A RED plaque commemorating seven firefighters who lost their lives in a fire in Glasgow 50 years ago will be unveiled on Sunday.
Andrew Quinn, Alistair Crofts, Iain Bermingham, Allan Finlay, William Hooper, Duncan McMillan, and James Rook were responding to a warehouse fire on Kilbirnie Street on when they were killed, after a ceiling collapsed while they were trying to rescue Rook, who was trapped.
It was one of the highest losses of life for the UK fire and rescue service at a single incident in peacetime.
The plaque is part of a national Red Plaque Scheme run by the Fire Brigades Union and funded through the Firefighters 100 Lottery, aiming to commemorate firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
The unveiling is taking place at the site of the fire on Kilbirnie Street on Sunday, August 28, beginning at 1:30pm. Members of the public wishing to attend are welcome.
Ben Selby (FBU Vice President), Colin Brown (FBU Executive Council Member for Scotland), Ross Haggart (Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Chief Officer) and Bailie Norman MacLeod (Glasgow City Council) will speak at the unveiling and pay tribute to the sacrifice of the seven firefighters who died.
Seona Hart, FBU Scotland Regional Treasurer, said: “This incident was a tragedy which had a huge impact on firefighters and the community locally. The plaque will help us all remember the huge sacrifice these firefighters made keeping the public safe.
“Firefighters put their lives on the line, and their selfless work to protect others deserves to be remembered. The Red Plaque Scheme plays an important role for the loved ones of firefighters who have died in the line of duty, so that their sacrifices are not forgotten, as well as sharing their stories with the community.”
READ MORE: Stunning photos capture days when trams ruled Glasgow streets
The Red Plaque Scheme is fully funded by proceeds from the weekly Firefighters 100 Lottery which has been able to create several each year since it began in 2017.
Over time, as supporters of the Lottery continue to grow, more Red Plaques can be placed at the heart of communities affected by firefighter fatalities.
More information on the Red Plaque Scheme can be found at firefighters100lottery.co.uk
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here