STRATHCLYDE Fire and Rescue's water service was a few weeks old when it got its first test.

STRATHCLYDE Fire and Rescue's water service was a few weeks old when it got its first test.

A well-dressed man in his 60s had plunged into the River Clyde, within sight of Victoria Bridge.

Duncan MacLaren, 38, a watch commander at Polmadie fire station and one of the water rescue crew commanders, takes up the story: "There was severe flooding at the time and the river was running really fast.

"The man had fallen in near the Nautical College, but we got him at the Pacific Quay, which means he had travelled a mile in under five minutes."

Unfortunately, the crew arrived too late to save the man. But in the months since that incident in May 2006, more than a dozen people have been plucked from the Clyde by the firefighters of the water rescue service.

As the riverfront continues to take on a new lease of life, with homes being built on the banks and more craft taking to the waters, they know that, night and day, they will continue to be called upon.

The River Clyde Water Rescue Service, officially opened by Princess Anne in April this year, covers a 10-mile stretch between the weir at Glasgow Green and Erskine Bridge.

Rescue duties on the Clyde used to be in the hands of George Parsonage, of the Glasgow Humane Society, who patrolled the waters for more than 25 years.

But health and safety rules meant Strathclyde Police had to stop using George's services - and in 2005 it asked the fire service to step in.

John Rae, Group Commander, South Glasgow, said: "George, and his father Ben before him, did a sterling job, but a combination of health and safety requirements on others, and the resources we had available, led to a managerial decision that the response to any rescues on the Clyde should become the responsibility of Strathclyde Fire & Rescue.

"We have developed training and exposed the water rescue personnel to a high qualification, so their competency is as sound as it can be."

The 60 firefighters who staff the service are based at three stations, Polmadie, Knightswood and Renfrew, meaning there is always a crew on call.

When an emergency is reported at Polmadie, a three-strong crew rushes from there to Glasgow's Nautical College, where their craft is based, within 90 seconds.

En route they change into their rescue gear - lifejackets, waterproof suits, Kevlar-Tek gloves and safety helmets.

Using a manually operated winch, a support crew lowers the 20ft-long plastic-hulled boat into the water, allowing the crew to speed to the scene at some 30 knots (34.5mph).

The time elapsing between the initial call and the crew gunning the boat into life is five minutes.

The Pioner boat has a four-stroke engine and a single propeller. Its front end is a ramp that can be let into the water, underneath the person, scooping' him or her to safety.

Mr MacLaren added: "Most of the people who have fallen into the Clyde have been suicide attempts, and people down on their luck.

"The most recent on our watch was a gentleman who was leaning over and fell in at the Suspension Bridge. He didn't mean to go in.

"Firefighters threw him a line and he managed to hold on to it. The boat crew were at the other end of the Clyde and by the time we came up to him, he was starting to let go. We put the boat down and scooped him up and got him in with us.

"We have had 38 turn-outs since the service started and had 12 to 15 rescues, which is a lot of people. When we get someone out of the water, it is fantastic."

The boat can stand up to the debris often floating in the river.

Ian Findlay, 44, station manager at Polmadie, added: "We came across a full tree in the water last week. Obviously, at night, you might only see a wee bit of something like that.

"The boat will stand up to that, but the propeller can be damaged by a tree." The boat is equipped with a second, emergency propeller.

All sorts of emergencies have been dealt with by the service.

This summer, a man fell 15ft from Clyde Place on to a ledge beside the river. He was injured and could only be saved from the water.

Firefighters and ambulance personnel were lowered to him and they put him on a stretcher and placed him on the rescue boat.

The boat then took the man to a slipway, where he was transferred to an ambulance.

Mr MacLaren said: "The service is a great resource, and it will be used a lot more in the years ahead as the Clyde is developed."