THE head of Scotland's new single fire service must be free from political interference, a leading fire officer has claimed.

Alasdair Hay, who was appointed to the £165,000-a-year post last week, must be allowed to do his job without ministers seeking to control him, said Brian Sweeney, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue's chief officer.

Mr Sweeney – who, it is understood, was considered for the role as head of the new single fire service which comes into force on April 1, 2013 – said: "My key issue is around the Government and accountability of this new service, to make sure it's not under any direct political control.

"It needs to be led by a chief officer."

His comments came prior to the Kilbirnie Street Lecture – an event dedicated to the 40th anniversary of a warehouse blaze in Glasgow on August 25, 1972, which killed seven firefighters.

Mr Sweeney told an audience at Glasgow University's Bute Hall: "The national board, which will oversee the new single service, will have a vital role to play.

"It must exercise sound governance and judgment and remain politically accountable, but it must not attempt or countenance political interference.

"The chief officer and the management team must remain free to manage the service."

Mr Sweeney also raised concerns about a culture of blame which, he claimed, left firefighters fearing prosecution more than they feared dying.

He said fire officers need more protection, so they can do their job without fear of prosecution.

He added: "The fear of prosecution is often greater in the minds of firefighters than the fear of losing their lives.

"Many of my officers are fearful that if they place firefighters in direct danger they are going to end up in handcuffs.

"It is almost inevitable firefighters will lose their lives. If a firefighter loses his or her life, when those actions are reasonable, we should not be looking at who we can prosecute."

Mr Sweeney referred to the death of a woman who fell down a mine shaft in Galston, East Ayrshire, in July 2008.

He faced calls for his resignation earlier this year after a damning report into the incident.

Steven Torrie, chief inspector of Scotland's fire and rescue authorities, listed a catalogue of errors in the failed attempt to save Alison Hume, 44. The lawyer died from a heart attack brought on by hypothermia after seven hours down the shaft while Mr Sweeney's officers debated about whether to go in.

Senior Strathclyde firefighters were criticised in the official report into the tragedy. It found they demonstrated an "inexplicable lack of focus on the need for the speedy recovery" of Ms Hume.

A fatal accident inquiry last November found her death was accelerated by a delay in pulling her out.

Mr Sweeney said: "Following the Galston tragedy, the reaction of so many not connected to the event was as disappointing to me as it was predictable. Let me be clear: Galston was not our finest hour but the way in which our service was singled out for condemnation was regrettable.

"When the fatal accident inquiry report was published, I reiterated our deep and profound regret over the incident and apologised to Alison Hume's family and friends for the tragic outcome."

Mr Sweeney also announced last night that firefighters who have died doing their job in Glasgow will be commemorated by a "fire trail" of inscribed plaques that will mark the sites of incidents dating from 1832.

Just 12 years before the Kilbirnie Street blaze, Britain's worst peacetime fire disaster also took place in Glasgow.

Fourteen firefighters and five salvage corps officers died after a blaze broke out in a bonded whisky warehouse in Cheapside Street. It took 450 firefighters a week to extinguish the flames.