SFR on standby as Chief Officer meets Pope

SFR on standby at Bellahouston Park mass as Chief Officer meets Pope

Chief Officer Brian Sweeney was among a group of dignitaries who were presented to Pope Benedict XVI today following the mass in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, attended by around 70,000 people.

Throughout the day, SFR personnel with their appliances maintained a discrete state of readiness in and around the park to deal with possible emergencies. Appliances were also kept on standby at the neighbouring Pollok and Govan community fire stations.

Today, SFR has also had to help out its Lothian & Borders Fire & Rescue Service colleagues who were dealing with a major fire at a printing works in Livingston, West Lothian. Among that assistance was the dispatch of an Aerial Rescue Pump from Coatbridge Community Fire Station to provide cover in Edinburgh city centre.

Discussing his meeting with the Pope, Chief Officer Sweeney said: " It is a key moment in the life of any of us to meet someone of the standing of Pope Benedict XVI.

"I passed on to him the best wishes of all of Scotland's firefighters. The mass and gathering in Bellahouston Park was a great occasion and a symbol of all that is best about Scotland and its people. It was also an endorsement of the work and pre-planning undertaken by so many of our staff and reflected great credit on our service.

"In that context, I met and spoke with the Pope on behalf of us all in Strathclyde Fire & Rescue."