Rescue Remedy
Alison Hume (44) died of her injuries at the scene - but only after lying in the mineshaft for six hours whilst Fire and Rescue chiefs debated health and safety rules - which delayed a rescue bid.
Can you imagine the huge outcry - if a private company had been at the centre of this storm?
The usual suspects would be queueing up with their knee-jerk reactions - and demands that the service be brought under public control - as if ownership of the service was the key issue.
Now I have no doubt that the Fire and Rescue personnel at the scene at the time - were well intentioned - and tried to do the right thing.
But their response was heavily criticised by a Sheriff in a Fatal Accident Inquiry - and rightly so - who said that Alison Hume might have lived had she been rescued earlier.
Scotland's First Minister - Alex Salmond - yesterday announced a new inquiry into the incident which will be led by the chief inspector of fire and rescue services.
Good for him - because this led to a public apology being dragged out of Strathclyde Fire and Rescue - who finally said 'sorry' to Alison Hume's family.
I am sure the resulting inquiry will get to the bottom of what exactly happened and why - so that lessons can be learned for the future.
But the real question is - would a serious review be taking place without the First Minister's intervention?
Probably not.
Which just goes to show that while Scotland's public services should be held in high regard by the public - they should never be put on a pedestal.
Sadly, three years on from this tragic accident - the key questions are only now being asked.
