When Ian Firman was appointed coxswain of Scarborough lifeboat in 1983 he was, at 27, one of the youngest men to have held that position. He joined the lifeboat crew in 1977 and became second coxswain in 1982. Serving the RNLI is fast becoming a family tradition; his grandfather, Jim, was one of the station's shorehelpers for many years, acting first as tractor driver and then as boathouse attendant. lan's father Walt, is currently assistant tractor driver. Ian earns his living as a fisherman, both as a trawlerman and by catching lobsters; unfortunately fishing and RNLI work leaves Ian with little time for hobbies. He is married with a young family..