Published: Thursday, 11th March, 2010 4:40pm

Strathclyde Fire and no rescue

by From the Editors chair

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What a state we're in when the services we used to rely on are hopelessly tangled up in 'health and safety' - the modern day excuse for officials who don't want to help you.

One of the most shameful cases was played out at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week when Strathclyde Fire and Rescue chiefs were asked to explain why they didn't try to rescue an Ayrshire woman who fell down a mineshaft.

You guessed it. Their answer was 'health and safety.' Isn't it about time that someone reminded them that the clue to their chosen profession is in the name 'Rescue.'

It showed that the once dependable services like fire and police are so shackled by red tape that they might as well be taking part in a virtual world.

They keep telling us that they can't take action because, first, they need risk assessments. Well, as a Coast Guard member pointed out to me this week, there is no rescue without a risk.

In last week's inquiry a senior fire officer was accused of putting health and safety regulations in front of saving the woman who had fallen down a shaft near Galston.

Group Commander Paul Stewart actually admitted that he considered 'risk assessment' more important than rescuing 44 year old mother of two Alison Hume who lay dying for six hours while fire chiefs talked.

Fire Commander Stewart had the audacity, in front of grieving family and friends, to describe the operation of 'rescuing' Alison as a success.

Even if one of his fire officers had fallen down the hole he would not have done anything, he said under cross examination.

The galling fact was that experienced firemen said they had the techniques to go down for the stricken woman.

In the end a police mountain rescue team were authorised to carry out the rescue. Alison died shortly after, but had been allowed to lie there for at least six hours.

According to a report in The Times Mr Stewart who is a commander at the age of 38 did not know of a mines rescue service who could have been called in. Apparently, he could also have called in the Coast Guards who are fully trained in rope rescue.

It must seem to many who read about this that bureaucrats like Commander Stewart are merely playing at being fire officers and they certainly remove the word Rescue from their remit if they are not willing to do the job.

As I said last week about the NHS and councils we have a society where ticking boxes has more priority than helping people.