Kenny Hankinson and his wife Lorna. A KILWINNING firefighter has retired after dedicating almost three decades of his life to keeping the residents of the west of Scotland safe. Kenny Hankinson, 55, first joined the fire service back in 1993 after quitting his previous job to pursue his dream role. He told the Herald: “It had always been an idea to join the fire service. I was in a mundane job at the time and wanted a bit of variety and a challenge.” After 17 weeks of intense training, Kenny was posted into the heart of Glasgow. He worked in Polmadie and would later serve in various other locations across the city including Govan, Yorkhill, and Springburn after gaining two quick promotions firstly as leading firefighter and later sub-officer.