A veteran Glasgow firefighter has been appointed as the city's senior fire officer.

Area Commander Andy Kenna, 52, started his career in 1997 at Govan and has worked at various stations across Glasgow and the West of Scotland over the past 27 years.

The new local senior officer for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: "I am delighted and very proud to be the new Local Senior Officer for Glasgow.

"I was born and raised in Castlemilk where I still live with my wife, son, and daughter.

"My career has been shaped by my time working across the many stations in Glasgow, and it really does feel a bit like a homecoming.

(Image: Scottish Fire and Rescue Service)

“It is great to be back where it all began, and I am looking forward to getting started and working alongside partners to serve the local community.”

Before becoming a firefighter, the father of two was a fabricator at the Scotstoun shipyard.

He spotted in a newspaper advertisement the recruitment of firefighters with the then Strathclyde Fire Brigade.

His career progress through the ranks in the fire and rescue service has seen him hold key positions, the most recent of which was as a local senior officer in Dumfries and Galloway in 2022.

He said: “I spent much of my early career working in the central belt in Glasgow and Lanarkshire.

"Moving into the role of Local Senior Officer in Dumfries and Galloway gave me a completely different outlook on the job.

“Supporting the rural communities and working with local partners across Dumfries and Galloway, alongside some great colleagues, has been fantastic.

“It is bittersweet to transfer back to Glasgow, and I will be taking so much from my experience in Dumfries and Galloway into this new role.

"The only thing I won’t miss is the commute.”

He worked with his identical twin brother Edward, who is a group commander in Lanarkshire.

Mr Kenna's new role puts him in charge of more than 450 firefighters and 11 community fire stations.

Stephen Wright, deputy assistant chief officer for the West of Scotland at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “I am very pleased that Andy will be taking over as our new Local Senior Officer for Glasgow City.

"He is an officer of the highest calibre, with vast experience across the fire and rescue service.

“I have no doubt Andy will continue the work done to provide local solutions to local challenges across Glasgow.

“His experience and skills will help to deliver for the people of Glasgow, building important relationships with stakeholders and the local community alike.”