Firecall Autumn 2016

AUTUMN 2016

FIRECALL OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF DUBLIN FIRE, AMBULANCE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

MAN OF FIRE

THE LIFE OF CAPTAIN PURCELL

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DFB on Parade

MARCHING ON THE FRONTLINE

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CONTENTS

EDITOR’S LETTER

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FOREWORD

DFB IN BRIEF 11

A TEE-RIFIC DAY FOR GOLF

Dublin Fire Brigade and Dublin Bus faced off on the golf course in Castleknock during the summer.

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CIVIL SERVICE TRIUMPH

Paul McGurrell reports on another exciting Civil Service league final.

FAMILY FUN

Photos from the recent family fun day at the OBI.

HITTING THE CITY STREETS It’s been a busy few weeks and months for DFB’s runners, including Brian Tracey.

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SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION

32 FIRST ON THE SCENE Firecall editor Conor Forrest recently took part in day one of a three-day Occupational First Aid (OFA) course at the O’Brien Training Institute, learning more than he had expected.

TO HEAD 34 HEAD ON THE GREEN

The OBI has been home to a number of events over the course of the summer, including family CISM training nights and an art exhibition to immortalise today’s firefighter.

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We spoke with D/O Robert Tierney, one of the latest District Officers to be appointed in Foxtrot district, about how he’s settling into his new role.

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04

17 fresh FACES 30

The 2016 All Ireland Fire Services Golf Championships was held at Castleknock Golf Club in September.

28 ENTER THE DRAGON (RACE)

Among the teams at the recent dragon boat regatta held in Dublin was a contingent from DFB.

BREAKING RECORDS After an unsuccessful attempt in 2015, DFB’s Rachael Lee has completed the gruelling Channel swim in an Irish record time.

CLASS OF ‘76 Class 2, 1976 recently met for their 40 year reunion.

CONTENTS FIRECALL AUTUMN

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CONTENTS

MARCHING ON THE FRONTLINE

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A number of personnel from a range of emergency services across Ireland took part in a parade and demonstration through the streets of Dublin city centre in September.

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SPOTLIGHT ON HISTORY

Dublin Fire Brigade unveiled a second exhibition in Tallaght in August, again highlighting its role during Easter week 1916.

Man of

61 FIRE Las Fallon recounts the life of Captain Thomas Purcell.

STATION PROFILE We meet S/O Paul Keogh and the crew of A watch No 12.

FIREFIGHTERS WITHOUT BORDERS

TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS

72 Alongside our usual round-up of the latest technology for the emergency services sector, we spoke with Robin Blandford, founder of Howth-based software company D4H Technologies, which provides emergency management solutions across the globe.

66

Conor Forrest spoke with Firefighters Without Borders President Russell Chalmers to discover more about the organisation’s conception, and how it has gone from strength to strength.

76 MOTORING A look back at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and a preview of the upcoming Skoda Kodiaq.

51 Retired Members:

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DAMIEN FYNES

Retired D/O Damien Fynes recounts an interesting and eventful life.

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FROM KILBARRACK TO THE WORLD

We spoke with Kilbarrack firefighter and The GreenPlan founder Neil McCabe to discover more about his recent exploits.

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BOOKSHELF

A Doctor’s Sword presents a fascinating account of how an Irish doctor wound up in a Nagasaki POW camp when the atomic bomb was dropped in 1945.

THE VIEW ON VIRUSES

Conor Forrest spoke with UCC microbiologist Professor Colin Hill to discover more about recently uncovered ancient viruses, and the modern incarnations which pose the most risk today.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

CONTENTS FIRECALL AUTUMN

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INSURING

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EDITOR’S LETTER Editor: Conor Forrest ­­­ Consulting Editors: Dan Fynes & Bevin Herbert Contributors: Jeremiah Greally, Paul McGurrell, Ray Campion, Las Fallon, Dave Lacey Editorial and Production Manager: Mary Connaughton Design and Layout: Jennifer Reid Cover credit: Conor Forrest Photography: DFB, Conor Forrest, Dave Lacey, Adrian O’Grady, Jon Esteban Macapagal, Paul McGurrell, Simon Finglas, Avanilton de Aguiler, Cynthia Goldsmith/CDC Global/ FLickr, Brian Tracey, Paddy Price, Paddy Barrett, Rachael Lee, Ray Campion, Jeremiah Greally, US State Department, Neil McCabe, Ray Bateson, Firefighters Without Borders, The Collins Press, D4H Technologies, Skoda, Mercedes, Irish Wheelchair Association, Global Vehicle Trust, Las Fallon, Pelican Products Sales Director: Paul Clemenson Production Executive: Claire Kiernan Publisher: Chesterfox Ltd, T/A Firecall Magazine, P.O. Box 6766, Dublin 2.

Tel: (01) 432 2200; Fax: (01) 672 7100 Managing Director: Gerry Tynan Distribution by: Magazine Mailing Ashville Media Group Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7 Tel: (01) 432 2200 Fax: (01) 676 6043 Publisher’s Statement: The information in Firecall is carefully researched and believed to be accurate and authoritative, but neither the Dublin Fire Brigade Sports & Social Club nor the ­publisher can accept responsibility for any errors or o­ missions. Statements and opinions expressed herein are not n­ ecessarily those of the Editor or of the ­publisher.

Copyright ©2016 Firecall Magazine No part of this may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or ­transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher.

letter from the

EDITOR ear readers, Welcome to the autumn issue of Firecall.

As we enter the final months of 2016, a year filled with commemorations both by the Irish State and Dublin Fire Brigade, we can look back on innumerable events across the capital, from the State parade through the streets of Dublin to the commemoration of the life of Captain Joseph Connolly in Glasnevin Cemetery. However, the year is not over yet. Alongside a look back at DFB’s exhibition in Tallaght County Library between August and September, Las Fallon recounts the life of Captain Thomas Purcell, a man of innovation who made a momentous impact on Dublin Fire Brigade during his lifetime.

During the summer I had the opportunity to undertake part of the three-day Occupational First Aid (OFA) course at the O’Brien Training Institute. Learning much more than I had expected, I recount my experiences and my new understanding of the importance of knowing first aid. We’ve also got an interview with FF/P Rachael Lee, who has achieved her dream of swimming across the Channel.

On the international front, I spoke with Russell Chalmers, a former Canadian firefighter and platoon chief, about his work with charitable organisation Firefighters Without Borders, and how they are helping colleagues around the world. We’ve also got an in-depth look at viruses and, in our motoring section, I recall a recent trip to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and take a look at the recently unveiled Skoda Kodiaq.

Last, but not least, as a result of its overwhelming popularity since opening this year, the Dublin Fire Brigade and the 1916 Rising exhibition in the Vaults at City Hall has been extended until December. A fantastic exhibition featuring a number of interesting and rare items, it’s open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm with free admission – well worth a look.

Hope you enjoy the read,

Conor Forrest FIRECALL AUTUMN

EDITOR’S PICKS RETIRED MEMBER: DAMIEN FYNES Retired D/O Damien Fynes recounts an interesting and eventful life.

p BEYOND BORDERS

How one Canadian charity is making a difference.

66 We are updating our mailing list. If your contact details are out of date, please email: conor.forrest@ ashvillemediagroup.com.

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FOREWORD

General Secretary’s

FOREWORD

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The annual children’s Christmas party will take place from 1-5pm on Sunday December 11th at the Clarion Hotel, Liffey Valley.

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AUTUMN 2016

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF DUBLIN FIRE, AMBULANCE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

VOLUME EIGHTEEN ISSUE THREE

Dan Fynes

DAN FYNES

FIRECALL

elcome to the autumn issue of Firecall, filled with news and features covering topics from dragon boat racing to our recent family fun day.

The Ironman 70.3 event is a challenge for any athlete, comprising a 1.2 mile swim in the sea, a 56 mile bike ride, followed by a 13.1 mile run. Each year a number of DFB personnel take part in Ironman Dublin – we speak to No 8 firefighter Brian Tracey about his experience in running this tough race, and his motivation. And, on the topic of racing firefighters, we’ve got an interview with HQ firefighter Neal Dempsey, who took part in the recent Hong Kong Dublin Dragon Boat Regatta.

In this issue’s station profile, we travelled to meet A watch Dún Laoghaire and S/O Paul Keogh, who was appointed to his new role several months ago. With a broad area of responsibility, we discover more about the challenges they face and their relationship with the local community, and find out how one of their new recruits is enjoying his first months in the job.

We’ve also got the latest in technological developments across the world of emergency response, including an interview with Howth-based Robin Blandford – founder of D4H Technologies, our regular round up of news and events from Dublin Fire Brigade over the past three months, and the results of the Civil Service football tournament.

Finally, this year marks the 40th anniversary of Firecall, which began life as Brigade Call back in 1976. Keep an eye ALCOHOL out for our winter issue at the end of the & YOU year – we’ll have interviews with former editors, snippets from interesting pieces, and highlights from the past 40 years of the magazine.

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MAN OF FIRE

THE LIFE OF CAPTAIN PURCELL

DFB

on Parade

MARCHING ON THE FRONTLINE

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FIRECALL AUTUMN

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HEALTH CARE WORKERS

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COMMERCIAL FEATURE

SEASONAL FLU VACCINE As we head toward the autumn and winter months, the HSE is calling on people to protect themselves again influenza by getting the seasonal flu vaccine.

VACCINATION Each year the seasonal (annual) flu vaccine contains three common flu virus strains. The flu virus changes each year - this is why a new flu vaccine has to be given each year. The best way to prevent flu is to get the flu vaccine. The vaccine is recommended for: • Persons aged 65 and older • Those aged 6 months and older with a long term health condition such as chronic medical illness requiring

regular follow up including chronic cardiovascular, respiratory, hepatic, and neurological disease, diabetes mellitus and haemoglobinopathies • Immunosuppression due to illness or treatment • Down syndrome • Morbid obesity i.e. body mass index over 40 • Children with moderate to severe neurodevelopmental disorders • Children on long term aspirin therapy (risk of Reye’s syndrome) • Pregnant women (vaccine can be given at any stage of pregnancy) • Residents of nursing homes and other long stay institutions • Carers • Healthcare workers Vaccination should ideally be undertaken in late September or October each year. Flu vaccines have been used for more than 60 years worldwide and are very safe. Flu vaccine contains killed or inactivated viruses and therefore cannot cause flu. It does, however, take 10-14 days for the vaccine to start protecting you against flu.

The vaccine and consultation are free to those within the recommended groups who have a medical card or GP visit card. GPs charge a consultation fee for seasonal flu vaccine to those who do not have one of those cards. More information is available from your GP, public health nurse or pharmacist.

Influenza vaccine remains the best protection against influenza and is recommended by all major expert bodies including the World Health Organisation,

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the National Immunisation Advisory Committee of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. For further details about flu vaccination, along with answers to any questions you may have about flu, visit www.immunisation.ie.

PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINE

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nfluenza (flu) is a highly infectious acute respiratory illness caused by the flu virus. Flu affects people of all ages, with outbreaks occurring almost every year. Flu symptoms come on suddenly with a fever, muscle aches, headache and fatigue. This is different from a cold which is a much less severe illness compared to flu. A cold usually starts gradually with a sore throat and a blocked or runny nose. Symptoms of a cold are generally mild compared to flu.

In some instances, flu can be severe and can cause serious illness and death.

Serious breathing complications can develop, including pneumonia and bronchitis, to which older people and those with certain chronic medical conditions are particularly susceptible.

Data from the 2014/2015 influenza season shows that, nationally, 978 cases of flu were hospitalised and 53 were admitted to ICU. Those aged 65 and older, children under four years of age and those with long term medical conditions and pregnant women are at particular risk.

If you are over the age of 65 or have a long term medical condition, you should also ask your doctor about the pneumococcal vaccine, which protects against pneumonia, if you have not previously received it. You can get the flu vaccine at the same time as your pneumococcal vaccine.

FIRECALL AUTUMN

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DFB IN BRIEF

DFB

A recap of Dublin Fire Brigade news and events over the past few weeks and months.

It’s #WorldPhotoDay, here’s the view from the top of our turntable ladder in Tara St #HeadForHeights #DontLookDown.

Congrats to D Watch HQ who won the King of Greystones sprint relay triathlon with a little help from Damien Duff.

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S/O Connolly and FF/P Birmingham did DFB proud picking up gold medals at the Red Head Convention.

F/F Tony Phelan has departed after 36 years’ service, including working in our old Rathmines station as a recruit. Thanks Tony.

A weekend of farewells...

FF/P Dave Byrne and Martin ‘The Gonz’ Healy retiring after 30 years’ service.

We said goodbye to Tony Fitzgerald who retired after an incredible 44 years service with us, first in Malahide station, then Finglas. Thanks Tony for everything.

Some of our best rescue swimmers took to the Liffey in early August for a different reason: to take part in the 97th Liffey Swim. DFB has a good record in the Liffey Swim with first place finishes in both the male and female events.

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Our museum curator presented our CFO with a #1916 helmet for display 5in HQs main reception.

Tallaght, Dolphin’s Barn and HQ crews responded to two 40ft containers on fire on Station Road in Clondalkin. The container was full of discarded aerosol spray cans. The picture shows our thermal imaging camera indicating that the fire was burning at almost 500 degrees Celsius.

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DFB IN BRIEF

Dublin Fire Brigade @DubFireBrigade

A #TreeOfHope was planted at Tallaght Fire Station to show support to all affected by mental health issues.

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A weekend of farewells... FF/P Dave Byrne and Martin ‘The Gonz’ Healy retiring after 30 years service, you’ll be missed.

F/F Gary Corcoran went on his final turnout in Rathfarnham. Gary had previously served with Dublin Airport Police, Fire and Rescue Service and Dublin Civil Defence in South Dublin Auxiliary Fire Service. Gary will be missed in Dublin Fire Brigade.

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Class 2/2016 has officially passed out from the OBI Training Centre. Well done to all of the firefighters and

7best of luck in your new careers. Photo: Glenn Fitzgerald.

New bus route 999 starting shortly... serving all of Dublin. Thanks to Dublin Bus, our new bus will be invaluable.

Well done Jim, Kevin, Peter and Oran on their graduation from UL with BSc Hons in Paramedic Studies.

9 As with fire services all over the world, the firefighters/ paramedics of Dublin Fire Brigade remembered the sacrifices made by all first responders on 9/11, but particularly those of the 343 members of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). We had the honour of being invited to the US Ambassador to Ireland’s residence to participate in a 9/11 memorial service. Dublin Airport hosted a 9/11 mass which we also were kindly invited to. The crew from B watch Tallaght fire station sent us a picture (above), standing shoulder to shoulder, representative of how firefighters all over the world stand together in the line of duty.

Martin Keane and Brian Flood at our Dublin City Hall exhibition. Martin’s dad was a fireman in 1916 during the Rising.

We said goodbye to Phil McDermott from C watch, Tallaght, after 30 years’ service. Happy retirement Macker!

FIRECALL AUTUMN

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ANNUAL GOLF CHALLENGE

A Tee-rific Day

DAY FOR GOLF

By Dave Lacey, B watch HQ

TOP SCORE was 52 points for Paul Hopper and Willie Bennett from Dublin Bus. SECOND PLACE went to Noel Keegan and Jim King (DFB) with a score of 51 points.

THIRD PLACE was Dave Leacy and John Phelan (DFB) on 49 points.

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astleknock Golf Club was the venue on Monday 20th June 2016 for the annual golf competition between friendly rivals Dublin Fire Brigade and Dublin Bus. Two teams made up of 22 players each faced off in a ‘fourball better ball’ format to decide the destination of the perpetual trophy.

Outlandishly coloured outfits were the order of the day in memory of Ian Frodo McCormack, and in fairness the DFB team didn’t disappoint.

HITTING THE TURF The course was, as always, in pristine condition and the golf played by both teams was of an exceptionally high standard with some outstanding scoring by members of both teams.

Following the golf, all players

NEAREST THE PIN ON THE 9TH was won by Alaric Collier measuring 10 feet 1 inch. adjourned to the bar for dinner and refreshments. Well done to all team members: John Lynch, Tom Doolan, Ray Campion, Keith Treacy, Chris Keeley, Alaric Collier, Jim King, Noel Keegan, Dave Leacy, John Phelan, Joe Kelly, Brendan Hayden, Lar Sweetman, Ger Kavanagh, Keith Gibson, Mark Fay, David Kavanagh, Siobhan Talbot, Matt Connellan, Adrian Kelly, Noel Jackson and Sean Foley.

Special thanks to Dublin Bus, Dublin Fire Brigade Sports and Social Club and Dublin City Council for sponsoring the event, which continues to grow annually. Special mention also to Castleknock Golf Club for the quality of their course and clubhouse facilities.

Roll on next year when we defend the trophy!

LONGEST DRIVE on the 16th was won by Paul Cullen, Dublin Bus. The combined score lines at the end totaled 495 – 486 in favour of DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE.

The course was, as always, in pristine condition and the golf played by both teams was of an exceptionally high standard

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FIRECALL AUTUMN

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EDUCATION

SUPPORTING THE

NEXT GENERATION The OBI has been home to a number of events over the course of the summer, including family CISM training nights and an art exhibition to immortalise today’s firefighter.

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arlier this year, Dublin Fire Brigade’s Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team held another family night at the OBI, an opportunity to both educate and inform the families of DFB’s latest recruits. Recruit research conducted several years ago highlighted that the first person firefighters will speak to following their first experience of a traumatic event is a member of their family. However, as family members are not generally trained to help them through these experiences, the CISM team established family training nights, to let families know how to talk to someone who has been traumatised, and how to get in touch with the CISM team.

“One of the goals is to bring back the sense of community, that everyone knows each other, that their families know each other’s families,” says A watch No 2 sub officer Adrian O’Grady, who helms the CISM team. “And when that’s in place, a lot more support is available.”

THE NEXT GENERATION

Response by Fiona Brennan

FIRECALL AUTUMN

Adrian is also the brains behind a recent art exhibition held in the OBI in August, which featured a number of students from the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) competing to have their perception of the modern firefighter become part of the OBI’s permanent collection.

“We have got art from years gone by, but nothing of today’s firefighter for future generations.

So what do our sons and daughters see of our life as a firefighter?”

Adrian asks. “It is a pilot project this year, it is small at the moment, but it will build over the years.”

Once contacted by Adrian, the NCAD, and in particular professors Debora Ando and Margaret O’Brien, were thrilled to get involved. Students were brought to the OBI where they were given a taste of what being a firefighter is all about, alongside a

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EDUCATION

Uniform by Jennifer Bowens

tour of the museum and DFB’s history.

“It’s something that these students wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do without this collaboration,” says Professor Debora Ando. “When you see the different approaches that they took, it’s amazing. I think that we have everything here from very representational art to very contemporary approaches, very abstract and [utilising] all different techniques.”

The winning creation was a photograph entitled Response by Fiona Brennan [pictured], which evokes a futuristic view of firefighters, setting the bar high for future exhibitions.

Second place was awarded to Caoimhe O’Dwyer for her ink drawing Undertaking, while third place went to Jennifer Bowens’ Uniform in acrylic, chalk, charcoal and glue.

The exhibition was a great success with visitors including the Chief Fire Officer and the dean from NCAD. Efforts are already underway to enable next year’s exhibition to be even bigger and bolder.

Alongside Debora Ando and Margaret O’Brien from the NCAD, Adrian notes the assistance and support of Breeda Melvin, Bevin Herbert and the DFB Sports and Social Club in getting the inaugural exhibition up and running. “A special mention to Richard McDonal for putting the plinths together for the exhibition, which has been a great help to us,” he adds.

Untitled by Paula Wood

We have got art from years gone by, but nothing of today’s firefighter for future generations. So what do our sons and daughters see of our life as a firefighter?

Adrian O’Grady with NCAD Professors Debora Ando and Margaret O’Brien

FIRECALL AUTUMN

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DRAGON BOAT RACE

ENTER THE DRAGON (RACE) Among the teams at the recent dragon boat regatta held in Dublin was a contingent from DFB. We spoke with team member and firefighter Neal Dempsey to discover more about the sport.

Photo: Jon Esteban Macapagal

A

n ancient Chinese sport dating back more than 2,000 years, dragon boat racing is part of a festival held every year on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar.

According to legend, it originated following the death of poet and warrior Qu Yan, who committed suicide by throwing himself into a river after he fell afoul of corrupt court officials. Unable to find his body, searchers attempted to preserve it by paddling up and down the river, beating drums to scare away evil spirits, and throwing rice into the river to prevent fish from eating his remains.

FIRECALL AUTUMN

Today it has evolved into a modern and competitive sport, with around 50 million people taking part worldwide.

Here in Ireland, dragon boat racing was introduced in the early 1990s – in 2005 the Irish Dragon Boat Association was formed to encourage the development of clubs, standards, training and more.

The most recent dragon boat race, the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Regatta, took place in Dublin on the Grand Canal at Hanover Quay in September, and featured among the many competitors a team from Dublin Fire Brigade.

“Supposedly it’s big enough in Ireland, but I hadn’t really heard of it

until two years ago when we competed in it, more so for a laugh with the lads from work, but also because it was for breast cancer,” says Neal Dempsey, a firefighter on D watch HQ and one of those who took part in the races.

“A dragon boat is a 44-foot boat with a dragon head on the front of it. It’s basically paddle racing where you have a team of up to 16 people sitting side by side in the boat, and they’re given 200, 400 or 500 metre lengths to race against each other.

You have a drummer at the top who is beating a drum to the optimal speed you need to be going in the water.”

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DRAGON BOAT RACE Asked to enter again this year, they put together a strong team in the hopes of putting in a good performance. Before the big day the DFB paddlers, mostly from D watch Townsend Street, took in a training session with a local team known as the Plurabelle Paddlers, based in the Grand Canal Dock. Composed of people who have all been diagnosed with breast cancer, the Plurabelles set up the team to get fit and raise awareness for breast cancer. Since their foundation in 2010, the team has grown to encompass over 60 active members, a coach, and two dragon boats.

“They took us out in one of their boats and showed us the techniques, what we needed to do, little tricks like seating arrangements – who to put up the front, who to put in the back and the middle,” Neal explains. “It was quite good, very informative. We did about an hour and a half to two hours of practice runs, techniques and speed. At the start, you can imagine a group of lads think ‘go as quickly as you can’. They let us do it our way first, and then said ‘let’s try it this way’. They slowed it completely down and showed us the technique. We just cruised through the water then, it was much better when it was much slower.”

The DFB team was also quickly set straight on the difference between rowing and paddling. “The women actually gave out to us when we started saying ‘rowing’,” says Neal. “They told us not to get it confused – rowing is when you’re facing backwards and you’re pulling, whereas paddling is when you’re facing forwards and you’re dragging the water behind you. We were quickly corrected on that!”

Photo: Jon Esteban Macapagal

RACE DAY Despite their efforts beforehand, the going was still quite tough on the day of the race. “We arrived on the day and got going, and I must say it was very tough, even for a lot of the lads on our team who would be fairly fit and do a lot of training. Everyone was gasping after the second race,” says Neal.

Nevertheless, their hard work paid off, and the team, sponsored by the Sports and Social Club, won every race bar the final, quite an achievement for those new to the sport. “We were beaten by a team of women from Carlow who absolutely destroyed us, there was no way we were going to beat them, even on our best day,” Neal says with a laugh.

“They’re paddling together a long time.

They were miles ahead of us. There was a good mixture of people there, there were women in their seventies out on the boat, a lot of male teams, a few teams from the States and over from Europe as well. There was definitely a couple hundred people there, and it was a nice day as well. Hanover Quay is nice when the weather is good.”

It seems that the team has since caught the bug for dragon boat racing.

As Neal explains, several team members have already expressed an interest in tagging along at Plurabelle training sessions, which take place twice a week between March and November and once a week for the rest of the year. “A lot of the lads were actually annoyed that we didn’t win, so they were saying that they’re definitely going to go back next year and get number one,” he says. “Some of the lads are really interested in going down and doing a few training sessions...I wouldn’t mind doing it myself!”

Above and top: the DFB dragon boaters

Before the big day the DFB paddlers, mostly from D watch Townsend Street, took in a training session with a local team known as the Plurabelle Paddlers.

FIRECALL AUTUMN

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LONGFORD COUNTY FIRE & RESCUE CHIEF FIRE OFFICER'S OFFICE, FIRE STATION, TEMPLEMICHAEL, LONGFORD

TELEPHONE: 043 47136 • FAX: 043 41985

Maureen O’Sullivan T.D. JUSTICE - EQUALITY - FAIRNESS Independent TD Dublin Central Working With The Communities

Full-Time Constituency Office T: 618 3488 • E: maureen.osullivan@oireachtas.ie Website: www.maureenosullivan.ie /maureenosullivantd • 239935_2L_MOS_AMA_FC.indd 1

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CIVIL SERVICE LEAGUE

DFB TRIUMPHS IN CIVIL SERVICE LEAGUE Paul McGurrell reports on another exciting Civil Service league final.

Geoff Tracey (centre) receiving the Robbie Kane memorial trophy

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he 2016 Civil Service league and cup tournaments were, as always, a close affair with plenty of entertaining football. The league came down to DFB and Central Bank, level on points, playing out a decider for the title.

On the final day, DFB got out of the traps faster, dominating possession and soon opened up a strong lead, going in 4-1 ahead at half time. Notable in this was a contender for goal of the tournament from DFB centre midfielder Brian Kelly, a 30-yard rocket that both teams applauded.

Central Bank regrouped and came out strong in the second half, grabbing an early goal and having a decent period of pressure. Some excellent defending from an experienced fire brigade defence denied them any more breakthroughs though, and a late strike from the firefighters killed off a comeback, finishing with a final score of 5-2 – DFB were crowned league champions.

DOUBLE TROUBLE Unfortunately, hopes of achieving the double were not to be this year. DFB did reach the cup final and went into the game as strong favourites against the Department of Environment (DOE).

This was a classic cup final with that familiar story of ‘every underdog has his day’. At half-time DFB was only 1-0 up when realistically it should have been four or five, but for the lack of converting chances. This bolstered the DOE players and they took charge in the second half, scoring twice in the space of ten minutes. But with just five minutes left, DFB centre half Aidan O’Sullivan curled in a blistering free kick from outside the box to level the game at 2-2 and send the cup final to extra time.

DFB dominated in extra time but once again failed to convert a number of chances. Just as the game looked destined for penalties, a tired but dogged DOE team pounced on the one late chance they got to win the game 3-2

in the dying seconds. A bitter pill to swallow but an entertaining cup final nonetheless. Respect due to the DOE team who deserved their win.

Thanks as always to the DFB Sports and Social Club for their support and, with their help, this year saw DFB sponsor a new award, given to the man of the match in the cup final. This award is decided on by the referee and linesmen. This year’s recipient was our own Geoff Tracey. Although on the losing side the officials were in agreement that Geoff stood out as the hardest working player on the pitch. The Robbie Kane Memorial Cup that Geoff received is named in honour of our friend and colleague who passed away last year. Robbie was a long term member of the DFB Civil Service team and also the Sportslink committee who host the tournament.

Moving forward, after some difficult years trying to keep player numbers up it has been great to add new recruits Sean Hayden and Rob Corcoran to the fold. With more recruits on the way we hope to boost our numbers and add some more youth to the side as we near the 50th anniversary of the tournament in a couple of years.

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COMMERCIAL FEATURE

SWITCH AND SAVE

Philip Doyle, Managing Director of Ocean.ie, explains how to switch your mortgage protection policy to save on premiums.

Philip Doyle, Managing Director, Ocean.ie

have successfully negotiated better deals for many individuals and groups.

LEGAL REQUIREMENT When you get a mortgage to purchase your PDH (principal private dwelling /home), the lender will ask you to take out a mortgage protection insurance policy and it will be assigned against the mortgage/loan and kept in the lender’s possession as long as the loan is outstanding.

This type of policy is designed to pay off the outstanding mortgage/loan on the death and/or serious illness of the borrower or joint borrower.

In nearly all cases, the lender is legally required under Section 126 of the Consumer Credit Act 1995 to make sure that you have a mortgage protection policy in existence before giving you a mortgage/loan. However, if the lender offers a particular type of mortgage protection policy, it’s most important to note that you are not obliged to purchase it.

What they may fail to tell you is that you can actually shop around for a policy that suits your particular needs. Your lender cannot decline your mortgage because just because you don’t buy the mortgage protection policy it offers. Aside from the general ‘Rip-off Republic’ culture that prevailed amongst many financial institutions at the time, there is now much better actuarial pricing of risk which also underlies the fact that people are living longer…even smokers!

5 REASONS TO SWITCH AND SAVE

I

f you are a Dublin Fire Brigade employee, recruit or an immediate family member, then you might be able to save serious money on your mortgage protection insurance premiums and still get the same cover or better. While fire brigade personnel may have a relatively dangerous job, from an insurance standpoint the life risk profile is actually relatively better than those with more sedentary employment. So if you are still paying for a mortgage protection policy which you took out previously, you are conceivably being effectively fleeced by needlessly large premiums.

Ocean.ie has provided mortgage brokerage and lower cost insurance services to many DFB employees and

1. During the boom years you were charged boom prices which you are still paying.

2. In many cases you took out expensive insurance with your lender or their preferred provider, but you can easily change your policy without changing your mortgage. As long as you have a new policy in place before you cancel the old one the bank cannot object.

3. Mortgage cover rates are dropping because people are living longer.

4. The EU Gender Directive – discriminatory pricing in favour of women was outlawed in 2012. Men can now save a whopping 49 per cent or more on the premiums if you seek a fresh quote.

5. Switching and saving is easy – you just run a quote on www.ocean.ie/fire. We then get a lower quote (for the same amount of cover) and the policy can even be signed online.

Call Philip or Terry on 01 869 3400 or visit www.ocean.ie/fire to see how much you could save. There is a special scheme for DFB employees where you can also get an additional s200 cashback on top of whatever saving you will make by switching.

PHD Financial Services Ltd t/a Ocean.ie is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

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21/10/2016 12:46

FAMILY FUN DAY

Family Fun

AT THE OBI

There was plenty of fun and games at the OBI Training Centre in Marino, as the families of DFB members enjoyed the food and entertainment on offer at the recent family day.

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he annual Sports and Social Club family fun day was held at the OBI on Sunday August 28th, with DFB members and their families enjoying the fun, food and entertainment on tap.

Bouncing castles, Minions, cotton candy, ice cream and a very popular inflatable zip wire kept the kids entertained on another great day, with even the weather playing its part with a cool 19°. As always, a huge thank you to the OBI Training Centre for hosting yet another fantastic family day, and we’re already looking forward to next year!

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FAMILY FUN DAY

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FAMILY FUN DAY

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FAMILY FUN DAY

Photos: Simon Finglas

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21/10/2016 17:53

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

WORKING TOGETHER Dublin Port Company maintains an excellent relationship with Dublin Fire Brigade, aided by the SEVESO exercises carried out each year.

D

ublin Port is the premier port on the island of Ireland with a land space of 260 hectares managing various port operations at any one time.

Dublin Port Company (DPC) has an excellent relationship with Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB), probably best demonstrated in the SEVESO exercises carried out during the year.

The term ‘SEVESO’ stems from a chemical incident that occurred in 1976 in the Italian town of Seveso in Italy, which resulted in many injuries.

On foot of that incident, safety levels were raised and mandatory

emergency exercises were directed to be carried out where there are industrial plants that operate with large quantities of fuels, waste and other dangerous substances.

When a SEVESO exercise is being conducted, the lead agency is DFB. DFB calls a brief of the proposed exercise a month prior to the event.

Those invited are representatives of the company who is hosting the exercise e.g. TOP Oil, environmental agencies, the HSE, An Garda Siochána, DPC and DFB. On the day, the alarm is raised and the exercise activated. DPC’s role

is to alert the emergency services, clear the area, establish a safe cordon, traffic management and provide support to the emergency services.

At this stage of the operation, DFB are in overall control, however DPC has a senior officer with their command at all times. That role is to provide requested information such as strategic vessel data, infrastructure demands and support.

There is always a hot debrief immediately following the exercise and one month later a detailed cold debrief with all parties attending.

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RACE READY

HITTING THE CITY STREETS

DFB’s BHAA team

It’s been a busy few weeks and months for DFB’s runners – we spoke with No 8 firefighter Brian Tracey about this summer’s BHAA race in the OBI, and his participation in the latest Ironman event in Dublin.

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ublin Fire Brigade’s O’Brien Training Institute is a busy place. Alongside hosting the latest batch of recruits, training courses for DFB personnel and members of the public, and a recent art exhibition in partnership with the National College of Art and Design, the training college also recently played host to the Dublin Fire Brigade hosted Business Houses Athletic Association (BHAA) race, part of a yearly series of 25 races facilitated by the BHAA. Each race is hosted by a different organisation, ranging from Bank of Ireland to the ESB, and Dublin Fire Brigade’s turn came on Sunday July 31st. Planning begins about three months before the race, as the organisers piece together the various items required, from food and hydration to race equipment and the prizes.

“It takes the help of about six or seven

firefighters as a committee to organise it.

Each has a different part to organise – the guards must be contacted to help with the management of the roads, you have to get insurance from one of the bodies that insures the BHAA,” explains Brian Tracey, organiser and firefighter at No 8.

“You also have to get permission from the chief fire officer and the brigade training officer, and you have to get clearance to use brigade vehicles – they have been just so accommodating. Rosa Vickers has been just amazing. She provided us with prizes – first prize for the first firefighter was a lovely fire brigade crystal trophy.”

On the day a total of nine firefighters took part in the race, with the Sports and Social Club facilitating free entry – BHAA runners from within the host organisation are unable to take part under the rules, but are awarded maximum points. The race went off without a hitch, partly enabled by the fantastic facilities the organisers could avail of at the OBI. “You have parking and the facilities within the building – changing, showers... everything that a race would need to have,” Brian agrees. “The church itself is absolutely fabulous, really good for presentations because they’ve got a PA system. We were really lucky that assistant chief fire officer Dennis Keeley came out and presented the prizes. It’s a really nice event for the fire brigade to have.”

TACKLING IRONMAN While DFB BHAA runners were unable to compete in the race in July, Brian took to the city’s streets as part of 2016’s Ironman 70.3 event – comprising a 1.2 mile swim off the coast of Dún Laoghaire, a 56 mile bike ride through the city, followed by a 13.1 mile run

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RACE READY

Each race is hosted by a different organisation, ranging from Bank of Ireland to the ESB, and Dublin Fire Brigade’s turn came on Sunday July 31st.

Brian Tracey. Photo: Paddy Price

through the Phoenix Park. This year was Brian’s first Ironman, something which has long featured on his bucket list.

“My son was diagnosed with cancer last November. He was a three year old boy when he was diagnosed, and from November until early March we spent the bulk of our time in Our Lady’s Hospital and St. John’s Ward,” Brian tells me. During one of those days in January he got a call from a friend and fellow member of the Pulse triathlon club, asking if he would be interested in taking part in the Ironman challenge.

As the next major event – the Dublin City marathon – was a long way off in October, Brian decided to sign up.

“I needed something to focus on.

I signed up in late January for the Ironman, I actually signed up while I was in the ward and my son was on chemotherapy,” he explains. “It was a motivator to get out and actually have

something to do, because we spent so many hours in there that, when I was out, I didn’t know what to be doing with my time. I decided that the best way to get out of the house was to go out and go swimming, do my cycling and do my running, and focus entirely on doing the Ironman. Everybody has a bucket list – one of mine was to do an Ironman, and I couldn’t think of any better reason than to just keep my head clear while we were going through everything with Michael.”

It certainly worked, providing him with something to focus on, particularly while Brian and his family spent a month in Holland as Michael received specialist treatment. As somebody had to be at the hospital at all times, that meant that either Brian or his wife were by themselves in a strange country. “So what I did was I got out and I ran, I cycled and my wife did

Firefighters from No 8 fundraising in Tallaght Shopping Centre recently. Photo: Paddy Barrett

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RACE READY other things. It was just about keeping your mind clear and focused, and having a reason to do stuff, not so much to sit around and just ponder Michael’s cancer or his treatment or the things he was going through,” says Brian.

For many of us, (or perhaps just me) tackling an Ironman is a pipe dream that is almost unimaginable, a feat of strength and endurance that takes a particular mindset to complete. However, while some might view it as a particularly difficult challenge, Brian had a different experience, as a result of his own experiences over the past months. “I honestly don’t believe that it was hard.

It was an endurance event and it takes a lot to do it – it takes a strong, fit person.

But I didn’t see it as hard, because even though I was going through extreme pain, especially in the last lap of the run... the hardship that I’ve seen on the ward with the kids, they’re so young having to go through that and they didn’t complain once,” he explains. “If I had started complaining it would just have been sad to see an adult complaining about having to complete another seven miles when there’s children on that ward, children constantly battling something that hard and horrible. Doing an Ironman was actually a pure joy, it was like a release. It was like every bit of frustration, every bit of anger that I had went onto that course, and I enjoyed every single minute of it.”

FUNDRAISING Michael’s treatment in Holland was made possible by The Gavin Glynn Foundation – while the government paid for the treatment, the foundation paid for the flights, accommodation and spending money necessary for those four weeks. The foundation was established by the parents of Gavin Glynn, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer known as Rhabdomyosarcoma in October 2011, at the age of just 18 months. Gavin passed away in October 2014, and since then his parents and the foundation have helped many children with cancer to travel abroad to receive treatment, assisting with transportation, accommodation, food and living expenses, and travel packs which include toys for travelling children

No 8 raised an impressive f3,400 for The Gavin Glynn Foundation. Photo: Paddy Barrett. Right: Brian and his son Michael at the end of the Ironman

and their siblings. Without government funding the foundation is totally reliant on fundraisers and donations.

“The Gavin Glynn Foundation swept in and looked after all of that so we didn’t have to even think when it came to going to Holland – all we had to do was make sure he had his E112 form signed off, and we got him over there for his treatment,” Brian tells me. “Gavin Glynn were just amazing to us, they’re just an amazing foundation, and 100 per cent of the donations go to the family.”

Now four years old, Michael is officially in remission, all of his tests have been completed, and the family managed to get away on holiday for the first time in two-and-a-half years. “He’s doing extremely well, he’s almost back to his full fitness and to himself, for which we’re so blessed. He’s great, he would put you to shame!” says Brian.

To give back to The Gavin Glynn Foundation and to help raise some much-needed funds for this vital service, Brian, alongside fellow firefighters in Rathfarnham, held a fundraising day in Tallaght shopping centre in September.

Plenty of DFB personnel lent a hand on the day, a local Crumlin man brought along his 1967 American fire tenders, while Batman and Spiderman also put in an appearance. In total, d3,400 was raised on the day, which will go to the foundation’s work in supporting families around the country.

“We support all children diagnosed

Brian took to the city’s streets as part of 2016’s Ironman 70.3 event. with cancer in Ireland that need to travel overseas for specialist treatment. It’s just through fundraising – we run a number of events throughout the year which we organise ourselves, but a lot of other people run their individual fundraisers as well, and then donate the money to the foundation to support all other families that need to travel overseas for treatment,” says John Glynn, founder and director of The Gavin Glynn Foundation. “It’s hugely beneficial, because as Brian knows too well himself, we would have done a number of other fundraisers for either Brian or for other families that needed to travel. I suppose Brian is a testament to exactly what we do, and where exactly the money goes to – straight to the foundation.”

For more information about the Gavin Glynn Foundation or how you can help, visit thegavinglynnfoundation.ie.

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INTERNATIONAL FIREFIGHTERS

Breaking

RECORDS After a false start in 2015, DFB’s Rachael Lee has completed the gruelling Channel swim in an Irish record time. Conor Forrest spoke with Rachael to discover more about her training regimen, supportive friends and family, and the experience of swimming with jellyfish.

F

or some of us, spending an hour in the swimming pool would be enough to call it a day. What about almost 10 hours in the English Channel? In August, Dublin Fire Brigade’s Rachael Lee did just that, swimming the Channel in 9 hours 40 minutes, breaking the Irish record (previously held by her partner Tom Healy) in the process.

Rachael’s first attempt at a solo crossing took place last year, but she has been swimming since an early age to an international standard.

When she turned 18 she began doing sea swims, completing a mile in the saltwater at weekends. In 2008 she completed a two-way Channel relay with Dublin Fire Brigade, which also broke the Irish record, completing innumerable swims ever since. Her partner Tom undertook the Channel swim in 2012, breaking the then Irish record with a time of 9 hours 51 minutes. “I thought that was really impressive, incredible to watch, with all of his training and hard work, and the tough conditions that he swam in.

I was really in awe of him,” she says.

PREPARATION Following a break from the world of swimming after having twin boys, Rachael completed the 26km Lake Zurich swim in 2013, which she won with a time of 7 hours. Bolstered by her success, she booked a Channel swim for 2015, though told nobody else at the time. Having trained hard for the intervening two years, her attempt last year ultimately had to be abandoned after five hours. “This freak storm came, so I was swimming in a force 7 or 8, and it was just really dangerous – they were losing me, I was going under the boat,” she recalls. “They dragged me out, and when we were going back to Dover in the boat, I could actually see how dangerous it was.”

Undeterred, Rachael booked another swim for 2016, determined to reach her goal. Her pilot, Eddie Spelling, refused to charge her for anything but fuel and crew for the second trip as a matter of honour.

Rachael spent the last year training furiously, rising at 4am, swimming before and after work and whenever she could get a window. Swimming in

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CHANNEL SWIM

Putting her head down and pumping her arms, Rachael eventually reached the French coast in an Irish record time of 9 hours 40 minutes.

Below: Rachael was aided by friends and family in her successful swim. Above: Rachael making her way across the Channel

particular can be a lonely affair – it’s far easier to secure a partner when exercising on land. “You’re quite on your own when you’re training, because nobody wants to swim for four or five hours in the pool with you, nevermind the sea,” says Rachael.

TAKING THE PLUNGE D-day came on August 14th, and Rachael entered the sea at Dover, a 32km swim ahead of her through choppy ocean towards Cap Gris Nez. During the first two hours in the water, Rachael describes her head being in “a really bad place, I’ve never felt that bad,” perhaps as a result of having sat around for several days while she waited to swim, which can be mentally draining. However as the clock ticked onwards, she settled into a familiar rhythm and began to enjoy the experience, despite the presence of more than a few compass jellyfish.

“Some people swim in the Channel and they never get stung, but I’m just very unlucky!” she says with a laugh.

“They were stinging my face, they were stinging me everywhere. But

you’re not going to get out because of a few jellyfish, you’ve paid too much money, put in too much time. It was nothing I wasn’t prepared for.”

After 7 hours 30 minutes, France appeared on the horizon and any thoughts of slowing were instantly dispelled. Putting her head down and pumping her arms, Rachael eventually reached the French coast in an Irish record time of 9 hours 40 minutes, with the previous record holder on board with her pilot nearby, without whom she says she wouldn’t have been able to achieve her goal.

“Tom has been nothing but supportive, I couldn’t have done the swim without him. He’s been with me every step of the way – when I’ve been training he’s been there minding the kids, making sure I’m eating right, making sure I have my sessions right,” Rachael explains.

“Every Sunday we would sit down and plan what I was going to do, how we were going to work around training for the week. When he could he would get in with me and swim. He’s just been incredible.”

Also on the boat was Rachael’s best friend Susan Dillon, who doubles as a coach; friend Yvonne McCarthy and Tom’s mum, all of whom supported her in her attempt last year as well.

Her own parents have been drafted in as childminders on a number of occasions, as have her brothers.

“There’s no such thing as a solo swim, you really have to depend on friends and family for support. And thanks so much to the Dublin Fire Brigade Sports and Social Club who helped me finance the swim,” she adds.

THE NEXT STEPS Despite having achieved something many people can only dream about, Rachael doesn’t plan on taking it easy. As well as seeking to coach open water swimmers and triathletes who hope to cross the Channel, she’s already thinking about hitting the pool again and entering competitions.

For now, as life returns to normal, Rachael is still trying to wrap her head around the achievement, though it’s bound to sink in sooner or later. “It was long and hard but very worth it. I did the swim on a Sunday and I was home on the Monday. It’s just back to normality now, back to work, and it’s like it never happened. Sometimes I have to think to myself to say I’ve done it.”

Nevertheless, looking back she’s delighted that she has it under her belt. “I trained so hard for this that I know I deserve it, the amount of stuff I and my family have sacrificed in order to do this swim,” she says. “It’s just been brilliant.”

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NEW STAFF

Fresh

FACES T

his year has been one of changing faces for Dublin Fire Brigade – new recruits joining the brigade, older hands retiring, and officers promoted through the ranks.

Among the latest batch of officers was District Officer Robert Tierney. D/O Tierney joined DFB in 1996, first posted to Kilbarrack as a new recruit, followed by stints in North Strand and Townsend Street. In 2007 he got his first promotion to sub officer, and was posted to B watch Dolphin’s Barn. Four years later he was on the move again, this time to B watch Finglas as the station officer.

His latest promotion was made official in December 2015, and he took up the post of Foxtrot D/O on D watch.

We spoke with D/O Robert Tierney, one of the latest District Officers to be appointed in Foxtrot district, about how he’s settling into his new role.

D/O Tierney explains that the application process is slightly different than that of a sub officer or station officer. While the latter must complete a written exam followed by an interview, the district officer process involves being assessed by a Third Officer and two retired D/Os via a computer-aided incident scenario, on how they control and manage the situation. “They have a dynamic scenario up on a screen – they could change it if they wanted to – and you as the incident commander have to manage it, deploy the resources and try and resolve the situation safely.

You are marked on your capability of doing that,” he explains. “After that it was an interview process in Dublin City Council, with an assistant chief, a

retired chief and a civilian from Dublin City Council HR on the panel. It’s quite a daunting experience because you would have very senior station officers going for the role – historically it would have been the most senior S/Os that would get promoted to district officer.

I was very pleased to be successful.”

CHANGING ROLE The move from station officer to district officer brings with it a number of changes – D/Os may not work as closely with crews on incidents, while they must be a lot more mobile within their district. There’s also a lot more peer reliance, particularly for those new to the role – seeking the advice or opinion of senior D/Os as to how they might

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NEW STAFF handle a particular situation. “There’s a lot more interaction with other agencies, especially in Foxtrot district,” D/O Tierney adds. “The Airport is one of our biggest sites and you’re up there quite a bit liaising with their people, doing interagency exercises. Then we have two retained stations in Foxtrot as well, which is part of the management plan of the district officer. It’s certainly a lot different from being a station officer.”

With Finglas as his base, D/O Tierney makes it a priority to visit at least one of the four stations in Foxtrot district during each shift, ensuring that leave forms are signed, paperwork is up to date, and that all stations have the required equipment and PPE. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the role for D/O Tierney is the emphasis on human resource management that may not fall under the responsibilities of a station officer.

“The station officer will manage the crew that they’re with at that time, whereas the district officer will have to manage all the crews in the district, including the station officers,” he explains. “And with the two retained stations as well, you’re certainly trying to assist them in their job because they’re doing a full time job as it is, they’re turning out at all hours day and night, seven days a week. So you’re there to assist the retained, make sure their skills are up to date, that they have the appropriate equipment and that they’re available to respond. There is an awful lot more to it than I expected – it’s challenging but it’s quite rewarding.”

CHALLENGES D/O Tierney also notes the challenge of liaising with other agencies and colleagues within DFB. “Because we work a shift system and it’s 24/7, when you do arrange an appointment to see somebody they might not be on duty themselves. People who work normal 9-5 jobs Monday to Friday, they think we’re unavailable a lot of the time because we work weekends or nights. It’s a shame that we can’t have more interaction with the outside agencies, and that can be a challenging aspect to the job.” This is something D/O Tierney is looking to

Having been promoted to D/O in December 2015, D/O Tierney has had a number of months to settle into the job, to get to know the intricacies of his new role, and to consider how he will make his own mark on Foxtrot district.

D/O Robert Tierney

change. Having previously worked with the Airport Police Fire Service there are many officers, firefighters and police there with whom he has a connection, raising the possibility of a much closer working relationship.

“That’s one of the things I would like to bring to the job; that there’s a closer working relationship between the Airport and ourselves,” he says.

With the recent incident at the Oberstown children’s detention campus fresh on many minds, ensuring that plans are in place to deal with incidents at large facilities within Foxtrot district is also high on the agenda. “We try and make sure we are familiar with bigger facilities that have a lot of footfall, identifying the risks

before anything happens. Forewarned is very important as a D/O, and that’s one of the jobs that you really have to push yourself to keep at.”

Having been promoted to D/O in December 2015, D/O Tierney has had a number of months to settle into the job, to get to know the intricacies of his new role, and to consider how he will make his own mark on Foxtrot district. “It’s very rewarding, I am enjoying it, there’s no aspect of it that I would like to change,” he says. “There are challenges ahead for the service in relation to resources on an ongoing basis at the moment – we are challenged to keep resources on the road and that is our primary concern. But I embrace it all and I’m finding it quite rewarding.”

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Volunteer hikers were in plentiful supply throughout the month. Photo: Sarah Good

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FIRST AID

FIRST ON THE SCENE Firecall editor Conor Forrest recently took part in day one of the three-day Occupational First Aid (OFA) course at the O’Brien Training Institute, learning more than he had expected.

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t’s not an entirely uncommon scenario. An ordinary member of the public is out walking through the city when they see a man collapsing to the ground, complaining of chest pain and discomfort along with shortness of breath. They might panic, unsure of what to do, apart from calling the emergency services. Or, if they have been instructed in how to give first aid, they could make the difference between life and death, stabilising the patient before the ambulance arrives.

Having been encouraged by a number of people over the past few months to undertake a first aid course, in the event anything might happen at Firecall’s offices, I arrived bright and early at the OBI on a sunny morning last June alongside six other trainees, all of whom seemed to work in one of the city’s public libraries.

My first introduction to this new

and nervousness-inducing world was courtesy of our instructor for the day, Hugh Keeley, who joined DFB in 1997 and currently serves on C watch in Donnybrook.

Despite having studied biology to the Leaving Cert (not by choice), I wondered how I would manage to take in the amount of technical terms and medical information that I was sure would be fired my way throughout the day.

I needn’t have worried.

Comprising a mix of practical and easily digestible information on the intricacies of patient assessment, respiratory emergencies and cardiac first response, the course was broken down in a manner that us ordinary folk on the street could understand without much difficulty.

Hugh was full of interesting information and anecdotes throughout the day, including the

possibility of using a crisp bag to stop air sucking in and to allow blood to drain out following a stab wound to the ribs or lungs, albeit in the absence of a more conventional medical solution.

First up was an introduction to the world of the first aider, from the responsibility of those practicing first aid to regulations and legislation, and we were warned about acting negligently and the need to secure a scene before you begin your work, a lesson which is undoubtedly part and parcel of everyday life in DFB, but may be less than second nature to us civilians.

Next up was what we had all been waiting for, the practical demonstrations – checking for a response, carrying out primary and secondary surveys, hauling our makeshift patients into the

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FIRST AID

SOBERING LESSONS Perhaps one of the more striking lessons learned that day was about fibrillation, and the actual use of the defibrillator. From the point of view of the general public, it’s probably fair to say that the defibrillator is seen as a tool to fix all manner of problems. One of the attendees (naming no names) was particularly shocked by the revelation that the heart itself is not restarted by the defibrillator; the defibrillator stops ventricular fibrillation which is a useless quivering of the heart that results in no output – blame Hollywood for that misconception.

Speaking to me afterwards, Hugh

Demonstrating correct CPR procedure

The course includes both theoretical and practical aspects

was very vocal on the need for people on the street with first aider skills, as they provide a vital stopgap while the emergency services are en route. “They are vital. They are the first three links in the chain of survival, and what we do adds to what they have done already. If they’ve got stuck in and they know first aid and they’re able to do as much as they can for the sick, ill or injured person before we arrive, it makes a massive difference to the outcome of the health and wellbeing of the patient. If nobody does anything for the patient or if they’re just left lying on the ground, when we arrive we have a hard job to make things right again,” he states. “The first aider is vital and it’s very important that [they are] in the workplace, in schools and community centres etc. And that they have the equipment – ideally, if the budget will run to it, if there’s a defibrillator in the centre or the school or the workplace, the first aider can start using that long before we even get there, and it might make the difference between life or death.”

As for the course itself, Hugh notes that anybody can do it, with just a few simple prerequisites.

“You don’t need anything apart from an enthusiasm and a willingness to learn,” he adds.

“So long as you come with the right attitude then we can show you all of the skills over the three days, and you’ll learn a lot.”

While the librarians continued their studies for another two days, my first day was also unfortunately my last. However, it’s fair to say that in that day I learned more about first aid and life saving techniques than I have in my entire life, from the correct way to do CPR to the use of aspirin in cardiac cases. I hope to return some day in the not so distant future to complete the full three-day course and receive my certificate as a qualified first aider – from what I’ve seen and learned, it could be worth its weight in gold.

Hugh was very vocal on the need for people on the street with first aider skills, as they provide a vital stop-gap while the emergency services are en route.

REVOLUTIONARY

recovery position, and best practice when dealing with a patient suffering from spinal injuries, among others.

The portable defibrillator was the brainchild of Professor James ‘Frank’ Pantridge, a doctor and cardiologist who was awarded the British Military Cross for his role in defending Singapore from the Japanese during World War II, and later became a prisoner-of-war.

Appointed as a cardiac consultant to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast in 1950, Pantridge introduced cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with his colleague Dr John Geddes by 1957. Recognising that thousands of deaths were occurring due to ventricular defibrillation, with many taking place in the first hour, Pantridge developed a portable defibrillator along with Geddes and a technician at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Alfred Mawhinney.

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Volunteer hikers were in plentiful supply throughout the month. Photo: Sarah Good

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GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

Head to Head The 2016 All Ireland Fire Services Golf Championships was held at Castleknock Golf Club in September. Ray Campion reports.

S

eptember means one thing to fire service golfers around the country, the All Ireland Fire Services Championships hosted by Dublin Fire Brigade Sports and Social Club. This year’s event was once again held at the premier golf links of Castleknock Golf Club. Over 80 golfers turning out to compete for the coveted trophy and title of All Ireland champions made it a great success.

As with any outdoor sporting event the most important factor is

the weather. We were blessed with a beautiful day of sunshine and moderate winds, making the course a little tricky.

This year’s first tee time was at 9:30am and paired Kildare Fire Service with one of the DFB teams. Kevin Conroy, Paddy Martin, Colm McDonagh and Conor Moynahan represented Kildare while the early starters from Dublin included Colm Sherlock, Ken Kavanagh, Danny Colgan and more.

HITTING THE COURSE As the first tee box saw the early

starters get away, teams began to arrive. The cup arrived in the hands of Jimmy Gilhooly of Westmeath Fire Service, the holders of the cup for the past year. They arrived with high hopes of retaining their crown, but it would not be their year. As the teams gathered on the first tee it became a bit crowded but to the credit of all, there were no complaints about the delays.

In the clubhouse all the teams were greeted by our by now honorary firefighter Colm Kinsella.

Without Colm the day would not

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GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

Rod Leahy, Eric Boland, Terry Mehan and Paddy Butler

Kerry McLoughlin of Northern Ireland with his playing partners

Kerry McLoughlin and playing partners

As with any outdoor sporting event, the most important factor is the weather. we were blessed with a beautiful day of sunshine and moderate winds, making the course a little tricky. have been the success it was and has been since his involvement.

He is our handicap secretary, our treasurer, our marker and our voice of reason and sense. Thanks a million Colm for all your work.

As teams arrived to check in they received a complimentary bag of golf balls, tees and other goodies, courtesy of DUBCO credit union.

By 1pm all teams were on the course and as they rounded the 9th hole they were all greeted by our now resident burgermaster Luke (service with a

smile!) McCann with a tasty burger and a beer. For some it was once again the highlight of their round!

We had three extra prizes on the day of nearest the pin and longest drive and a special fundraiser on the 18th. The nearest the pin was on the 9th where Conor Morris, with a superb 9 iron, hit with a touch of fade and a controlled amount of back spin, was closest at under two feet – at least that’s how Conor described it! The longest drive was won with a cracking hit by Sean Foley; it was

a target many tried to reach but nobody was able to outdo Sean.

‘Tee It Up for Frodo’ was the theme of the fundraiser on the 18th hole with a nearest the marker competition.

We would like to thank young Ross Campion for all his help, spending the day walking back and forth from tee to green. Well done Ross! Since last year’s event we lost our friend and colleague Ian McCormack to cancer. It was a pleasure to have known Ian and an honour to have been involved in last year’s fundraiser, raising over d15,000

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Volunteer hikers were in plentiful supply throughout the month. Photo: Sarah Good

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GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

Top to bottom: Ray Campion with Martin Halstead and Kevin Moran, this year’s winners; Ray and Ross Campion with Gemma and Freya Hanley McCormack; Ray and his son Ross, who was presented with floating golf balls for all his hard work

Dermot Murray, Jim Brennan, Joe Watson and Robbie Connolly

for Ian and his family. To continue the memory of Ian and his involvement over the years in this event, we raised over d500. A sincere thanks to all who contributed on the day.

VICTORS As the day progressed and scores came in, it was clear that the course was playing harder than previous years with a score in the mid-90s looking a likely winning target. John Foster’s team of Colm Sherlock, Danny Colgan and Pat O’Riordan would once again be among the prizes with a score of 95 points, but would not see their names appear on the trophy for a fourth time. Westmeath’s two teams came in with prize winning scores but would both fall short of retaining the cup. B watch was well represented again this year with several teams including Ali Collier, Noel Keegan, John Phelan and many more.

Castleknock once again presented the course in pristine condition. The greens were up to the standard we have grown to expect from this top

class venue. We would like to thank Ryan and all his team, especially Colleen, for their professionalism and assistance throughout the day.

It would be a team of three retired DFB members and one serving firefighter who would eventually bring in the winning score of 96 points.

Previous two-time winners of the cup Martin Halstead, Eddie Stuart, Kevin Moran and Niall O’Reilly proved to be the eventual winners of the 2016 Championship, taking the victory by the narrow margin of one shot from John Foster and his team.

So, congratulations to all our winners and sincere thanks to all who turned up on the day. We had teams from many parts of the country and as usual it was a pleasure to welcome our teams from Northern Ireland once again. To our sponsors Dublin Fire Brigade Sports and Social Club and DUBCO credit union – without their support this event would not take place. We offer our heartfelt thanks and hope we can rely on their continued support in the future.

1ST Kevin Moran, Martin Halstead, Eddie Stuart, Niall O’Reilly (96 points) 2ND John Foster, Colm Sherlock, Danny Colgan, Pat O’Riordan (95 points, Back/nine) 3RD Seamus Conroy, Martin Little, Leo McLoughlin, Jim Baker (95 points) 4TH Jimmy Gilhooly, Robbie Finnigan, Tony Sheehan, Ray McLoughlin (93 points, Back/nine) 5TH Noel Keegan, Jim King, John Phelan, Sean Foley (93 points) 6TH Ken Kavanagh, Conor Morris, Eric Boland, Paddy Butler (92 points) LONGEST DRIVE: Sean Foley NEAREST THE PIN: Conor Morris NEAREST THE MARKER: Ray McLoughlin

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EMERGENCY SERVICES SPECIAL OFFER Produce your Emergency Services Identification Card and receive €5.00 OFF your round of golf.

Offer runs October 2016 – March 2017

FOR MORE INFORMATION E-Mail - info@castleknockgolfclub.ie Tel - 01 6408736 Castleknock_latest.indd 1

20/10/2016 16:54

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE Aviva Stadium offers visitors the chance to experience a spectacular venue bristling with history.

A

viva Stadium will take your breath away with its architecture, atmosphere and impressive heritage.

Tucked away in the leafy suburb of Ballsbridge, Aviva Stadium is built on the exact location as the old Lansdowne Road Stadium. Not many Dubliners know that Aviva Stadium is the oldest test rugby ground in the world which is still in use. The first rugby international was held in March 1878 between Ireland and England.

And if this doesn’t impress

much, we hold another world record.

The first ever International athletics match was held on Lansdowne Road in June 1976 between Ireland and England. Back then, same as today, coming to Lansdowne Road was a very special occasion.

Today, we host events nearly every day of the year, from small corporate meetings to big conferences attended by thousands of people. When the stadium is not used for matches or concerts, the stadium tours run seven days a week, offering a unique backstage

experience. If you pass by Aviva Stadium you will notice the unique shape of the stadium, reminiscent of an ancient Greek theatre. This unique design and the translucent cladding allowed for the stadium to be built on a very small patch of land. Aviva Stadium is also a champion in sustainability and we became the world’s first ISO5001 certified stadium.

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The course has hosted many Golfing Union of Ireland amateur tournaments and in addition has been used as a qualifying venue for the Irish Open in the 1980’s.

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REUNION

Standing from the back left: Victor Pointon, Dermot Dowdall, Brian Finney, Niall Farrell, Fintan Lalor, Terry O’Neill, Mick Finglas Larry Madden, Danny Colgan, Tom Byrne, Patrick Duggan, Michael Daly and Jeremiah Greally. Seated training officers: D/O Jim Byrne, D/O Frank Collins, F/F Alan O’Rourke, Third Officer John L’Estrange CLASS 2 AUGUST 3rd 1976.

Back L-R: A O’Rourke, D Dowdall.

N Farrell, M Murphy, J O’Byrne, L Madden, S Haugh, T Byrne, T O’Neill, H Madden, J Power, V Poynton, P Harrisson, Middle L-R: B O’Toole, F Rock, K Moran, M Daly, M Finglas, B Finney, F Lalor, M Patterson, P Leap, J Giles, R Greene, M Mc Dermott, Front L-R: R Leavy, J Coyne, S/OFF F Collins, S/O J Bell, 3rd OFF J Kiernan, P Duggan, J Greally, D Colgan.

CLASS OF

Jeremiah Greally reports on the 40 year reunion of Class 2 1976, who shared memories and recalled those who have since passed on.

T

he firefighters of Class 2 1976 had a jovial reunion on September 1st at the Central Hotel on Exchequer Street in Dublin. The 26 recruit firefighters began their training at Kilbarrack fire station on August 3rd 1976. This was the same year that the Apple computer company was formed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Heffo’s army defeated Kerry in the All Ireland Football final and the Concorde entered service on

transatlantic flights. All of this group of firefighters have now retired and there were lots of fond memories and discussions on the night.

Tributes were paid to the training officers: Third Officer Joe Kiernan (RIP), Third Officer Joe Bell (RIP), Third Officer John L’Estrange, District Officer Frank Collins and District Officer Harry Lawlor. All the officers did a sterling job moulding 26 lay people from all walks of life to become professional firefighters and work as a

Twenty-six recruits assembled at Kilbarrack Fire Station to learn the craft and techniques required to become professional firefighters team. Also remembered on the night were some members of this group that have gone to their eternal reward, namely Firefighter Peter Leap (RIP), Sub Officer Gerry O’Byrne (RIP), Firefighter Frank Rock (RIP), Third Officer Martin McDermott (RIP), Third Officer Joe Kiernan (RIP), and Third Officer Joe Bell (RIP).

The summer of 1976 will be remembered by many as one of the best summers we have had in the last 40 years. Twenty-six recruits assembled at Kilbarrack fire station to learn the craft and techniques required to become professional firefighters and ambulance personnel. The 14-week training was tough and gruelling but the rewards were to be felt for the rest of our careers. We have seen many changes and improvements in the fire service in the last 40 years and I would like to state that today’s firefighters who also work as ambulance personnel and paramedics are as professional and competent as can be found anywhere in the world, and provide an excellent service to the citizens of Dublin city and county.

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FRONTLINE PARADE

ON THE FRONTLINE A number of personnel from a range of emergency services across Ireland took part in a parade and demonstration through the streets of Dublin city centre on Saturday September 17th.

A

n annual event that continues to grow in popularity each year, the country’s emergency services took to the streets of Dublin in September as part of the Frontline Emergency and Security Services Éire Forum (FESSEF) parade, marching from Parnell Square to the quad in Trinity College.

Led by members of An Garda Síochána on motorbikes and bicycles, the marchers included Irish Army

Marchers from the various emergency services, including the Irish Prison Service, Coast Guard, An Garda Síochána, RNLI, Airport Fire Service and Dublin Fire Brigade paraded along the route on the day, drawing an interested crowd of spectators

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FRONTLINE PARADE

the garda band, and the irish prison service and dfb pipe bands, provided some rousing marching tunes along the way. veterans, members of the Irish Prison Service, An Garda Síochána and Dublin Fire Brigade, the Civil Defence, National Ambulance Service, the RLNI, Order of Malta and many more. Crowds gathered along O’Connell Street, particularly in front of the GPO, to catch a glimpse of the marchers and various emergency vehicles, including a strikingly orange tender which

arrived from Dublin Airport.

The Garda Band, and the Irish Prison Service and DFB Pipe Bands, provided some rousing marching tunes along the way, much to the delight of the tourists who accidentally wandered onto the unusual scene.

“I think Dublin Fire Brigade always welcome the opportunity to engage with the Dublin public,

to show them some of the tools of our trade and to interact with them, and to demonstrate a level of appreciation...of them for us and us for them,” said Assistant Chief Fire Officer Dennis Keeley. “It has been a wonderful event today, very well received by the public. Dublin Fire Brigade has been involved in this event since its inception, and we are proud to be part of that.”

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FRONTLINE PARADE

Top: Dublin Fire Brigade colour party. Left: the Garda Dog and Mounted units.

Right: Garda vehicles on display. Below left: The Order of Malta was among the voluntary services present on the day. Below right: The Army Bomb Squad, as always, proved to be popular with attendees, showcasing their dangerous work and the range of equipment in use

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FRONTLINE PARADE ACFO Keeley also welcomed the opportunity to engage with colleagues across Ireland’s emergency services, as well as the youthful age profile of the voluntary organisations present on the day. “It’s very heartening to see...hopefully the future of all the emergency services is safe in their hands.”

ON DISPLAY On the grounds of Trinity College, a static showcase was underway from 10am that morning, offering members of the public the chance to learn more about emergency response in Ireland, ranging from the various tools and tricks used by the Army Bomb Squad to a tour inside a DFB mobile incident command centre. “Hopefully it shows people what we work with, what we deal with every day. It might interest a few people to join the force,” said one guard present at the An Garda Síochána display.

Many members of the public and colleagues in the emergency services took the opportunity to sign a book of condolences for Irish Coast Guard crew member Caitríona Lucas, who tragically lost her life during a rescue operation off the coast of Clare several days previous. Black armbands were worn in her memory.

The tents of the voluntary organisations were particularly busy, with members demonstrating the correct provision of CPR, and offering advice and information to interested members of the public.

Among these was the Order of Malta, described by Commander Aoife Clarke as Ireland’s largest volunteer community care and ambulance service, with 80 units and approximately 3,500 members across the country.

Their work centres on four main areas. The first involves the provision of emergency services, event medical cover and first aid services, which funds their second branch of activities – community

Above: The recognisable Bumbulance was on hand on the day, showcasing the range of equipment and facilities on board. Right: A larger than life member of the Coast Guard marches along O’Connell Street

Emergency services senior personnel gathered for a group photo, inclduing DFB ACFO Dennis Keeley (front row, third from right)

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FRONTLINE PARADE

care, bringing people to mass on a Sunday, bringing people to Lourdes or Knock, or transporting them to and from their day homes.

The Order also features a cadet section, training 10-16 year olds in first aid. The fourth pillar is their training services, training both their own members and members of the public in first aid.

On October 22nd, the Order of Malta held a CPR awareness week, Adam’s Gift, where members of the Order of Malta throughout the country offered free CPR awareness sessions to members of the public. “In particular we are trying to encourage young people, people of school-going age,” Commander Clarke explains. “This is in memory of the son of one of our members, Adam McAndrew.

He passed away suddenly last year. In his memory, what we are trying to do is increase as much knowledge as we can on CPR. As we know, the chain of survival is so important, and early intervention, early access to good CPR, to an AED and to professional help can make the difference in saving somebody’s life.”

Many members of the public and colleagues in the emergency services took the opportunity to sign a book of condolences for Irish Coast Guard crew member Caitríona Lucas, who tragically lost her life during a rescue operation off the coast of Clare.

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21/10/2016 12:50

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

STYLE IN THE CITY CENTRE The Merrion Hotel offers a relaxing and luxurious escape in the heart of Dublin city.

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FIRESIDE CHATS

D

ublin’s most stylish and luxurious five star hotel, The Merrion is located in the city centre opposite Government Buildings. Created from four restored Georgian townhouses, many of the 142 bedrooms and suites overlook period landscaped gardens. Remembered historically as the birthplace of the first Duke of Wellington, the hotel houses one of Ireland’s most impressive collections of art and antiques.

Guests can choose to dine in The Cellar Restaurant, which offers simple Irish cuisine expertly executed while Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, with its two Michelin stars, offers more formal gourmet dining. Bars include The Cellar Bar set in the original 18th century wine vaults and the intimate cocktail bar, No 23. During the spring and summer months, guests can relax out on the garden terrace while the drawing rooms, with their open log fires, are perfect for afternoon tea any time of year. The award winning Tethra Spa boasts an 18m pool, steam room, fully equipped gymnasium and private treatment rooms.

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STATION PROFILE

STATION PROFILE A WATCH DÚN LAOGHAIRE

D A RECENT TRIP TO MEET A WATCH NO 12 SAW CONOR FORREST LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE RISKS AND CHALLENGES OF WORKING IN ALPHA DISTRICT, THE STATION’S HISTORY AND THEIR CLOSE TIES WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.

FIRECALL AUTUMN

ún Laoghaire fire station is an impressive building, located along a quiet stretch of Kill Avenue. Described by one of the A watch firefighters on duty when I arrived as a building that was “designed by firefighters”, the station very much stands out within the local landscape.

Dún Laoghaire wasn’t always served by this particular station. Prior to 1994, fire services in the area were provided by a body separate to Dublin Fire Brigade, with an amalgamation of the two officially rubber-stamped in August 1994. Firefighter Mark Hobbs is one of the few people left in the job who lived and worked through those changing times. Originally employed by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Fire Brigade when he joined the service in 1987, he has just embarked on his 30th year of service.

“We’ve got three motors here – two pumps and a platform,” he says. “When it was Dún Laoghaire it was two pumps and a rescue vehicle. Dún Laoghaire Fire Brigade itself was quite small. The amalgamation was good – it was a good change because it’s nice to be part of a bigger picture.” Hobbs also remembers a time (albeit before his time in the fire

brigade) when the ambulance in Dún Laoghaire was part of the fire service – that came under the responsibility of the Health Board Authority several years before he picked up a hose. These days No 12 is the only station in the job that doesn’t have an ambulance under its roof, but the crew here are nonetheless kept busy. “We have a big area – we cover as far as Blackrock and out to Little Bray. That covers all of the mountain areas for gorse fires etc.,” Mark adds. “Even the fact that there’s no ambulance here, there are still plenty of ambulance assist cases. We carry the defibrillator on the motors, and there are plenty of medical cases.”

RENOVATION AND RENEWAL My first impression of the station on walking through the front doors is that the crew here have made the best possible use of the space available to them. Downstairs was previously described as a ‘lost area’ – before the amalgamation there were several offices down here for the chief, assistant chief and a number of office staff. When the amalgamation came to pass these

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STATION PROFILE

Far left: The peaceful gardens at No 12. Above: The crew of A watch

offices became obsolete and remained locked up for a number of years, and have only been recently reopened and repurposed. The main entranceway has been devoted to showcasing the fire station’s links with the community, fellow firefighters around the world, and the brigade’s own history. It’s quite the trip back through time – visitors can browse through items including an old wagon and hose, a mannequin modelling the old Dún Laoghaire firefighting gear, and a device which was placed on the roof of the old station

years before by Met Éireann in order to track the progress of the sun through the sky over the course of a month.

Books of fire calls have also been retrieved from storage, dating back to the 1940s and World War II, listing the fire calls taken in Dún Laoghaire.

Meticulously logged in handwriting, they are a treasure trove of information stretching back through the decades.

“Most of the work was done by D watch. From our own Sports and Social Club fund we’ve done all the décor, the memorabilia on the staircase, and

downstairs we transformed a disused office into a library,” says FF/P Ray Kenny. “For anyone coming into the station who hasn’t been here before it’s like a miniature tour in itself. The lads on D watch did an awful lot of work in bringing the station to where it is now.”

The surprises don’t stop outside.

At the back of the station, behind the peaceful garden which features a fish pond, a large two-door garage houses two interesting vehicles – a replica horse-drawn ambulance which was the result of some hard work on the

The main entranceway has been devoted to showcasing the fire station’s links with the community, fellow firefighters around the world, and also the brigade’s own history.

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STATION PROFILE part of a number of FÁS students, and a 1913 fire tender that once served at Thomas Street fire station.

Not your typical station collection.

JOINING THE CREW At the helm of A watch is Station Officer Paul Keogh, a former C watch floating sub officer who moved to his current post following his recent promotion as part of the latest panel.

“C watch would never really cross over with A watch, so there would be a lot of new faces and people I would have never worked with before,” he explains.

“I have to say, although I’m only here eight weeks, I find the crew very good, very helpful, there’s no problems, no hassle, willing to work when there’s work to be done. Certainly in my experience in the different stations I’ve been in, floating as a sub officer, it’s certainly one of the best watches to date that I’ve worked with.”

Despite his recent arrival to No 12, the risk factors in the Dún Laoghaire area are nothing new to S/O Keogh given his previous experience in Alpha district at No 1 – most of the larger fires he has attended, he tells me, have been in this district. The highest risk factors are biopharmaceutical company Amgen on Pottery Road and Becton Dickinson, which produces medical technology. A new SEVESO site down in Ringsend for oil storage has resulted in another risk area that must be accounted for.

“We have a lot of hospitals and nursing homes. Obviously we have the sea in Dún Laoghaire and we often get calls out there,” S/O Keogh adds.

Over the summer months in particular, crews at No 12 were called out on an almost daily basis to attend gorse fires in the Dublin Mountains, with their hard work and dedication to the job making an impression on the new S/O. “The lads here have been up there every day and every night working hard. I could see the crew that I have here when I saw the way they worked up there at the gorse fires. It’s hard work, exhausting work, and the guys just took it on board and dealt with it,” he says.

Equal attention is also paid to the station’s relationship with the local

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community. Regular attendees at local festivals and events, visitors are always welcome to pop in to No 12.

Recently the crew welcomed a group of vulnerable teenagers to the station, who are being educated by An Garda Síochána as to the options available to them besides getting into trouble.

“We all spoke to them, showed them around, told them there’s no reason why they couldn’t become a firefighter, it’s just a bit of hard work – there’s no one going to look at you and say because you’re from a certain area, because you were in trouble before, that you’re a bad egg,” S/O Keogh explains. “That was very good. We’re always happy to see families coming in, family members, or often people would call in on their way past the station.

If we can’t facilitate them then, we would certainly ask them to come back another day when we’re on and we’ll show them around. We have very good ties with the community around here.”

NEW TO THE JOB Dún Laoghaire’s newest member is F/F Gary McGrath, who recently graduated from the OBI, though he’ll return to

the training centre in the near future to complete his paramedic training. “Some parts are a big shock to the system, and other parts you would pick up a bit easier. It wasn’t all easy, it wasn’t all hard,” he says of his time in the OBI, also noting how helpful the instructors were in ensuring that all recruits were aware of what was going on, and why.

“Any time you had a problem you were able to approach someone and say ‘look, I’m not quite getting this’ or ‘I don’t quite understand what you’re trying to ask me to do here.’ They would take you off to one side and show you exactly what they wanted to do.”

Having completed five months at No 12, Gary is settling into the job, aided by his new colleagues who are happy to share their experiences. “It’s a good station, the lads are great. If I have any issues I can go to any of the lads here and say ‘we’ve been at an incident, something happened there, I didn’t quite understand what was going on, can you walk me through that?’ and that’s not a problem,” he tells me.

“That’s a brilliant thing that you can approach people in that situation.”

With a return to the OBI on the

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STATION PROFILE

Clockwise from left: The replica DFB ambulance, which was restored by FAS workers a number of years ago and is now stored in the station; the gardens at No 12, which include a lively fish pond; PPE worn by previous generations of firefighters in Dún Laoghaire; a restored hand-drawn hose cart; the Met Eireann device which once sat on the roof of the old fire station in Dún Laoghaire, recording the movement of the sun through the sky; S/O Paul Keogh

cards to undergo his paramedic training, Gary is looking forward to the next step.

“Anyone coming into the fire brigade needs to know that, especially with Dublin Fire Brigade. The ambulance is a massive part of the job. My recruit class is different in that we did our firefighting training, came out to the stations, and we’re going back – that doesn’t happen with most classes. So if you want to do the job, you have to do the ambulance, and it’s going to be a good experience.

I’m looking forward to it,” he says.

S/O Keogh is certainly positive about his new recruit’s prospects, noting that Gary’s return to training will provide him with a more rounded view of life in his new career. “I think he is aware at this moment in time that this is just a snapshot of what the fire brigade is – his time out here in No 12. When he does go and he is – and I’m sure he will be – successful in doing his paramedic training, it’s going to be different,” says S/O Keogh. “I’ve explained that to him

and he realises that, but it’s a very exciting time as well where he will be working more on his own initiative, because you’re there with one other guy on the ambulance and it’s down to the two of you; you arrive at an incident and make the decision on what to do next because there’s not always going to be an officer in the car behind you.

But that’s all a great learning curve and that will help build his experience in the job, as it did for all of us. So he has all of that to look forward to.”

FIRECALL AUTUMN

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RETIRED MEMBERS

RETIRED MEMBER PROFILE Damien Fynes

From planting the seed for Firecall to entertaining Russian firefighters after the cold war, retired D/O Damien Fynes recounts an interesting and eventful life.

O

ne might say that Damien Fynes has had both a fortunate and interesting life. Take an incident that happened before he ever joined the fire brigade. Back in 1974 his wife Ann worked in the GPO, and Damien would pick her up and stroll down Talbot Street to catch the bus. On May 17th 1974 the buses were on strike.

Damien had ten shillings in his pocket and on a whim, instead of making for Talbot Street, they went for a drink in a pub on North Earl Street. Not long after they sat down, one of three bombs detonated on Talbot Street near the junction with Lower Gardiner Street, killing twelve people immediately, in an event that would become known as the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.

up through the ranks, first securing promotion to sub officer on B watch and then D watch, where he would remain for the best part of his career. Further promotions resulted in a move to Dún Laoghaire as station officer on D watch, and he retired from No 3 having served as a D/O on D and then C watch.

“Buckingham Street had an atmosphere that was incredible, really close,” he recalls. “When we went in there were stables, and they even had an open water storage tank in the yard that was made up during the war. We went on a fire call from Buckingham Street [one day], and when we came back they

A LIFE RECALLED Damien joined DFB later that year and was posted to B watch Dorset Street for two years alongside Martin O’Brien, who he describes as one of the finest firefighters he ever worked with. It was during these initial years that he and Martin decided to launch a publication which started off as Brigade Call, eventually morphing into the magazine in your hands today. Having moved to Buckingham Street when Dorset Street closed, Damien began to move

Damien Fynes

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RETIRED MEMBERS had a turntable ladder outside the door – the chimney had gone on fire in the station while we were out, and they had to turn out Tara Street!”

In early 1978, just after his return to the job following an ankle break, he was among those who responded to a fire at Burgerland on O’Connell Street. A number of children were reported to be trapped in a crèche on the top floor – Damien and several other firefighters, including sub officer Fergus Ingram, went in to rescue them, though they had to turn back due to the intense heat (later it emerged that the children had been removed safely from the burning building). During the mop up operation, while he was removing a neon sign with Tommy Giffney, the sign swung loose and spun Damien’s ladder. Falling heavily on the ground, he lost all sensation in his legs, and was rushed to Jervis Street. Although he left the hospital later than evening on foot to catch a bus to Raheny, Damien later discovered, after a trip to climb the Nine Dragons in Hong Kong, raising funds for DEBRA Ireland with the assistance of DFB many years later, that the accident had resulted in several crushed discs in his back.

Luckily a five hour operation proved successful and, despite an offer of early retirement, Damien returned to work,

keen to get back to the job he loved.

That attitude was prevalent throughout his career - he enjoyed the varied life in Dublin Fire Brigade and all that came with it. “It’s all about being personable, how you deal with people,” he says.

“When I worked on the ambulance, you could always get the homeless people on your side by getting them to sing a song; you’d have them roaring singing by the time you reach Jervis Street or one of the other hospitals. Things seemed to be more harmless then.”

It was also that personable attitude that resulted in an invitation to France on behalf of the French Fire Brigade.

While he was serving in No 3 as a D/O, there was a knock at the door one day from a French firefighter and his wife.

Having invited the visitors in for coffee, Damien then fired up the D/O’s car and brought them on a mini-tour of the city.

Three weeks later Damien, alongside two other firefighters, received an invitation to France to take part in an event celebrating the French fire service.

Welcomed as VIPs, they took part in a line up inspected by the president of the French fire brigade, the only nonFrench personnel given that honour.

FOUNDING FATHERS Alongside Brigade Call, Damien was also a founding member of another

DFB institution – the Pipe Band, the result of a simple conversation with John McBride, sparked from marching behind a pipe band in the Dublin St. Patrick’s Day parade. “Did you ever get an idea that just lights you up, and you become so enthused with it that you’re thinking about it all of the time?

That’s what happened there,” he says.

Getting the band up and running was no mean feat, particularly during the 1980s – set up costs were estimated at £40,000. Despite initial difficulties, a plan was enacted which involved a loan from the sports and social club, paid back through the weekly subscriptions of members, the same model still in use today. A committee was elected, with Damien taking the role of chairperson, and Joe Brennan acting as secretary. Joe, who later retired as a D/O in Finglas, was one of the driving forces behind the band’s success, alongside Barney Mulhall, Tony Daly (now deceased) and Gerry Aldwell.

Their first major event, however, almost ended in disaster. Joe Brennan was approached about a gig in the National Concert Hall, with a brochure and performers to be funded through advertising organised by an external company. Two weeks beforehand, they got a call to say that the deal was off. Damien was faced with paying

Damien leading the Pipe Band at the recent FESSEF emergency services parade in Dublin

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RETIRED MEMBERS the transport costs of the Garda Band who had been hired to perform, and for the hall itself. The committee went into action. Tickets were drawn down and sold by members and the brochure was printed on a Communist Party print press, arranged by Tony Daly, who also took on the role as MC in the concert hall. In total, the band made £800 profit. Refusing to touch that money, he tells me he spent around two months’ worth of mortgage payments in buying drinks for those who helped make the night happen.

“Without Ann’s involvement or without me putting my house on the line, it would never have happened,” he says.

ENTERTAINING THE RUSSIANS One of Damien’s stand out memories is both highly entertaining and almost unbelievable. The year was 1993, the Cold War wasn’t long over, and American firefighters were coming to Dublin to march in the St. Patrick’s Day parade. In the spirit of reconciliation, an invitation was also extended to the Russian fire brigade through Ann’s brother-in-law, who had business in Russia, with their air tickets sponsored by another brother. Seventeen stepped off the plane in Shannon, including 13 generals and a member of the Ministry for the Interior (formerly the KGB), who sent a fax before their arrival requesting that his presence remain a secret. Included in the party was one General Rubtsov, who had received acclaim as the commander in charge of the fire in Chernobyl in 1986. “That was the start of the biggest adventure of all,” Damien recalls.

The following week would prove to be an interesting one, filled with sightseeing, functions in Guinness and the Russian embassy, and some memorable events that must remain untold. Damien was placed in charge of the Russian contingent, as it had been his idea to invite them over, showing them around the city and ensuring they were well fed (various establishments around the city fed the Russians at no cost). Damien often took calls at the restaurants or pubs from other members

Getting the band up and running was no mean feat, particularly during the 1980s. of the group, and with no mobile phones the phone was usually brought to the table. “By the end of the week these Russians thought I owned the city because ‘Damien, phone call for you’ – everybody knew me!” he tells me.

Following the parade on St. Patrick’s Day, the group returned to Wynns Hotel where the visiting firefighters were staying, and Damien was summoned upstairs to attend to an urgent matter with one of the generals, bringing Peter Barriscale along with him for support. Both were brought to the general’s room and told to sit on the bed. Perhaps understandably uneasy and confused, they watched as the door suddenly burst open and a dancing Russian entered playing the accordion with great gusto, followed by the general in full dress uniform. It transpired that the generals had experienced such a great time, they wanted to present Damien with the Russian flag, a huge honour he was assured.

Their positive experience also meant that an invitation to Russia was extended to the band, and a group set off for Moscow from Shannon in May. Met at the airport by a Colonel from the Ministry of the Interior, they made an instant impression on several older women cleaning in the airport, who fled as the DFB contingent walked through. Confused, they asked what was going on. The colonel replied, saying “the last time they saw uniforms like yours, it was the Germans.”

During their tour around Moscow and its environs the DFB group were treated as the most important of VIPs, aided by the presence of General Rubtsov, a national hero – wined and dined at the opulent Chudov Monastery, shown around the Russian cosmonaut training centre, brought

on a shopping expedition from which most members of the group returned with pairs of skis for $1 (despite the absence of snow in Ireland) and were guarded by a unit of Spetsnaz (Russian special forces) at their hotel throughout their stay. During a visit to the fire brigade museum, they were shown a section containing all of the presents given to the general in Ireland, including a photo of Damien and the group. A musical session in Moscow’s Gorky Park with the Russian Army No 1 band and a feast at Mikhail Gorbachev’s summer home rounded off a trip that nobody involved has ever forgotten. Though another Russian visit to Ireland was planned, a visa issue meant that the Russians never boarded their plane, and they never heard from their friends in Moscow again.

RETIRED LIFE These days, Damien still keeps busy.

An active member of the Retired Members Association, he also continues his role as drum major with the Pipe Band, which he tells me is still looking for recruits, and occasionally meets with firefighters from other countries, showing them around Dublin city. His sons Dan and Chris have both followed their father into the job, and he has shared with them his own personal motto – never take no for an answer, one that has served him well throughout the years in the fire brigade (and outside).

“As I said to Dan, if you’re going to be the boss, be the boss – take charge, do. Just because somebody tells you that it hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it can’t,” he says. “The two things that I started, the magazine and the band, are still going strong. I’d like to think that I contributed something to the brigade.

And how many people can say that?”

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THE GREENPLAN

FROM KILBARRACK We spoke with Kilbarrack firefighter and The GreenPlan founder Neil McCabe to discover more about his recent exploits.

US Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed attendees at the Global Entrepreneurial Summit at Stanford University.

[State Department photo/ Public Domain]

S

ix years ago, Neil McCabe’s life changed forever with the publication of The GreenPlan, a guideline for sustainable development within Dublin Fire Brigade that was three years in the making. Changes made within the flagship station, Kilbarrack, led to significant savings and the establishment of a ring-fenced fund for the sustainable development of other fire stations across the city, a project that is still underway today.

But Neil’s influence hasn’t remained within Dublin city, or indeed Ireland. In 2011, he was invited to speak in the UK’s House of Commons concerning climate change by the then coalition government, who sought his advice on how they could factor this issue into their budget. His expertise is also in demand across the EU, and he has served as an expert analyst providing improved ways by which to procure services for fire brigades. The opportunity to spread his ideas beyond our borders is certainly aided by his role as an Ashoka Fellow, part of a global network of social entrepreneurs striving to make a real difference in collaboration with those who can effect change.

“Because of that, as a social entrepreneur, it has pulled in a lot of big support, where people want to help make this happen because they believe in the whole ethos of what I’m trying to achieve,” he explains.

“I’m very lucky for that. The vision for The GreenPlan is to improve the quality of life on Earth for present and future generations.”

His tireless work was most recently recognised by the International Corporate Social Responsibility Award, which he was

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THE GREENPLAN presented with at the Mansion House in August. “The idea is that it’s saying that, for large corporate businesses, there’s finally a best practice that is genuinely sustainable, and that’s The GreenPlan. And they’re saying that large, global companies need to take on board The GreenPlan to bring real change to their businesses. It’s a huge honour to receive that.”

HEADING STATESIDE The impact The GreenPlan is having on a global scale is perhaps best highlighted

by Neil’s participation in the 2016 Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI), an international exchange programme which brought 47 Europeans from 45 European countries to four different US states in a bid to enhance ties and stimulate economic growth between the US and Europe. “That was without doubt one of the biggest things I’ve ever done in my life, other than getting married and having children!” he says with a laugh.

Selected to represent Ireland by the US Embassy here, Neil was whisked to the US by the Department of State to spend a month there with the initiative. His time began in Washington DC with discussions surrounding entrepreneurship and innovation in the US, followed by two weeks at the helm of a businesse in Seattle, at the same time as Microsoft’s purchase of LinkedIn for $28bn. “We actually took over the whole company that we went to, which was just a crazy experience. I was a firefighter the week before and then I was running a corporation in America! It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he says.

The programme concluded with a week in San Francisco, with the fellows given the chance to attend the Global Entrepreneur Summit in Silicon Valley as guests of The White House at Stanford University. “Apart from the many adventures and experiences we had, we got to meet President Obama who I can now say knows about The GreenPlan,” says Neil. That’s impressive in and of itself, but that trip also saw Neil giving a lecture on climate change to some of the foremost business minds in the world. “If I could prove my

Neil McCabe at the US Department of State, Washington DC

point there I could prove my point anywhere else in the world,” he tells me. “One strange thing happened later that day – I met Reid Hoffman, the CEO and founder of LinkedIn. I had a masterclass on how to think in an American corporate way for social good, and while that was happening all I could think about was that two days beforehand he sold his company for $28bn while I was in Seattle!”

Alongside meeting President Obama, he also had the opportunity to pay a visit to the Singularity University in the NASA Research Park in California, a think-tank that aims to get people to think outside the box, and spent a day there taking masterclasses on how to think different. At Google HQ he met Vint Cerf, one of the fathers of the internet. “To become an alumni of the Department of State for life is really a fantastic honour. I still haven’t fully digested or comprehended the scale of this, because the opportunities that are coming off the back of this are just so big in scale – it’s just an exciting time,” says Neil. One such opportunity arose at the beginning of October, when Neil addressed the EU Parliament in Brussels on the subject of transatlantic trade. He was there as a guest of John Kerry, who told gathered

The impact The GreenPlan is having on a global scale is perhaps best highlighted

by Neil's participation in the 2016 Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative.

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THE GREENPLAN

The Seattle cohort of US fellows from seven EU countries

Neil’s busy schedule doesn’t stop with presenting his ideas to some of the world’s foremost minds at Stanford University, or releasing his brainchild to the world for free in the name of sustainability. leaders about the positive impact that Neil’s involvement in YTILI will bring to the US and the EU.

MOVING ONLINE Neil’s busy schedule doesn’t stop with presenting his ideas to some of the world’s foremost minds at Stanford University or in Brussels. Perhaps his main focus of late has been the release of The GreenPlan as a massive open online course (MOOC) – available at alison.com – giving communities across the globe free access to these materials in a bid to grow The GreenPlan to scale, and shifting the focus from fire brigades to communities around the world. In Ireland, seven communities are already enacting the principles of The GreenPlan. Mulranny in Co Mayo is now the country’s first full accredited village, and was the overall winner at the 2016 Irish Responsible Tourism Awards. Dublin’s Lord Mayor Brendan Carr is also onboard, having pledged to contact every mayor in Ireland and urge them to both undertake this course and encourage others to do so.

“That has taken so much effort – writing the course content as a manual,

writing the toolkit, preparing everything, the feasibility of whether communities will elect community leaders to take on the project,” he says of the project.

“That has been more than full time! I really wanted to get the idea out that this thing called The GreenPlan does work, and it’s verified around the world as being best practice. The best way to do it is to give it away for free, to create real impact and real change.”

He’s also the co-founder of a young, vibrant clothing company based in Dublin which launched online this summer – Grown, an ethical clothing brand which places sustainability at the heart of its operations. Neil’s role is to embed sustainable development into every aspect of the business. The brand uses renewable technology to produce the energy required to make the garments, makes use of earth positive materials and inks and recycled water, while plastic materials are recycled and turned into wool.

BACK TO EARTH Despite his growing influence around Ireland, the EU and the US, where he and The GreenPlan are making

huge strides in trying to build a better future, Neil still works as a FF/P in Kilbarrack, which he tells me helps to keep him firmly grounded.

“The lads in the fire station are fantastic supports. They’ve got behind me on lots of different projects, but they also keep me grounded,” he says. “I’ve won so many different global awards, international best practice awards, and the lads get great craic out of saying to me the next day ‘don’t forget you’re on the ambulance on Wednesday night.’ And that brings you down to Earth pretty fast!”

Nevertheless, Neil is understandably pleased with the nine-year journey that has brought him to this exact point, where his creation is spreading across the world in a bid to generate change on a global level. “From humble origins in Kilbarrack fire station I can really see, finally, that this is going to happen properly. The fact that it doesn’t need me, and is completely non-exclusive, is something that I am really proud of,” he explains. “I owe that to my family, I owe that to my friends, I owe that to the lads in the station. I am now starting to see the full scale implications, and I am genuinely proud of it.”

AUTUMN 56 FIRECALL

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1916 EXHIBITION

SPOTLIGHT ON HISTORY

Dublin Fire Brigade recently unveiled a second exhibition in Tallaght in August, again highlighting its role during Easter week 1916.

A

second Dublin Fire Brigade exhibition telling the stories of firefighters during Easter week 1916 was officially opened by the Mayor of South Dublin, Guss O’Connell, on August 2nd last.

The exhibition was an extension of the main exhibits currently residing in City Hall, (which has since been extended until December), and was open to the public at the county library in Tallaght until September 10th.

“In this exhibition we tell the tale of Dublin Fire Brigade and its role in the Rising. It is an often overlooked

part of the story and this year the Chief Officer, Pat Fleming, was determined that the role played by our members in the events of 1916 should be told and remembered. He has been heavily involved in this exhibition and all the other commemorative events that the Brigade has taken part in this year,” said DFB historian Las Fallon, who organised the exhibition.

SERVICES RENDERED South Dublin County Council Mayor Guss O’Connell spoke highly of the work carried out by Dublin Fire Brigade,

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1916 EXHIBITION

Far left: A full-size replica of DFB’s old brass helmet, placed in the reception area of Townsend Street. Right: ACFO Dennis Keeley, South Dublin Mayor Guss O’Connell and Las Fallon at the opening of the temporary exhibition in Tallaght Library, examining the history of the brigade’s involvement in 1916

both then and now. “Their work was very significant, and had to be very traumatic and very difficult,” he said at the launch. “I think it’s also an opportunity for us to reflect on the work they do without any notice being taken of them day in and day out. They risk their lives, they’re there when a major calamity happens, they’re there maybe when somebody collapses at home.”

The exhibition also represents a renewal of the partnership between Las, Sile Coleman and the local history unit, who combined to produce a similar exhibition and a book on Dublin Fire Brigade. “Four years ago myself and Sile mounted an exhibition on the history of Dublin Fire Brigade from the original foundation of a city fire brigade in 1711 on through

the founding of Dublin Fire Brigade as a professional body in 1862, and bringing the story up to the events of the Emergency and the role of Dublin firefighters in the Belfast Blitz and the North Strand bombings,” Las explains.

“My first book, Dublin Fire Brigade and the Irish Revolution, was launched here at that time, and being here again brings back memories of a great

Though the exhibition in Tallaght has since come to a close, it represents another important facet of the commemorative work undertaken in South Dublin this year.

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1916 EXHIBITION

Also on hand at the opening of the exhibition was John McCrory, dressed in period uniform, pictured here with ACFO Keeley and Las Fallon

evening when my good friend Shane MacThomais launched that book here.”

Though the exhibition in Tallaght has since come to a close, it represents another important facet of the commemorative work undertaken in South Dublin this year, educating the public on a story they might not have been aware of. “This library, like all great libraries, is a treasure and a tribute to all who work here. The ongoing work of the local history unit in South Dublin County Council has come into its own in the year that is in it, and the 1916 exhibition here was excellent,” says Las. “I would like to thank Ray Hurley, Viv O’Hanlon and Jim Hutchin for putting their shoulders to the wheel to get this exhibition set up, and for their ongoing help and support.”

1916 MEMORIAL

this library, like all libraries, is a treasure and a tribute to all who work here.

Heritage Week 2016 commenced on August 22nd last, and the date was chosen to officially commission DFB’s newest memorial.

Sitting on a small pedestal in the reception area in HQ is a full sized replica of a DFB brass helmet with plaques in Irish and English dedicating it to the memory of the work of the Brigade in 1916, but also to all who have served in the DFB since 1862, and particularly to those who lost their lives in that service.

The helmet was cast from an original helmet in the DFB museum collection and carries all the dents and marks of active service. The original owner is unknown and in a way that is most fitting as it represents all who have worn a DFB helmet since 1862.

The memorial plaques carry the Brigade logo as well as the DFB museum logo, but each also carries the official 2016/1916 logo. This new memorial marks yet another piece of the Brigade’s engagement with the centenary of the Rising and DFB’s role in that momentous event.

The memorial piece was presented to the Brigade by the DFB museum and on the day DFB museum curator Paul Hand presented the memorial piece to Chief Officer Pat Fleming, who officially took possession of it on behalf of DFB.

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HISTORY

FIRE: CAPTAIN

THOMAS PURCELL

DFB historian Las Fallon recounts the life of Captain Thomas Purcell, an innovative man who contributed immensely to Dublin Fire Brigade.

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ublin Fire Brigade has a long history. The municipal brigade dates back to 1862 but the city fire service itself goes back to 1711 and the purchase of the city’s first fire engine, a fact which is sometimes forgotten. In fact the 300th anniversary of the event in 2011 passed unremarked. Along the way there have been many who have made their mark on the fire service, but for any student of the history of Dublin’s fire service, or indeed of the Irish fire service, one name sticks out above all others: Thomas Purcell, Chief Fire Officer of Dublin Fire Brigade from 1892 to 1917.

Thomas Purcell was a Kilkenny man by birth, an engineer by profession and a firefighter by vocation. Born in Kilkenny in 1850 he joined Kilkenny City Volunteer Fire Brigade as a young man and, at the age of 26, he was awarded the silver medal of the Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire for his actions at a fire in the city. The citation for the medal states that it was awarded to: ‘ MR. THOMAS P. PURCELL OF HIGH STREET KILKENNY IN TESTIMONY TO THE INTREPID AND VALUABLE

SERVICE RENDERED BY HIM IN THE PRESERVATION OF LIFE AT A FIRE AT MESSRS HENNESSEYS, DRAPERS, KILKENNY AT HALF PAST ONE O’CLOCK ON THE MORNING OF DECEMBER 19TH 1875 WHEN UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES OF MUCH DANGER AND DIFFICULTY RESCUING THE LIFE OF MISS WHITE FROM IMMINENT DEATH.’ The medal was presented to him at the Guildhall, London in July 1876. Later in his life, while working as an engineer in Limerick, he would be involved in saving the life of a workman trapped 95 feet underground when a tunnel collapsed.

Thomas Purcell married Margaret Phelan of Oldtown, Ballyragget in 1880.

They had three children, all born while the family lived at St. John’s Quay,

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purcell took command of a fire brigade formed only 30 years earlier. the first chief, james ingram, had founded the brigade in 1862.

Kilkenny. Tragedy visited the young family and two of their children died in childhood. Michael died at the age of four in 1887, while Thomas was just one year old when he died in 1889. The couple’s remaining son Pierce would go on to a long life and a distinguished career in engineering, ending up as Professor of Engineering at UCD. Purcell’s qualifications as an engineer and his involvement in firefighting would combine in his next venture.

Among those who applied for and sat the written examination for the post of Superintendent of the Dublin Fire Brigade when it was advertised

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in January 1892 was ‘T. Purcell, civil engineer and volunteer fireman’.

Purcell sat a written exam and was one of five names shortlisted.

He was appointed to the job of Superintendent (Chief Fire Officer) of Dublin Fire Brigade in March 1892 at a salary of £300 per year.

He formally took command of the brigade from the retiring chief, John Boyle, on April 14th of that year.

Purcell took command of a fire brigade formed only 30 years earlier.

The first chief, James Ingram, had founded the brigade in 1862 and led it through many dangerous escapades.

Ingram died of tuberculosis in 1882.

His successor, John Boyle, led the brigade for the next ten years.

Boyle’s time as chief was marked by a number of unfortunate and tragic events. Three firemen died in two incidents during his time in charge of the brigade. John Kite, killed in a building collapse in Trinity Street in 1884, was the first Dublin Fire Brigade member to lose his life while on duty. Christopher Doherty and Peter Burke were also to lose their lives while fighting a fire in Westmoreland Street in 1891 when a ladder they were operating on broke and dropped the men to the ground from a height.

Purcell’s first test as Chief Officer came in August 1892 when a fire broke out in the huge South City Markets complex, a mixed use building of 30 retail units, living accommodation and which included a bonded warehouse containing 7,000 barrels of whiskey. The fire was dealt with skilfully in spite of the dangers and Purcell and his brigade came in for praise from all quarters.

FORTIFICATION In the autumn of 1892 Purcell decided to visit the United States to study firefighting there and included a

visit to a chief officers’ conference in Milwaukee. The visit was undertaken at his own expense and the DFB museum holds a medal given to him as a memento of his visit to the conference. He also left a diary (held by his family) which records the details of his trip on the SS Etruria. The diary reveals a human side to the man and is an interesting insight into Purcell both in the way he picks up on the technical details – the distance travelled each day, the amount of coal burned etc. – but also on his wry comments on his and his fellow travellers’ discomfort due to sea sickness. He also wrote to his wife recording the day-to-day life of the passengers during the voyage.

Once back in Dublin, Purcell set about a reorganisation of DFB. Over the next decade his leadership would come to see significant changes within the brigade and in the fire safety of Dublin city. Through those years a series of major fires were faced and dealt with. In the background Purcell laid plans to improve the fire defences of the city. He planned a group of four fire stations to divide the city into quarters with a modern station in each, and saw this achieved at Buckingham Street, Dorset Street, Thomas Street and the new brigade headquarters at Tara Street. In response to the new electric tram system in Dublin and the opening of the Loopline railway bridge in the 1890s, both of which restricted the use of the brigade’s old street escape ladders, he would design a turntable ladder for Dublin that he was allowed to patent and which was popular in many UK brigades. It was one of the first effective turntable ladders in use. In 1898, following a visit to Belfast where he saw the Belfast Fire Brigade horsedrawn ambulance at work, Purcell designed an ambulance for Dublin and introduced the same service here.

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HISTORY

Opening image: DFB museum collection. This page: A recent wreath-laying ceremony in memory of Captain Purcell in Deansgrange cemetery. The photos are courtesy of Ray Bateson. Ray is the author of several books including Deansgrange Cemetery & The Easter Rising, which recounts the stories of 150 men, women, children – including Volunteers and British soldiers – associated with the 1916 Rising and who are buried in the cemetery.

INNOVATION Thomas Purcell had a huge interest in advances in the fire service internationally and visited fire brigades in the UK and in Europe. In 1901 he purchased the first Bader-Vajen smoke helmet to go into use in Europe (it was an American invention). The Bader-Vajen was the first breathing apparatus used in DFB and was worn

by Purcell himself on May 13th 1901 at a fire in Green Street where four children perished. The fire was the scene of incredible bravery by members of the brigade. One fireman, Thomas Dunphy, climbed the escape ladder to rescue two children from the burning building under conditions of heavy fire.

Purcell, seeing the danger, ordered that a hose be played on the fireman, who was badly burned in the rescue. Using the smoke helmet Purcell entered the

burning building and assisted in the rescue of a number of other children.

In 1909, Purcell foresaw the need for motorisation of DFB to bring it into line with technological developments.

The day of the fire horse was drawing to a close and new fire engines would be powered by the internal combustion engine. With his trademark attention to detail he designed a new fire engine for Dublin, which he had built by the Leyland Motor Company of Lancashire at a cost of £875. One of the arguments in favour of motorisation which he put forward to a reluctant city council was the alternative cost of purchasing not just new horse-drawn equipment, but the associated costs of veterinary bills and feed for the horses. The new motor fire engine was delivered on December 16th 1909. Purcell commissioned a second motor fire

engine for the opening of Thomas Street fire station in January 1913 and a motor ambulance, also built by Leyland, was also purchased around the same time.

TIMES OF UPHEAVAL The years leading up to the First World War were busy in Dublin on all fronts with political and social upheavals including the Lockout of 1913, the controversy surrounding the Home Rule Bill of 1914, the Curragh Mutiny

by British Army officers in opposition to Home Rule and the foundation of both the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army. In mid-1914 British troops opened fire on a crowd in central Dublin after the importation of arms for the Volunteers at Howth, and this was followed within weeks by the declaration of war against Germany. After the British declaration of war on Germany

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He led a full life and left a proud legacy. His contribution to Dublin Fire Brigade was immense.

He is an unsung hero. on August 4th 1914, Dublin Corporation introduced regulations to allow employees to join the British forces.

Jobs would be held open, employees continued on half pay and military service would count as Corporation service for pension purposes. In spite of these inducements only two DFB members joined the British military out of the 189 Dublin Corporation employees who did so. Recent research has identified two recruits to the British military from each of the much smaller township fire brigades of Pembroke and Rathmines, which highlights the lack of interest among the unionised workforce in DFB in joining the Empire’s war.

The main consequence of the war for DFB was the additional workload for the ambulances in helping to unload British hospital ships in Dublin Port and the increase in the cost of living and cost of services due to wartime inflation.

Purcell and DFB would face their biggest test in April 1916. On April 24th, rebellion broke out in Dublin. Units of the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army mobilised and held positions in Dublin city centre and elsewhere and declared a Republic. Throughout the week of fighting which was to follow, much of central Dublin was destroyed.

Purcell directed the brigade throughout

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and after the declaration of Martial Law on April 25th he had to watch from the tower of Tara Street fire station as the city burned in what he called ‘the Great Fire’. As soon as possible after the ceasefire and surrender on April 29th he mobilised his resources, including small groups of firefighters from the Guinness Brewery Fire Brigade and the Powers Whiskey Distillery Fire Brigade, and set to work. The brigade saved Jervis Street Hospital from destruction and contained the major fires burning in the city. In recognition of his work Purcell was awarded the Bronze Medal of the British Fire Prevention Committee, ‘....AS A TOKEN OF REGARD FOR THE SPLENDID WORK DONE BY HIM AND HIS BRIGADE IN MOST TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES DURING THE IRISH REBELLION OF 1916.’

He was also awarded a cash bonus of £50 by Dublin Corporation as recognition of his work. The Corporation noted that his annual salary at this time was £500. In the aftermath of the fire Purcell was involved with the commission set up to adjudicate on compensation and sought compensation both for fire brigade property lost but also for a premises in Abbey Street in which he had a commercial interest.

END OF AN ERA On November 16th 1916 Thomas Purcell was badly injured when thrown from his horse-drawn buggy while on the way to a fire in Suffolk Street. The carriage had not been properly hitched and in trying to bring the horse under control Purcell, then 66 years old, threw himself onto the horse’s back but fell to the side and was injured. His injuries put him in hospital and off work until January 1917. Purcell was not well during 1917 and in October he decided to retire. He retired in November 1917.

He had built DFB into an efficient and well trained brigade which had proven itself in action time and time again.

Thomas Purcell would retire to Dalkey where he lived until 1943. In

AN UNUSUAL CULPRIT

HISTORY

On a lighter note and as an indication of a wry sense of humour which sometimes surfaces among the serious paperwork of the Chief Officer, Purcell noted an unusual cause of fire in his list of major fires and their causes in his 1914 Annual Report for Dublin Fire Brigade. Among a list of causes which includes ‘defective construction’, ‘electrical defects ‘ and ‘gas explosions’ we find ‘rats with matches’! At the time matches were made with a high gelatine content and were often gnawed by rats as a potential source of food. On occasion the friction from the rats’ teeth would cause the match to ignite and the unfortunate rodent, well covered with fragments of match, would become a veritable torch.

One such rat managed to start a fire in Dublin that year and so brought itself to the attention of the Chief Fire Officer and immortality in the archives of DFB.

his later years he travelled widely and wrote a small book on a cure for sciatica which he had discovered on his trips to Germany with his son. He led a full life and left a proud legacy. His contribution to Dublin Fire Brigade was immense. He is an unsung hero.

He is remembered in the DFB 1916 exhibition in Dublin City Hall and in July of this centenary year of the Rising Dublin Fire Brigade Chief Officer Pat Fleming, Acting Chief Officer of Kilkenny Fire and Rescue Service, John Collins, and the Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Council, Cormac Devlin placed wreaths on his grave in Deansgrange in a dignified ceremony.

Many members of the extended Purcell family attended as did representatives of the fire service, serving and retired.

Thomas Purcell lies in Deansgrange Cemetery under a headstone built to his own design. In memory of his native place his imposing headstone is made from Kilkenny limestone.

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INTERNATIONAL FIREFIGHTERS

FIREFIGHTERS Firefighters Without Borders provides much needed equipment and training to fire departments and communities around the world. Conor Forrest spoke with President Russell Chalmers to discover more about the organisation’s conception, and how it has gone from strength to strength.

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he location is a fire station in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Firefighters from the city and beyond have gathered to augment their skills or learn new ones, so they can provide a safer, more knowledgeable and effective service in their local communities. Standing over them, giving advice on everything from CPR to bandaging procedures, their trainers have travelled over 3,300km to be here, working with Firefighters Without Borders (FWB), a Canadian charity that was established 14 years ago in order to share equipment and expertise with their less well-supplied colleagues around the world.

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GENESIS The story of how FWB was born is an interesting one. In 2002, charitable organisation World Vision, a childfocused group which sponsors children in developing countries, reached out to firefighters in Mississauga, the city in which their Canadian headquarters is based. World Vision had been working on a project in Peru, trying to improve health and education in a community in Ventanilla, outside Lima, which subsequently suffered a significant fire that destroyed around 200 homes. Before they could continue their work in Peru they needed to make the community safer in terms

of security and fire prevention.

Crew members Captain Hills, Tom Gojak, Andrew Melville, Aron Reppington and Jamie Strak undertook the very first trip to the Ventanilla district in Peru, on their own time and at their own expense, as part of the World Vision Destination Life Change (DLC) volunteer programme. The DLC programme provides Canadian volunteers with the opportunity to make a difference by teaching English, building homes, helping to care for orphans and in innumerable other ways. The crew approached local fire stations and corporations seeking equipment donations to help boost

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INTERNATIONAL FIREFIGHTERS

One of the main challenges Firefighters Without Borders face is ensuring that they get in touch with the right people, and that any equipment or training they provide is delivered into the right hands.

Honduran water tanker. Right: Honduran firefighters wearing donated Canadian firefighting gear.

Photos: Firefighters Without Borders

the capabilities of the Peruvian fire brigade. That collection grew to include firefighting gear, Spanish training manuals and rescue equipment.

“They approached some folks that they knew in our department, [and asked] if we would be interested in putting a group together to go down there and teach the firefighters in that community about fire suppression, fire prevention and also to provide them with some equipment that they needed,” Chalmers explains. Following their mission to Peru, which consisted of two trips to provide equipment and training, the Mississaugan firefighters quickly realised the scope of what they could do around the world.

Since then, FWB has brought its expertise to communities across the globe, from Peru to Macedonia (Mississauga is home to a large Macedonian community). “Some

communities require or request equipment, so we will meet standalone requests. We send equipment throughout the Caribbean, South America, and we get significant interest from Mexico,” he says.

Their most recent expeditions have been to Honduras, where they worked with the country’s national fire service on a sustainable basis. “Our motto is really based on sustainability, and rather than just go into a community and give out gear and maybe do some training, what we really try to do to achieve sustainability is to provide our training in the Train the Trainer format, and we really like to work with the national fire service in a strategic, top down approach,” says Chalmers.

The missions to Honduras provided a real opportunity to set that model in motion across a total of six trips, working with the national fire service to

identify people from across the country who could become trainers within their own organisations. “The national fire service brought them to the capital of Tegucigalpa, we did Train the Trainer programmes for them in a number of disciplines over our six trips,” Chalmers explains. That included first aid, CPR, and a high standard of training in relation to hazardous materials.

“They had a real need for auto extrication, to learn techniques both with some very basic hand tools and also powered tools including spreaders, cutters and things like that,” he adds.

“We also taught them techniques in adult education – how to teach so that they would be comfortable when they went back to their home communities, that they would be able to deliver these programmes. So we supplied some teaching aids for them as well to be able to go back

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INTERNATIONAL FIREFIGHTERS

Their most recent expeditions have been to Honduras, where they worked with the country’s national fire service on a sustainable basis. and replicate the programme.”

There are also opportunities on home soil. Canada is home to over 850,000 aboriginal Canadians known as the First Nations, with 634 recognised First Nations governments or bands stretching across the country.

Poverty remains a major issue.

“One of the first areas that we realised that really has a dire need for help is in Canada itself, and some of our First Nations or indigenous communities,” says Chalmers. “They might be very remote communities – although they do get help from the federal government, it’s not what it could or should be.

We work to support them where they fall through the cracks in terms of perhaps issuing smoke detectors, public education programmes, doing

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training on the equipment that they may be given if there is inadequate training provided. It surprises a lot of people that in a first world country our services would be needed, but that’s something we’re also focused on.”

EXPANSION The firefighters who travel with the charity provide their time on a voluntary basis. Thus far they are all Canadian firefighters and mostly from Mississauga, though as Chalmers explains there are plans to expand the organisation to the US and Europe. Chalmers himself has an extensive background as a firefighter in Canada, having served as a platoon chief for the Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services – the third largest fire department in

Clockwise from left: A competition conducted for Honduran firefighters; Two generations of female firefighters; Teaching schoolchildren in Tegucigalpa to crawl low to escape a smoke-filled building; Fire cadets who receive their schooling through the fire service. Photos: Firefighters Without Borders

Canada – both in their training and operations divisions, and was responsible for the development and oversight of programmes in hazardous materials response, auto extrication and incident command. Following his early retirement in 2008, he joined the Pre-Service Firefighter Education and Training Programme at Toronto’s Seneca College as a programme coordinator. These days he is fully retired, and donates all of his spare time to Firefighters Without Borders.

“Right now they are mostly Canadian firefighters, but we certainly are growing as an organisation. We have attained our charitable status in Canada which is a significant step, and we do have growth plans to expand not only in North America but hopefully to have European chapters or perhaps chapters in the UK at some point. That’s part of our growth strategy, to meet the needs that we see out there,” he says.

FWB isn’t the only organisation of its kind, and Chalmers tells me about meeting a number of grassroots groups that provide similar assistance. “They

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INTERNATIONAL FIREFIGHTERS market. “That’s why we really like to work with a larger agency nationally, so that they can facilitate getting equipment into the country and through customs, and distribute it equitably in the country without it going astray,” he says.

Funding is another major issue.

Alongside smaller fundraising events, the organisation’s largest fundraiser today is a firefighter calendar, which they sell at various venues and malls in the lead up to Christmas, as well as online.

However, Chalmers’ funding vision is much broader. “At the same time, as we grow we are reaching out to a number of corporate sponsors, particularly Canadian companies or multinational companies that may have a presence in the communities where we work. So that’s our focus as well – to increase corporate sponsorship,” he explains.

FUTURE

do tremendous work out there as well. It’s really heartening to see all the folks seeing a need and meeting the need. I imagine the same thing is true in Europe.” That assistance is made possible partly due to stringent Canadian equipment and PPE standards, which require that equipment must be recycled after 10 years. Should it be simply taken to a landfill or instead put to good use elsewhere? “The fire service here, while they understand the need for that, it’s very frustrating to put perfectly good equipment and see it go into a landfill, so they have been really supportive and receptive of what we are trying to do,” says Chalmers. “It seems like a no-brainer really, it seems pretty obvious that there is surplus equipment here that is going unused – it’s perfectly acceptable and perfectly usable, and at the same time there’s a need in third world countries.”

CHALLENGES One of the main challenges Firefighters Without Borders faces is ensuring that

they get in touch with the right people, and that any equipment or training provided is delivered into the right hands. The organisation will seek out a relationship with the country’s national fire service, but this may not always be present or in a position to work with outside agencies. As a result FWB receive a large amount of requests from small committees or outlying fire departments in communities that aren’t covered by the national service.

“One of the challenges for us it to identify first of all that these people are legitimate, and they are not some third party presenting themselves as fire department representatives who may just want the equipment that they’ll resell. That’s one of our challenges – to identify that the requests are legitimate and to quantify what their needs are,” Chalmers explains. Ensuring that equipment or other supplies get through customs without any problems can also be tricky – sometimes it can be held up while a larger than anticipated fee is paid, or if items disappear onto the black

As the organisation’s reach continues to grow, the future looks bright and Firefighters Without Borders is truly living up to its name. As Chalmers explains, a number of projects will get underway later this year and in 2017, including pilot projects with the First Nations community in Canada, a partnership with the government of Saint Lucia to provide them with equipment and training in a number of areas, and a request from Bolivia for help in training volunteers. Their reach is expanding, and Chalmers hopes to grow their horizons beyond the grassroots stage.

“Our goal as an organisation is to try and connect the dots and get equipment to people that need it, and to supply training on how to use it. That’s what we try to do,” Chalmers says. “I haven’t seen any organisations that are rising above that grassroots level to reach major stakeholders – corporate sponsors, working with national fire services.

So while it’s being done at a smaller level, I really think there is a need to be able to do it in a more strategic, organised approach. That is what our organisation is trying to do, to approach it more on a macro level. So far we are having some very good success.”

For more information, see www. firefighterswithoutborders.ca.

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BOOK REVIEW

A DOCTOR’S A Doctor’s Sword presents a fascinating account of how an Irish doctor wound up in a Nagasaki POW camp when the atomic bomb was dropped.

T

he Pacific theatre experienced some of the bloodiest engagements of the Second World War. Faced with a determined enemy, the Allies lost 4,000,000 soldiers in Asia between 1937 and 1945; the Japanese suffered casualties of over 1,000,000.

Civilian casualties were extreme, totalling more than 27,000,000.

Over the course of the war, thousands of Allied soldiers were also taken prisoner by the Japanese Imperial Army, kept in POW camps under often horrific conditions, with daily beatings, meagre rations and back-breaking work the norm. Mixed up in the middle of that horror was a young RAF medical officer from Cork, Dr Aidan MacCarthy.

Author Bob Jackson first learned of Aidan MacCarthy in 1999, when a customer in The Rendevouz bar in Cork city told him the story of a Corkman who had survived the brutal Japanese POW camps. Also featured in a 2015 documentary of the same name which was produced by Jackson, MacCarthy’s harrowing story is told between the pages of A Doctor’s Sword, which expands on MacCarthy’s own memoir to include a more in depth view of this fascinating story. As Jackson explains: “Because of his genuine, self-effacing modesty, his memoir is sometimes short on detail.

You know that there is a lot more to the story that he is not telling. His account gives a vivid account of how he survived the war and he describes, almost casually, one near-death experience after another. Yet his character comes through more in what he does not say rather than what he does.”

The tale is an engrossing one. Born into a large family in Castletownbere, Co Cork in 1913, MacCarthy earned himself a reputation as an independent minded, bright and determined young man, traits that would stand to him in

MacCarthy earned himself a reputation as an independent minded, bright and determined young man, traits that would stand to him in later years.

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BOOK REVIEW his actions in rescuing several crew members from a bomber that crashlanded at an RAF base in 1941.

TRIALS IN THE EAST

Japanese naval aircraft prepare to take off from an aircraft carrier (reportedly Shokaku) to attack Pearl Harbor during the morning of December 7th 1941. The plane in the foreground is a Zero Fighter. This is probably the launch of the second attack wave. The original photograph was captured on Attu in 1943. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Naval History & Heritage Command: Photo Section, Photo # 80-G-71198

later years. A strong swimmer, he saved the lives of his mother, aunt and cousins when their wooden boat caught fire in the local harbour, tying a rope around his waist and swimming to shore.

MacCarthy completed his medical studies at University College Cork in 1938, and moved to London in search of work and adventure. Following the German invasion of Poland and the outbreak of war, he and two friends tossed a coin to decide between joining the Navy or the RAF. The latter won, and they signed up the following day.

Initially posted to France, he was among those evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940 when large numbers of Allied troops became surrounded by the German Army during the Battle of France. On his return to England he served at several RAF bases, and was the first person from the Irish state to receive the George Medal for

In an attempt to frame the proceeding events, Jackson provides an interesting background on the Japanese way of life following the reinstatement of the emperors in 1869. He explains how an increased emphasis was placed on serving country and emperor from a young age and how, for soldiers, the shame of being captured was impressed upon them – death was the only honourable option. MacCarthy was captured not long after his arrival in Palembang (Indonesia) in 1942, when the RAF was dispatched to defend Singapore against the Japanese invasion in Java. Over the following three years he and his fellow POWs faced terrible conditions as they were moved from camp to camp, forced to work long hours with little respite and rations.

MacCarthy put his medical training to good use during this time while treating his fellow prisoners as disease and infections spread, including the use of shaving cream to treat eye infections.

MacCarthy, alongside a number of POWs who had survived the sinking of a POW transport ship, arrived in Nagasaki, Japan in June 1944 where they were quickly set to work for the Mitsubishi Corporation. He was still there when the atomic bomb was dropped on the city on the morning of August 9th 1945. Taking cover in a bomb shelter several feet below the surface and 1 mile from the

ONE TO watch out for

epicentre, he survived. Between 105,000 and 120,000 people did not. “There then followed a blue flash accompanied by a very bright magnesium-type flare...Then came a frighteningly loud but rather flat explosion which was followed by a blast of hot air...All this was followed by an eerie silence,” he recalled.

On August 15th 1945, the day of the Japanese surrender, MacCarthy was presented with an ancestral Japanese sword by the camp commandant, whose life MacCarthy saved from POWs bent on revenge for years of brutal treatment. Years after MacCarthy passed away, Bob Jackson came onto the scene and set in motion a series of events that began with a visit to McCarthy’s pub in Castletownbere and culminated in a documentary trip to Japan with MacCarthy’s daughter Nicola, and an emotional meeting with the grandson of that camp commandant who had gifted MacCarthy his sword, ensuring that his story reaches a new generation.

Considering what he lived through, from the miracle of Dunkirk to the bombing of Nagasaki, it’s hard to believe that MacCarthy lived to tell the tale. Speaking to RTE radio in 1995, MacCarthy was characteristically understated when he was asked about why he survived.

“A combination of my Irish Catholic heritage, my family background and lots and lots of luck,” he replied.

A Doctor’s Sword is published by The Collins Press and retails for 22.99.

Published earlier this year, The Abbey Rebels of 1916: A Lost Revolution

by Fearghal McGarry recounts the role played by The Abbey Theatre in the revolutionary generation that eventually secured Irish freedom, as well as the lesser known individuals within that institution. Through unpublished materials, documents and images, McGarry charts how the radical ideals of the likes of Peadar Kearney (author of the national anthem), feminist Helena Moloney and Seán Connolly (brother to DFB’s Captain Joseph Connolly and the first rebel to die during Easter Week), were eventually supplanted and succeeded by a more conservative vision for Ireland in the years following the Easter Rising. Well worth the read for the year that’s in it.

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TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS

WORKING ON THE FRONTLINE

Alongside our usual round-up of the latest technology for the emergency services sector, we spoke with Robin Blandford, founder of Howth-based software company D4H Technologies, which provides emergency management solutions.

R

obin Blandford leads an interesting life. One day could see him responding to a maritime emergency as part of his work with the Coast Guard in Howth; the next, a flight over a remote oil and gas site in Alaska.

It’s all part and parcel of his work as the founder of D4H Technologies, based in the Bailey Lighthouse in Howth, a software firm that helps emergency teams across the globe to ensure they are ready for whatever comes next. Though D4H works with some organisations in Europe, the vast majority of its clients are

based in North America, divided between the USA and Canada.

GENESIS Blandford’s background is in the Irish Coast Guard, through which he has risen over the years to become acting deputy officer in charge of North Dublin.

His membership of the Scouts and his role as a scout leader had engendered an interest in mountaineering, followed by first aid. Though he originally looked at joining a mountain rescue team, he instead opted to join

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Robin Blandford

Blandford’s background is in the Irish Coast Guard, through which he has risen over the years to become acting deputy officer in charge of North Dublin.

the Coast Guard in Howth.

Eight years ago he built a basic database programme to assist Coast Guard operations at the station level, to analyse incidents, help manage training schedules, the calendar, and other day-to-day tasks. “That just grew and grew and eight years later we have a range of products that are delivered to 16 countries,” he explains.

Their software, Blandford tells me, is all web-based and focuses on readiness, making sure that equipment is ready to respond, making sure that people are trained and experienced, ensuring that incidents are being analysed and creating a feedback loop to improve training and readiness.

That readiness software is used in every large scale disaster, says Blandford, including the salvage of the Costa Concordia cruise ship which wrecked off the Italian coast in January 2012.

“We have 16 countries where we have organisations or governments using the software. It’s mainly North America, and that is split about 50-50 between Canada and the US,” he says. “They’re slightly different markets. Canada is a little bit more in the wilderness side – search and rescue or remote oil and gas sites. The US tends to be more hazardous material response, HAZMAT chemical response. [We work] more through fire departments, emergency management agencies etc.”

In Ireland, however, they have yet to make their mark. At the moment the only work the firm does here involves search and rescue between Irish Water Safety, the Irish Coast Guard and several mountain rescue teams. “It’s very much volunteer stuff in Ireland – there’s just not the market,” he explains. “DFB is the only big organisation that would be that applicable to us. We think there might be some military interest, but for us there’s a huge investment to do that for a very small market.

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Generating new business is the tricky part – D4H hasn’t yet reached the point where their name is universally known within the market, and where fire departments or other emergency teams immediately gravitate towards their solutions. on customer sites or conferences.

Every city I go to I end up riding in a fire tender or on a boat in the bay or whatever. Because they know you’ve got all the certs and you’ve got all your tickets for everything in order, you get invited out – it makes a massive difference.”

MOVING FORWARD

D4H HQ

We’re totally focused on North America where we jump from county to county, and they each have a DFB – it’s much, much bigger.”

NEW TIES Generating new business is the tricky part – D4H hasn’t yet reached the point where their name is universally known within the market, and where fire departments or other emergency teams immediately gravitate towards their solutions.

Blandford describes their approach as two-pronged: spears and nets.

“Your spears involve initial

targeting – we know if it’s an emergency management agency, some county or state in the US, we can find out the name of the emergency manager who’s in charge. We directly target that person through meeting them at conferences, phone calls, emails...quite a targeted approach,” he explains. “The [opposite] side of it is the marketing. The biggest companies in the world will still target their sales.”

Blandford also notes that his background within the field is of huge help when it comes to speaking his clients’ language. “I’m always

It’s clear that Blandford relishes every day of his work, and the enjoyment shines through in his voice and in his words. “You could be six months dealing with [a client] on the phone, or maybe they’ve been a customer for a year. And then sometimes you get flown up in a charter plan to some remote oil and gas site and you actually see – in the middle of nowhere in the world – that there’s a team of 50-100 firefighters using your software daily,” he says. “Or you hear of it being used – common lingo like you’d say ‘hoover that up’ or ‘Google that’. You hear phrases like ‘have you made sure you’ve added that to D4H’ – the word D4H gets thrown into conversation.”

The firm is on a massive growth trajectory now, with plenty of interesting projects on the go.

County deals in the US are turning into statewide deals, for example, with ten fire departments coming on board at once. Exciting times are undoubtedly ahead for the small firm based in a lighthouse in Howth.

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TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS

TACTICAL CHOICE

BRING OUT the big guns There’s a scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where Indiana Jones faces off against a skilled swordsman in Cairo. Tired (both in real life and in the film), Jones watches while his opponent demonstrates his impressive sword wielding skills, then simply shoots him. It’s a blunt response, but possibly the most effective.

That also seems to be the tack taken by Boeing when it comes to fighting forest fires, with the company recently patenting a ‘fire-retarding artillery shell’. These are 155mm Howitzer shells which could be shot into flames from a distance of several miles, rather than being dropped from planes or helicopters. The application noted that “such aircraft deliver fire-retarding material at a low rate which often makes them inadequate to control forest fires,” and that the National Wildlife Coordinating Group Incident Response Pocket Guide has indicated that for a 28-acre fire, it would take around 7.6 hours for aircraft to deliver the required “6,469 gallons of fire-retarding materials.

During the 7.6 hour time period, the relatively small 28 acre fire has potential to grow and burn an estimated 100 acres of land.”

Designed to offer protection for law enforcement and emergency services personnel, the Pelican 7100 and 7600 LED flashlights have been introduced by Pelican Products. The compact 5-inch 7100 provides almost 700 lumens and features a full time battery level indicator and a USB rechargeable lithium ion battery - capable of operating on a single disposable AA battery if power isn’t available.

“The 7100 and 7600 are Peli’s most powerful compact tactical torches to date, and one of the best options for today’s law enforcement torches. With the latest LED lighting technology along with its great features and its compact design, makes them a unique companion for the professionals in the field,” the company said.

The 7600 model is just

LIVE

A new app is reducing the waiting time for ambulances in India.

LifeHover uses GPS technology to allow users to request and track nearby ambulances. The brainchild of cofounders Prerit Mittal, Rajvot Singh Arora and Pranav Bajaj, it offers patients the assurance that help is on the way when they need it.

an inch longer and offer 900 lumens of brilliant white light, and can be toggled to nightvision friendly red and green LEDs. Power is also provided by a USB rechargeable battery, though two CR123 disposable batteries are required to run it if you can’t recharge.

Both models feature an aluminium body with an anodised finish, glass lens with anti-reflective coating, and protection against water ingress.

“Our tactical lights have been trusted by the military and law enforcement industry for years,” said Stephan Corti, President of Pelican Products’ Commercial and Government Division.

“These new offerings signify our commitment to becoming the leader in the tactical light industry by developing durable, first-class products at a great value.”

India Live Today quotes the cofounders as saying: “Social network is flooded with the unresponsive characteristics of the traditional emergency numbers and there is widespread annoyance to live in a country where pizza manages to reach in 20 minutes but an ambulance can take one hour.”

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MOTORING GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED

FULL THROTTLE

THE GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED

T

he Goodwood Festival of Speed is nirvana for petrolheads, an oasis in a world full of speed vans and city cars, where trivialities such as fuel efficiency and boot space are discarded and horsepower, thundering engines and burning rubber reign utterly supreme.

Last June I had the chance to take in two days at Goodwood, located on part of the 12,000 acre Goodwood Estate managed by the Earl of March in Sussex. The festival, which has been held every summer since 1993, has been described as the ‘world’s largest automotive garden party’, featuring over 600 cars and motorcycles across the weekend in a celebration of the history and future of motoring and motorsport. Each year a sculpture, created by Gerry Judah, is placed outside Goodwood House, commemorating a different automaker every year. For 2016, BMW was chosen in the year of its

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centenary. The arching sculpture, rising 40m into the air, illustrated BMW’s sporting success throughout the years, featuring Gordon Murray’s Brabham-BMW BT52, the Le Mans-winning V12 LMR and a 328 Mille Miglia Roadster.

To say there was a vast swathe of vehicles on display would be an understatement, from hypercars and rally beasts to racing motorbikes and the best of vintage Formula 1 which, despite some heavy downpours, drew a crowd of over 200,000. Aston Martin had their Vulcan, Lexus their LFA, alongside innumerable Ferraris, Lamborghinis (including a special edition Aventador, in honour of the Miura) McLarens and Porsches, Maseratis and several gorgeous Ford Mustangs from different eras.

Fans of motors and motorsport through the ages weren’t left disappointed either. Among the exhibitors and racers was the Mille Miglia-winning BMW 326 Touring

CONOR FORREST WAS AMONG THE THOUSANDS OF MOTORING ENTHUSIASTS TO ATTEND THE 2016 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED, A HAVEN FILLED WITH RUMBLING ENGINES, SQUEALING TYRES AND THE ODD MISHAP ON TRACK.

Coupé from 1940, a Ferrari 375 ‘Grant Piston Ring Special’, the revolutionary Renault RS01, Peugeot’s 205 T16, and several of James Hunt’s competition cars.

A LEGEND RETURNS There were also plenty of well known names out and about over the four days. F1 stars Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg (behind the wheel of the Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid) all took to the track, as did Ken Block and Mad Mike Whiddett, while actors Patrick Dempsey (who recently clinched second place in the GTE-Am class at Le Mans) and Keanu Reeves were on hand to sample some tasty motorsport flavours. The former debuted the 2017 Porsche Panamera on the track, and later climbed behind the wheel of a 470hp 911 RSR. Reeves drove the Arch v-twin KRGT-1 motorcycle, which he had a hand in developing.

Perhaps one of the most

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MOTORING GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED

A host of F1 cars both vintage and modern were on display, including this Renault Formula E model

Main image: Jenson Button behind the wheel of the new Honda NSX. Above: 1950 Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta Touring

recognisable faces, however, was 86-year-old Sir Stirling Moss, who ascended the hill in the beautiful Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. Moss, described as “the greatest driver to never win the World Championship” is a true legend within motorsport, a member of the International Motorsport Hall of Fame alongside the likes of Enzo Ferrari, Henry Ford, Ayrton Senna and Carroll Shelby.

“It’s a fantastic place. The enthusiasm of the crowds and everything, I mean take today for instance; it’s a really awful day and it’s packed. I’ve never seen anything like it,” he told the Chichester Observer. “I’m amazed every time I come down the road to look up on the hill and see this mass of cars.”

Throttle – The Endless Pursuit of Power) which Lord March himself test drove on Sunday morning, the first non-professional driver to do so. The Chiron, which replaces the outgoing Veyron, features a W16 engine and costs around £1.9m. Only 360 models will be built. Speaking about his trip up the hill in the 8L Chiron, Lord March was full of praise.

“In terms of an overall automotive experience, that was at the very top – unbelievable power, yet unbelievably drivable. It was a full rush for all the senses,” he said afterwards.

Lord March, otherwise known as Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, comes from a line of petrolheads.

Motorsport at Goodwood first began back in 1948 by his grandfather, Frederick Gordon-Lennox, a racer in his own right who won the Brooklands Double Twelve in 1931 and was the founding president of the Guild of Motoring Writers. Though Frederick closed the Goodwood Circuit to racing in 1966, his grandson later reopened the doors to racing at Goodwood, beginning with a one-day event in 1993, which had grown to four days by 2010.

Fast forward to 2016 and the event continues to grow, attracting thousands of petrolheads to the sprawling estate despite the regular downpours.

As all good things must, the show came to an end on Sunday evening in a keenly contested shoot-out on the hill.

In a manner befitting the festival’s theme for 2016, Olly Clark claimed the top spot for the second year in a row, with an incredible 46.29s in his Subaru Impreza ‘Gobstopper II’, crossing the finish line at 225.6 km/h. Full throttle indeed.

Above left: Several motorbikes were also on show, including this pristine Triumph.

Below: 86-year-old Sir Stirling Moss ascended the hill in the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR

MARCHING ON One of the biggest stars of the show, unsurprisingly, was Bugatti’s Veyron replacement, the 1479bhp Chiron (apt, given the festival’s theme, Full

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MOTORING SKODA KODIAQ

SKODA KICKS OFF

THE KODIAQ SKODA HAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED ITS NEW LARGE SUV, THE KODIAQ.

A

fter months of teasing its first large SUV, Skoda launched the brand new Kodiaq in Berlin at the beginning of September. Named after an Alaskan bear and the next step up from the Yeti, the Kodiaq will go head to head against the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Nissan X-Trail and the VW Tiguan. The only thing that might hold it back is badge snobbery, but given the

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leaps and bounds made by Skoda in recent years, anyone who gives the Kodiaq a miss because of its badge will undoubtedly be missing out.

So who exactly will drive this thing? Everybody, if Skoda has their way – the brand hopes that the seven-seater Kodiaq will appeal as an all-rounder – suitable for business, family and leisure use, alongside those drivers who want to take the less beaten paths. “With the

Skoda Kodiaq, we are striking out in a new direction and opening up new markets,” said CEO Bernhard Maier. “”With our first large SUV, we are conquering a new segment.”

Less boxy and more angular than the Yeti, and featuring Skoda’s modern design language, the Kodiaq is quite an eye-catching car, perhaps somewhat reminiscent of the Audi Q5. Measuring 4,697mm long (only 40mm more than the Octavia),

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(in case the kids jump out without regard for what’s nearby). The area view system is a first for the brand, offering views around the car and a virtual view from above. The offroad mode can be selected by simply pressing a button, with the chassis, engine management and brakes adjusting to cope with the terrain.

Five powertrains – two diesel and three petrol – are available from launch, with a choice of 1.4L and 2.0L, and power output between 123-187bhp.

Six-speed manual and six or seven-speed DSG transmissions are available depending on your choice of engine.

Due to hit the Irish market at the beginning of 2017, early indications are that the entry level Kodiaq will be priced at a respectable d27,000.

If it’s as comfortable to drive as the Yeti, it’ll be well worth the look.

1,882mm wide and 1,676mm in height, the Kodiaq’s interior space is also typical of a Skoda – with plenty of head and legroom and a boot volume of 720L, rising to 2,065L when you fold the rear seats.

Alongside a range of modern driver assistance and safety systems, the Kodiaq’s Simply Clever features offer an added depth – for example, door-edge protection is deployed automatically when opening the door

anyone who gives the kodiaq a miss because of its badge will undoubtedly be missing out.

SKODA KODIAQ 2.0L TDI 4X4 SEVEN-SEATER

MOTORING SKODA KODIAQ

0-100 KM/H

9.8

SECONDS

MAX 195

SPEED km/h Turning circle:

11.6M CO2 142

emissions G/KM

ANNUAL TAX BILL:

g390 FUEL

EFFICIENCY

5.4L/ 100KM (52MPG)

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MOTORING IN BRIEF

MERCEDES’ Google has their autonomous car, Tesla has pioneered autonomous technology in its Model S, and now Mercedes-Benz is adding its Future Bus to the augmented transportation mix. The semiautonomous CityPilot system can recognise and communicate with traffic lights, negotiate junctions, recognise obstacles and brake autonomously. Those capabilities are achieved via a network of onboard cameras and radar which work to make life easier for the bus driver and provide safer journeys for passengers, and have been shown to work in practice via a recent 20km journey on the Netherlands’ Bus Rapid Transit route between

The Mercedes Future Bus

Haarlem and Schiphol Airport.

“It operates highly efficiently, significantly improves the level of safety and relieves driver workload.

Daimler Buses is thereby developing the bus transport system of tomorrow,” the company said.

OX

ACCESS TO MOBILITY The colourful OX

The world’s first flatpack truck has been launched by the Global Vehicle Trust, designed to provide low cost, all terrain mobility for remote regions and the developing world. With the ability to tackle transport challenges and tasks such as collecting water and transporting grain or building materials up to 1,900kg, the OX is the brainchild of businessman Sir Torquil Norman and automotive designer Professor Gordan Murray.

Powered by a 2.2L 16v diesel engine, it features high ground xxxx clearance, excellent approach FIRECALL AUTUMN

and departure angles, and a threeperson cab. Three skilled people can put an OX together in around 12 hours. The tailgate can be removed and used as a loading ramp, and the rear benches double as sand ladders.

“Feedback we have had so far from contacts in Africa and with aid agencies has been very positive. OX is about making a difference now, being part of something ground-breaking and unique,” said Sir Torquil. “Most of all it presents a real opportunity to make a fundamental and lasting difference to people’s lives.”

The Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) has launched Ireland’s first wheelchair tuition vehicle, providing the opportunity for people with physical disabilities who use a power wheelchair to learn how to drive. Driving tuition will be provided in ten centres around the country, enabling students to increase their independence and freedom. “IWA aims to support as many of our members as possible in getting on the road.

The introduction of the new vehicle with its extensive range of assistive features will enable many people who never had the opportunity to learn to drive the chance to gain the skill, experience and confidence necessary to pass their driving test.”

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INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

THE VIEW ON VIRUSES A number of ancient viruses have been uncovered in recent years, prompting fears about the resurrection of deadly organisms that could threaten an unprepared population. Conor Forrest explores whether these rediscovered organisms could prove threatening, and examines the more modern incarnations which are affecting the modern world.

’s main streets, weeks rcos (Flickr; CC BY 2.0)

T

he microbial world is a fascinating one. The human body is home to more microbes than cells, and bacteria in the gut exist within a complex community in a symbiotic relationship with their host.

Deinococcus radiodurans is one of the most radiation-resistant organisms in the known world (it even has a Guinness World Record) and was successful, in recent tests conducted at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, a university run by the US government, in protecting animals from radiation injury. And oil-eating bacteria played an important role in the clean up following the

Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. “The microbes did a spectacular job of eating a lot of the natural gas,” said biogeochemist Chris Reddy, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, speaking to Scientific American. “The rate and capacity is a mind-boggling testament to microbes.”

It can also be deadly. One of the most devastating pandemics in history, the Black Death (1346-53) originated in Asia and swept across Europe and the Mediterranean, leaving a death toll of between 75 to 200 million in its wake.

During the 1918 flu pandemic, 500 million people across the globe were infected, with between 50-100 million (3-5 per cent of the world’s population)

killed. In the modern era, Ebola was first discovered in Africa in 1976 – the most widespread epidemic between 2013 and 2016 saw reported case fatalities of up to 70 per cent and 11,325 people dead.

TRAPPED IN THE ICE Such organisms have been around for a lot longer, however. Late last year, researchers uncovered an ancient giant virus in the Siberian permafrost, which had lain dormant beneath the ice for 30,000 years. It’s not the first – four frozen viruses from times long past have been discovered by researchers since 2003. “The fact that two different viruses could be easily revived from prehistoric permafrost

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A neighbourhood project in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro takes to the streets to combat the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which can spread Zika. Photo: Avanilton de Aguilar

One possible way of treating the lung disease could be a virus which infects lung cells but doesn’t destroy them. should be of concern in a context of global warming,” the authors warned in a paper published last September in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. This latest discovery, which infected a common form of amoeba, has been labelled Mollivirus sibericum and measures a whopping (by viral standards) 0.6 microns across, landing it firmly in the giant virus category – a human hair can measure between 40 and 70 microns wide.

You might ask how those organisms could survive in such a punishing environment for so long, like a microscopic, infectious Captain America. ‘Survive’, however, is the

wrong word. “The interesting thing about phage is they’re not really alive.

A phage is an obligate parasite so it can only grow inside a bacterial cell or a human cell – it can’t replicate by itself,” explains Professor Colin Hill, a microbiologist with University College Cork. “It’s a big conundrum in biology – should we be calling viruses microbes or not, are they alive or dead?

A virus just lying on a desk or trapped in a piece of ice isn’t surviving in the classical sense of surviving, it’s not using up energy, it’s not looking for food, it’s not moving, it’s not doing anything.

It’s just existing. And if it comes into contact with a cell again, then of course it can start to replicate again.”

Some (mostly media outlets) have raised concerns about the discovery of an ancient virus and the potential to unleash an unknown and potentially deadly strain on an unsuspecting world – the premise to quite a few movies.

The reality, however, is that the public shouldn’t be worrying unduly about an unknown virus rising up from the ice lands of Siberia to throw the world into chaos. As Professor Hill explains, a virus is very specific, and one which infects amoeba won’t (apart from very rare exceptions) infect a human or animal.

“30,000 years ago when the ice started to form – which is now melting – there were no humans out of Africa,” he says.

“We don’t really have to worry about a

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Such organisms have been around for a long longer, however. Late last year, researchers uncovered an ancient giant virus in the Siberian permafrost, which had lain dormant beneath the ice for 30,000 years. lot of human viruses being buried in the ice. The ones that they found, these are viruses that infect amoeba, which are little single cell organisms that grow in ponds and things like that. It would be highly unlikely if not close to impossible for a really dangerous human virus to emerge out of the permafrost.”

Interestingly, ancient viruses are not just lurking beneath the world’s ice – our own DNA is housing viral code that is hundreds of thousands of years old. Researchers from Tufts University and the University of Michigan Medical School have discovered 19 new pieces of viral DNA following an analysis of 2,500 human genomes around the world, the remnants of viruses which infected our ancestors hundreds of thousands of years ago.

One particular stretch of DNA, which was discovered in 50 people, contained the recipe for an entire virus.

“This one looks like it is capable of making infectious virus, which would be very exciting if true, as it would allow us to study a viral epidemic that took place long ago,” said author and virologist Dr John Coffin, Ph.D., Tufts University School of Medicine. “This research provides important information necessary for understanding how retroviruses and humans have evolved together in relatively recent times.”

The discovery sheds some new light

on human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) – ancient viruses which worked by inserted a DNA-based copy of their own RNA genetic material into the human genome. Over the proceeding generations, this virus DNA was copied and passed down as humans reproduced, resulting in its presence in human DNA today.

In most cases, following successful suppression of the virus, these sections were simply switched off. Sometimes they can prove useful – one HERV sequence has been employed by pregnant women’s bodies to build a protective cell layer around the foetus to combat toxins in the mother’s blood.

“This is a thrilling discovery. It will open up many doors to research,” said co-author Dr Julia Wildschutte. “What’s more, we have confirmed in this paper that we can use genomic data from multiple individuals compared to the reference human genome to detect new HERVs. But this has also shown us that some people carry insertions that we can’t map back to the reference.”

MODERN THREATS The real threats are among us today, however, rather than buried in the ice a world away. Outbreaks of Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever can result in a fatality rate of around 40 per cent, affecting countries in Africa,

Ebola ultrastructure. Image: Cynthia Goldsmith/ CDCGlobal/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Asia, the Balkans and the Middle East. Spread from ticks to animals and then onwards to humans, those most severely affected can experience symptoms including hepatitis and sudden liver failure. The Marburg virus is hosted by fruit bats and transmitted to humans, and can be fatal in up to 88 per cent of cases in some outbreaks.

Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012, characterised by fever, coughing, shortness of breath and often pneumonia. Having possibly originated in bats and then transmitted to camels, the World Health Organisation (WHO) notes that 36 per cent of those who have contracted MERS have died.

Professor Hill concurs that the viruses that people should be most concerned about are those which can jump across species. “Zika virus probably came from monkeys, swine flu from pigs, avian flu from birds,” he says. “If a virus suddenly makes a jump from another species it’s like it’s

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We have a lot of sanitation in a first world country and we’re separated a lot from the creatures that these viruses might jump from,” he says.

Viruses aren’t all bad, however.

For example, some researchers are examining how a virus can be used as a delivery mechanism to deliver drugs or therapies. Professor Hill gives the example of a lung disease which requires as treatment a protein or antibody. One possible way of treating the lung disease could be a virus which infects lung cells but doesn’t destroy them, instead delivering targeted treatment. “One of the ways you can do that is genetically engineer the virus, take out genes that make it dangerous, that makes it replicate or that makes it damage cells and replace that with, say, the antibody gene or the gene that will have a benefit,” he explains. “A lot of people have been very interested in using viruses as delivery vehicles, as ways of delivering drugs to people in a very effective way.”

Though viruses are in most cases far smaller than bacteria, prions are smaller yet again and can be even more deadly for those affected. According to the John Hopkins medical library, prions are types of proteins that can cause “normal proteins in the brain to fold abnormally”.

Affecting both humans and animals, the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) lists CreutzfeldtJakob Disease (CJC), Fatal Familial Insomnia and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) among the human and animal prion diseases.

Scientists as of yet don’t know much about prion diseases, though the CDC notes that they usually progress rapidly and are always fatal.

PRIONS

completely new to us – we don’t have defences, our immune systems aren’t trained to deal with it. Most viruses do emerge and within a matter of a decade or so, science catches up and develops pretty good treatments for them.”

Thankfully, Ireland doesn’t appear to be too susceptible to threats like Zika or avian flu, unless people travelling abroad bring it home. Though several Irish people were found to be affected by Zika since an outbreak was declared by the WHO last year, they were confirmed to have travelled to areas in which Zika is prevalent, or at least present. Professor Hill notes that Ireland’s main defence against the development or spread of such diseases is our modern lifestyle – we don’t tend to live in close contact with animals, making it difficult for an animal virus to jump across the divide. “If you look in some of the hotter areas of the world, people live in very close contact with swine or with birds, or maybe in close contact with other primates.

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Home is the place where memories are made.

There are 5,000 people homeless in Ireland. One in seven people accessing homeless services is a child. By remembering Focus Ireland in your Will, you can provide more people with a place to call home, a place to create their own happy memories.

We understand that when making your Will, you’ll want to care for those closest to you first, but once you have, any contribution to Focus Ireland can make such a big difference. Please contact Pauline Costello in Focus Ireland, in complete confidence, on 01 881 5900. Thank you.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS Emergency Services News From Around the Globe.

SOUTH CAROLINA:

USA:

FALLEN FDNY BATTALION CHIEF HONOURED FDNY Battalion Chief Michael J Fahy, a 17-year veteran of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), was honoured across the city following his death from injuries sustained during an explosion in the Bronx district.

In a statement, FDNY said that Chief Fahy responded with several units to reports of gas odour. Serving as incident commander, Fahy gave the order to search for the source, and to evacuate occupants who could possibly be in danger. “Units determined the gas was emanating from 304 West 234th Street and, at about 7:30am, an explosion occurred on the top floor of the house. Chief Fahy was struck and fatally injured by falling debris. He was transported to NewYork-Presbyterian/ Allen Hospital where he died

✶

from his injuries,” FDNY said.

First appointed as a firefighter in May 1999, Fahy was promoted to Lieutenant in 2004, serving in the Bronx, followed by a promotion to Captain in 2012 and a move to lower Manhattan. His return to the Bronx came with a further promotion to the rank of Battalion Chief. “Today is a sad day for the entire FDNY family...We lost a rising star in our department, a Chief who exuded leadership and inspired confidence in the members in his command,” said Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro following the incident.

“Chief Fahy bravely served the city for 17 years, following in the footsteps of his father, Thomas J Fahy, also a Battalion Chief. His death is a painful reminder of the sacrifice our job all too often demands.”

GERMANY:

INCENDIARY SPARKS FIRE According to RT, an old incendiary device sparked a forest fire near the German town of Wittstock, burning through a total of 57 hectares.

Locals reported hearing a

loud explosion prior to the fire; the bomb detonated on an old military range, previously used by Soviet soldiers when East Germany was part of the Eastern Bloc.

VOLUNTEER STOPS GUNMAN A volunteer firefighter in South Carolina was hailed as a hero when he stopped a teen gunman who opened fire at Townville Elementary School in Anderson County.

According to Fox Carolina, Jamie Brock was one of the first responders to reach the scene, where he confronted the teenager and held him there until police arrived.

NORTHERN IRELAND

TO GET FIRST EVER AIR AMBULANCE Good news for Northern Ireland – Air Ambulance NI (AANI) will work with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service to provide the North’s first ever Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). Babcock Mission Critical Services Onshore will supply two helicopters to provide an air ambulance in Northern Ireland 365 days a year. One of the voices behind the campaign to have an air ambulance in the North was Dr John Hinds, a consultant anaesthetist who regularly provided

medical cover at motorbike racing events, and who lost his life during a practice session at the Skerries 100 in Dublin last year.

“Having two air ambulances permanently based in Northern Ireland will significantly reduce maintenance downtime.

The two EC 135 helicopters will be fully equipped HEMS aircraft.

Having one helicopter on duty every day will ensure Air Ambulance Northern Ireland is there for those who need it,” said AANI chairman Ian Crowe.

FIRECALL AUTUMN

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UK:

CONCERNS RAISED OVER AMBULANCE SERVICE

UKRAINE:

AMBULANCES FOR ARMED FORCES As part of the train-andequip programme with Ukraine, Lt. General Ben Hodges, commander of US Army Europe, recently presented five field litter ambulance (FLA) to the Ukrainian armed forces.

The FLAs are built using a rigid, reinforcing frame, with capacity for four litter and six ambulatory patients in an insulated compartment, which also contains a hospital grade oxygen system and

suction ports for up to six patients.

“The Ukrainian Army receives tremendous help from the American Army. Nowadays we all know that Ukrainians face medical evacuation problems,” said Ukraine’s Minister of Health, Dr Ulana Suprun. “The army is short of armoured vehicles for fast evacuation of injured soldiers to the hospitals where they can be treated by professional doctors.”

CANADA:

REPORT WARNS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS A State of Canada’s Forests report, published

by Natural Resources Canada, has warned that climate change is resulting in increased large fires, a greater frequency of droughts and changing patterns in disease and invasive insect outbreaks in the country’s forests.

Milder and drier conditions over the past 50 years are thought to be one of the main causes of lengthier fire seasons in Canada, increasing the number and size of forest fires.

The recent Fort McMurray wildfire burned an area

of 589,552 hectares and cost a whopping $3.58 billion in damages.

“Most areas in Canada, for example, are expected to experience at least a twofold increase in annual area burned by forest fires and a 1.5-fold increase in the number of large fires by the end of the 21st century. This means that the average age of the country’s forests is likely to decline in some areas, with increases in the number of young trees regenerating in burned-out areas,” the report stated.

The South East Ambulance Service, which serves Surrey, Kent, Sussex and North East Hampshire, is to be placed in special measures as a result of a report undertaken by the Care Quality Commision (CQC). The report, which rated the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust as “Inadequate”, found a number of areas of concern, including a failure to meet national response times, inadequate processes to ensure proper maintenance of equipment, and governance

arrangements which were not operating effectively.

“I am recommending that South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust be placed into special measures to ensure the service gets the support it needs to improve. I hope that support from external partners including the NHS Improvement and NHS England will give the Trust a clearer sense of direction and support the introduction of the improvements which are so clearly needed,” said Professor Sir Mike Richards, Chief Inspector of Hospitals.

RUSSIA:

FACTORY FIRE KILLS EIGHT FIREFIGHTERS Eight firefighters have lost their lives while tackling a fire at a factory in eastern Moscow. The firefighters were working on the roof of the factory when it collapsed.

Thousands of people, including colleagues, friends and members of the public, attended a service in honour of the firefighters.

“They did their duty by giving their lives for the sake of others. This

is an irreplaceable loss for the whole team of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations and bereavement for their loved ones,” said Minister of Emergency Situations Vladimir Puchkov. “Today we are mourning our fellows.

We remember the good deeds each of them did.

Their names are written in golden letters in the history of the Ministry’s fire and rescue service.”

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