The mother of firefighter Ewan Williamson, who lost his life battling a blaze in a pub in 2009, has accused fire chiefs of 'abandoning' his family, and playing a legal game following his death.
Speaking following the publication of a report into the incident at the Balmoral Bar in the city, which made 19 recommendations for change at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), Linda Williamson said the only support she had been given had come from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).
In an interview with a Sunday newspaper, she claimed SFRS should have admitted culpability years before the service eventually entered a guilty plea over health and safety contraventions early last year.
"I don't understand why or how they could have put my family through that," she said. "Once the legal side took over, they didn't want to know. They played the game. I still can't get over how they abandoned us."
"They knew they are guilty, but they refused to admit it at the beginning."
The joint report into Ewan's death by SFRS and the FBU published last week identified a need for urgent improvements in training and safety procedures, after admitting crews had been placed in high risk environments, ill-equipped and with limited and incomplete briefings. The report came a year after SFRS was fined £54,000 after the health and safety prosecution.
Mrs Williamson added that she had been grateful for the support from her son's fellow fire-fighters and the FBU, particularly when they turned out to honour him at his funeral. "I felt surrounded, I just leant on them," she said. She welcomed the calls for change made in last week's report.
Following its publication SFRS Chief Officer Alasdair Hay said the recommendations would be implemented in full.
A spokesman for the service said Mr Hay had written to Mrs Williamson offering sincere condolences and apologising for the failings which had contributed to his death.
The spokesman denied the service had engaged in legal games, but had been restricted in what it could say publicly while the court case was ongoing. He said Mr Williamson's mother had repeatedly been offered the chance to meet with Chief Officer Hay to discuss her concerns and SFRS had kept the door open but had been restricted by the legal process. The FBU had not been restricted in the same way and had supported Ewan Williamson's family by agreement with SFRS, he said.
He acknowledged that Mrs Williamson may have felt abandoned by the fire service, adding: "We completely understand her sense of loss. The invitation extended by Chief Officer Alasdair Hay for Mrs Williamson to meet with him at any time remains."
"During what was a very painful time for Mrs Williamson we were limited in what we could do and say due to the restrictions imposed by the legal and judicial process."
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