GLASGOW’S newest fire chief has vowed to do more to help the city’s most vulnerable and elderly residents. 

Jim Hymas, who took over as Glasgow’s local senior officer earlier this year, plans to expand on what his crew can do for people when they visit them at home.

A firefighter for more than 25 years, Jim has worked his way up the ranks of the service and is now heading up the team in Scotland’s biggest city.

Jim was drawn to the service he said, after joining the army and receiving a talk from a firefighter as part of a recruitment drive,  He explained: “I liked the idea of teamwork, comradeship and stricture – a bit like the army really. I wanted to give back and help people.” 

Over the past two decades he has been part of the crew fighting the Stockline plastics factory explosion; helped coordinate the rescue effort during the Dailly bus flooding in South Ayrshire last year; and most recently was part of the management team dealing with the Blochairn fruitmarket blaze. 

Despite having travelled the length and breadth of the country in his life-saving job, one of the highlights of Jim’s career has been working at the former Parkhead fire station.

It was through his work there with the community that he was inspired to see how he could do more for people, and lead a culture of learning within the service.

Jim said: “I worked there for six years, and it was a fantastic time in my life.  “It was brilliant, really busy time.  “That particular station is gone now but we used to call it Fort Apache because there were 30ft wire fences round it, and bars on all the windows. Every night and day there was something happening in the community.

“There was so much diversity and we met so many different people, including many people who have been disadvantaged in life.  “We would go in and do a home fire safety visit, or screw in a smoke alarm or something, but people were so, so appreciative.”

Since leaving Parkhead in 2006, Jim worked as the chief fire officer in Argyll and Bute, and rolled out an initiative which he hopes to bring to Glasgow.

He has also appealed to residents for their opinions and ideas on how the service can help them better. Jim explained: “In Rothesay we had a great initiative where the firefighters would identify anyone at risk.  “If we can stop elderly people, for example, falling, cracking a hip, breaking an elbow etc then you start to take the pressure off the NHS just by simple prevention advice or support.

“I’m currently devising the new local Glasgow plan, and we think we know what people need here in Glasgow, but those who really know it are those in their communities.  “It would be really good to get their thoughts and feedback on what they want from their fire service so we can put it into the local plan.  “We are a service that listens and we want to meet people’s needs.”