement.”
Scott has some advice for anyone thinking of joining the fire service. He said: “If you really want to become a firefighter I would say go for it - follow your dream and apply. I can’t pretend that it’s not hard work to get in as you need to be both mentally and physically focused.
“The training and apprenticeship course itself is very tough but you get to learn a great deal and the final rewards are well worth it. Some jobs you come in and experience the same repetition day-in-day-out but at the fire service you never know what you might be faced with next, which is why I love it so much.”
Anyone interested in learning about how to become a firefighter with TWFRS can go to the ‘Work For Us’ section at www.twfire.gov.uk.
