STILL grief-stricken after losing one of their own, colleagues of Ewan Williamson, the firefighter killed in a major fire in Edinburgh at the weekend, staged a tribute to their friend yesterday.
Arriving in fire engines shortly after noon, around a dozen firefighters and control room staff from Red Watch at Tollcross fire station laid flowers and held a minute's silence outside the Balmoral bar in Dalry Road.
Pauline Morrison, fire contr
ol watch manager, said: "We came to pay our respects. We work so closely together. We work as a team. Everyone is devastated, completely devastated."
Half an hour later a minute's silence was held at Lothian and Border Fire Service headquarters in Lauriston Place, Edinburgh.
Mr Williamson, 35, who was hailed a "hero" by fire chiefs, was killed after a floor collapsed at the pub in the early hours of Sunday morning.
More than 20 residents including a baby living in flats in the three storeys above the pub were rescued. Seven people were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
Brian Allaway, chief fire officer with Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, said those rescued from the flats at Dalry Road owed their lives to Mr Williamson.
The blaze was attended by more than 70 firefighters and 16 appliances from across Lothian and Borders.
Mr Allaway visited the service's fire stations yesterday to speak to colleagues.
Mr Williamson's death is the first in living memory of a firefighter from the Lothian and Borders service.
He is survived by his mother, two sisters and his girlfriend.
Another firefighter was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary but was allowed home after treatment.
Yesterday, as an investigation got under way, union officials said the fire service must "learn the lessons" from the tragedy.
Andy Fulton, brigade secretary for the Lothian and Borders Fire Brigades Union (FBU), said: "The investigation is about establishing the facts and learning lessons for the future.
"It is not about attributing blame.
"This is how the fire service keeps improving public and firefighter safety.
"Unfortunately, almost all of the advances in public and firefighter safety have been as a consequence of such a tragedy."
Roddy Robertson, FBU executive council member for Scotland, said: "Most legislation is written on the back of disasters or tragedy. It is what we call 'stable door' legislation.
"As a service, we are fearful for the future in terms of proper resources, especially as our funding is no longer ring-fenced by local government.
"The public now expect a service which can deal with a range of incidents including chemical and nuclear incidents yet there has been no increase in pro-rata funding."
The investigation is being carried out by the fire service and police but with the latter taking the lead due to Mr Williamson's death. The Health and Safety Executive is also involved in the investigation.
The cause of the blaze is not yet known but deputy chief fire officer Alex Clark, who was the incident commander, said it appeared to have started in the basement of the bar, which was just closing at around the time of the fire.
Police said it was "far too early to say" if the fire was suspicious.
A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Police said: "Inquiries to establish the cause of the fire are at a very early stage, and we will have to wait until the building is made safe before we gain access."
Five families made homeless after the fire have been placed in temporary accommodation by Edinburgh City Council.
'Gentleman' Ewan had swapped shift at last minuteEWAN Williamson, the firefighter who died at the weekend, had swapped his shift at the last minute to allow a colleague to attend the T in the Park music festival, it emerged yesterday.
Mr Williamson, 35, who was based at Tollcross fire station in Edinburgh, wanted to work the overtime and was on the shift which was called out to the Balmoral bar in the early hours of Sunday.
Last night, Andy Fulton, brigade secretary for the Lothian and Borders Fire Brigades Union, said he could neither "confirm nor deny" reports Mr Williamson had agreed to work so that a colleague could attend the festival.
"It makes no difference to the outcome of a tragedy. Everything will be examined at a later date as part of the investigation," Mr Fulton said.
However a spokesman for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service confirmed Mr Williamson had been working overtime.
A close family friend said: "Ewan shouldn't have been working on that shift. That's just the kind of guy he was. It's just what Ewan would do.
"But nobody would have expected anything like this to happen.
"His mum is devastated, as are the rest of his family. He was a lovely, friendly, fantastic kind of guy. A gentleman – that's the best way to describe him.
"We are all just devastated that this has happened to somebody as nice as him."
He was a talented player with the Wester Hailes Phoenix Basketball Club, and an online tribute website has been set up in his honour, with messages of condolence posted by friends, colleagues and team-mates.
One firefighter, Jerry Daily, wrote: "An all-round good egg. Always the best that are taken.
"Thanks for being there to do the job well. From another firefighter, Jerry."
The full article contains 899 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
