Firecall Spring 2016 by Ashville Media Group

FIRECALL

SPRING 2016

FIRECALL OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF DUBLIN FIRE, AMBULANCE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

VOLUME EIGHTEEN ISSUE ONE

1916 COMMEMORATION

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CONTENTS

EDITOR’S LETTER

A ROLE REMEMBERED Dublin Fire Brigade’s 1916 exhibition has opened to the public at City Hall.

FOREWORD

09 HITTING THE TWEETS A round-up of the best and brightest tweets from Dublin Fire Brigade’s Twitter feed.

DFB ON FACEBOOK

DUBLIN GOES

LIVING HISTORY

Green

A joint exhibition on 1916 was held in the OBI last January, which was both wellattended and received.

31 MARK OF HONOUR

A recent ceremony was held in Glasnevin and Mount Jerome cemeteries in memory of the Dublin Fire Brigade personnel who fought for Ireland’s freedom in Easter 1916.

A LISTENING EAR 14

DFB’s CISM team provides a crucial service in preparing firefighters for traumatic incidents, and helping them to deal with the aftermath.

WELCOME

TO 1916

Chief Fire Officer Pat Fleming on the importance of highlighting DFB’s role during the events of Easter 1916.

A WEEKEND

to Remember

An impressive weekend of commemorative events was held in honour of those who fought across Ireland during Easter week 1916.

Thousands of people lined Dublin City’s streets to watch a fantastic and colourful parade, which also included a party from Dublin Fire Brigade.

A LITTLE GOOD GOES A LONG WAY

One member of Dublin Fire Brigade has gone to new heights to pull the local community out into the fresh air, and for a very worthy cause, writes Orla Connolly.

STATION PROFILE

Conor Forrest paid a return visit to a much busier O’Brien Training Institute, to find out how the new batch of recruits are getting on.

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CONTENTS

AID RENDERED

Patrick Madden

Conor Forrest examines the European migrant crisis from an Irish perspective, and speaks to Irish naval commander Daniel Wall, who travelled as part of a humanitarian mission to the Mediterranean last year.

RETIRED MEMBERS:

We spoke with retired District Officer Patrick Madden to discover more about a career well spent.

TECHNOLOGICAL

TOOLS

The latest in technological innovations to benefit emergency responders around the world.

MOTORING

55 ON THE FRONT LINES DFB personnel have responded to a wide range of incidents in the first three months of the year, including several larger fires across the city.

BURNING RUBBER

A team from Ireland joined four other nations at the recent Philip Island International Classic in Australia earlier this year – among them No 8 firefighter and motorbike racer Mark O’Byrne.

SAVING LIVES IN THE LEVANT

A review of Jeep’s 4x4 Renegade, and the new Mercedes C43 AMG.

Although they normally find themselves on opposite sides of a decades-old conflict, in 2010 firefighters from Israel and Palestine came together to battle a deadly blaze.

Tackling

ZIKA

69 ABIGAIL PERDUE THE JUDGING OF

A new book, which examines the afterlife and the intricacies of human nature, has been penned by former DFB firefighter, Ger Mallen.

The Zika virus has exploded across the Americas in recent weeks and months, even making its way to European countries. Conor Forrest examines this recent rise, the impact the virus is having on affected countries, and the measures being taking to halt its spread.

INTERNATIONAL

NEWS

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St. Francis Hospice Who we are? The staﬀ and volunteers of St. Francis Hospice provide specialist palliative care to people of North Dublin City and County. Our services are delivered from our hospices in Raheny and Blanchardstown. Based on a Christian philosophy, each person is treated with dignity, respect and compassion irrespective of their cultural or religious background. Our services are at no charge to patients.

What we do? We supported 1300 patients and their families in 2015. This care was provided by the multidisciplinary team of Doctors, Nurses, Social Workers, Chaplains, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Complementary/Lymphedema Therapists, Care Assistants, Household, Administration and Contract Staﬀ. Specialist palliative care was provided to 1051 people in their homes. Patients attended our Hospice Day Care Centres in Raheny and Blanchardstown and patients also attended our Out-Patient Clinics in Raheny (Walmer Villa) and Blanchardstown Hospice. In addition, 245 patients were admitted to our In-Patient unit in Raheny and 72 to Blanchardstown for symptom management and end of life care. We helped families both during the person’s illness and afterwards, through support and counselling by the Medical Social Work Team.

Annually we need to raise €4.3 million to repay capital debt on St. Francis Hospice Blanchardstown and to cover the shortfall in funding for St. Francis Hospice Raheny and Blanchardstown.

What we want to do. • Pay the Capital Debt for St. Francis Hospice Blanchardstown which stands at €6.8m Annual repayments on this debt are €0.7m. • Maintain our day to day services at St. Francis Hospice Raheny/Blanchardstown currently requiring €3.6m annually from fundraising in addition to our allocation from the HSE.

With your help and generosity we can do it. St Francis Hospice would like to take this opportunity to thank the men and women in Dublin Fire Brigade for their continued generosity and support.

St. Francis Hospice, Station Road, Raheny, Dublin 5 Tel: 01 832 7535 | www.stfrancishospice.ie St. Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 Tel: 01 829 4000 238709_1C_SFH_SN_FC.indd 1

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EDITOR’S LETTER Editor: Conor Forrest Consulting Editors: Dan Fynes & Bevin Herbert Contributors: Orla Connolly, Christopher O’Riordan

letter from the

EDITOR

Design and Layout: Jennifer Reid Cover credit: Dublin firefighters inspect damage following the 1916 Rising. Image courtesy of The National Library of Ireland Photography: DFB, Trevor Hunt, Merrionstreet.ie, Conor Forrest, Sarah Good, An Cosantóir, Simon Lazewski/foto farm, Cameron White, Joe Connolly/Big Joe Photos, Colin Heaslip/Irish Air Corps, IOM/Amanda Nero, Irish Defence Forces, Thinkstock, FireSat/Quadra Pi R2E, GoodSAM, HAAS, Panasonic, Cyfuse Biomedical/PRNewsFoto/LifeNet Health, Jarowan Power, Gabriel Jabur/Agência Brasília, Pedro Ventura/Agência Brasília, Marcello Casal Jr/Agência Brasília, Toninho Tavares/Agência Brasília, Hanay/ Wikimedia Commons, Etan Tal/Wikimedia Commons, Amit A/Wikimedia Commons, Ger Mallen, Jeep, Mercedes Benz, Zenos, Bentley, Rimac. 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 omissions. 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.

ear readers, Welcome to the spring issue of Firecall filled, as usual, with news and features both from Dublin Fire Brigade and around the world. The big news this year is the large swathe of events celebrating and commemorating the 1916 Rising, from State parades and museum exhibitions to public talks and theatre. Dublin Fire Brigade has also been quite busy in such historical endeavours, including the opening of an exhibition in City Hall examining DFB’s role in the insurrection, a fun and fact-filled reenactment day held in the OBI with the help of the Dublin Brigade Irish Volunteers, and a sombre commemoration ceremony in Glasnevin Cemetery. We’ve also got a photo spread from the commemorative Easter weekend, at which a number of DFB personnel featured prominently. In our station profile I returned to a much busier O’Brien Training Institute to see how the latest recruit class is progressing. Third Officer Gerry Stanley fills me in on the latest goings-on and developments at the training centre, while Course Director Barbara Cahill explains what exactly is involved in organising a recruit class programme. We’ve also got an interview with Rathfarnham firefighter Mark O’Byrne, who recently returned from racing classic superbikes in Australia’s Philip Island International Classic, and for whom the thrill of the adrenaline rush is a driving force. Our latest international profile focuses on an interesting and divisive region of the world – the disputed territories of Israel and Palestine. With firefighters on either side working in often dangerous conditions and under fire, we take a look at their respective roles, training and equipment, and a major incident which drew both sides together in 2010. Finally, in our motoring section we’ve got a review of one of the latest additions to Jeep’s line-up – the compact 4x4 Renegade – as well as news on Mercedes’ brand new AMG C43. Hope you enjoy the read,

Conor Forrest

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Editorial and Production Manager: Mary Connaughton

EDITOR’S PICKS REMEMBER 1916

Ireland commemorates the Easter Rising.

p SAVING LIVES IN THE LEVANT

Firefighting in Israel and Palestine.

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COMMERCIAL FEATURE

SAFETY FIRST

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as Networks Ireland operates and maintains Ireland’s 13,710 km natural gas pipeline network. One of the key services provided by Gas Networks Ireland is the national gas emergency service, which responds to around 20,000 reports from the public of gas escapes and other gas-related emergencies every year. GNI personnel attend to each of these calls within one hour, with an average response time of 28 minutes, all done without sirens or blue lights. A multimedia campaign, operating across TV, radio, press, online and digital platforms promotes the key steps the public should take if they smell gas at home: • Don’t ignore it. • Ensure gas appliances have not been left on and un-lit. • Don’t smoke or use any naked flames. • Don’t switch anything electrical on or off. • Open doors and windows to let the gas disperse. • Turn the gas off at the meter. • Call the Gas Networks Ireland 24 hour emergency service on 1850 20 50 50. This advice applies to all gas customers, regardless of who their gas supplier is. If someone smells gas on the street, they should also call the GNI emergency service.

such as a cold or flu. They include: • Unexplained headaches, chest pains or muscular weakness; • Sickness, diarrhoea or stomach pains; • Sudden dizziness when standing up; • General lethargy. Other clues include symptoms occurring when a particular appliance is on, others in the property (including pets) suffering similar symptoms, and symptoms improving when you are away from the property. And of course, with the increasing prevalence of carbon monoxide alarms, for many people, it is their alarm sounding that triggers the alert.

WHAT TO DO? If your alarm goes off or if, as a first responder, you are attending a report of an alarm going off, take the following action: • Open doors and windows to ventilate the area. • Turn off, or stop using any fuel burning appliances immediately. • Get everyone in the property into fresh air. • Turn off your gas supply (if you have one) at the meter.

• If anyone is experiencing any of the symptoms outlined above and you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, get them to a doctor immediately and ask them to check for carbon monoxide poisoning. It is important to be aware that older people, children, pregnant women and their babies and those with breathing or cardiovascular disease are at increased risk of harm if exposed to carbon monoxide. • Check the alarm and make sure it is not simply alarming to signify a low battery or fault condition (the alarm itself or its instructions will indicate why it has sounded). • Assuming the alarm is functioning correctly, do not use any fuel burning appliances again until they have been checked by a registered installer or a qualified service agent. If you are still concerned, or for further information, call the carbon monoxide awareness line: 1850 79 79 79 or visit www.carbonmonoxide.ie. Gas Networks Ireland recognises support we get from, and the important working relationship we have with, fire services across the gas network in Ireland and beyond. ©Tommy McAnairey

CARBON MONOXIDE Apart from gas escapes, the GNI gas emergency service also deals with calls from gas customers and others regarding potential carbon monoxide incidents. Carbon monoxide (also known by its chemical name CO) can be released by any fuel when it is burned, including coal, turf, oil, gas and wood. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be similar to those caused by other illnesses

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FIRECALL SPRING

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FOREWORD

General Secretary’s

FOREWORD elcome readers, Our first issue of Firecall for 2016 is a full one, with news and features covering everything from our 1916 commemorations to hurtling around a race track in Australia. It’s been an interesting few months thus far for DFB and our history, from exhibitions and talks to our participation in the fantastic 1916 State parade held in Dublin at Easter. We’ve got a round-up from each of these events, and we look forward to the remainder of the commemorative year. Many thanks to the River Bar on Burgh Quay for hosting us in their venue following the 1916 commemorations, and a number of other events. This issue’s retired member profile focuses on retired District Officer Patrick Madden, who first joined DFB in 1962. Patrick recalls the best of colleagues, unforgettable incidents and reflects on a well spent career spanning four decades. We also spoke with former DFB and current Cork City firefighter Ger Mallen, who has penned an interesting book examining what happens after we die, released to a great reception both at home and abroad. Finally, we’ve got our usual round-up of the most memorable and interesting tweets and posts from Dublin Fire Brigade’s Twitter and Facebook pages over the past few months, a feature on you some of Dublin’s recent fires, and aIflook at what our international colleaguessmell gas at home... have been getting up to since the beginning of the year.

DAN FYNES

FIRECALL

SPRING 2016

FIRECALL OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF DUBLIN FIRE, AMBULANCE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

Enjoy the read,

Dan Fynes

• Open windows and doors • Don’t smoke or use a naked flame • Don’t unplug or switch anything electrical on or off • Turn off the gas at the meter • Then, no matter who your gas supplier is, call our 24 hour emergency service

VOLUME EIGHTEEN ISSUE ONE

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Don’t use a phone in the immediate area of the leak, use a neighbour’s or call from outside. If you can’t get through, call 999 or 112. In the interests of public safety all emergency calls are recorded.

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1916 COMMEMORATION

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Kildare Fire Service Central Fire Station, Newbridge, Co. Kildare Tel: 045 431370 Email: cfo@kildarecoco.ie

www.kildare.ie/countycouncil/fireservices Follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/kildarefireservice

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@DUBFIREBRIGADE

HITTING THE TWEETS A round-up of the best and brightest tweets from Dublin Fire Brigade’s Twitter feed.

DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE @DUBFIREBRIGADE JAN 1 Our Control Center processed 321 ambulance calls over #NYE2016, 188 after midnight.

DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE @DUBFIREBRIGADE

JAN 8 Congratulations to our 15 new District Officers who completed their course in the training centre today.

JAN 14 Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann playing #1916 #Dublin1916 music as part of our commemorations in the OBI tonight.

DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE @DUBFIREBRIGADE JAN 17 Yesterday we held a living history day as part of our #Dublin1916 exhibition. Moving to City Hall, opening on 25th.

DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE @DUBFIREBRIGADE JAN 28 We placed a wreath at the grave of CFO Joseph Connolly to remember the 8 DFB firefighters who fought in the Rising.

DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE @DUBFIREBRIGADE

FEB 10 The haemostatic dressing is one of a number of new skills which DFB paramedics have been taught in recent upskilling.

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@DUBFIREBRIGADE

HITTING THE TWEETS A round-up of the best and brightest tweets from Dublin Fire Brigade’s Twitter feed.

Last December, London Fire Brigade tweeted out a list of unnecessary and silly incidents to which they have been called. We’ve picked out some of the best.

DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE @DUBFIREBRIGADE

FEB 22 Tomorrow we say goodbye to our colleague Ian ‘Frodo’ McCormack & his alter ego @nidgeofficial after an illness. RIP

LONDON FIRE BRIGADE @LONDONFIRE DEC 14 We’ve been called to dove stuck up a chimney. Call the RSPCA first not us #12DaysXmas

DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE @DUBFIREBRIGADE

MAR 17 We’ve raised the flag and we are preparing to take in the @stpatricksfest parade at 1200 #StPatricksDay

LONDON FIRE BRIGADE @LONDONFIRE DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE @DUBFIREBRIGADE MAR 22 Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the #Brussels explosions including the 1st responders attending. @dfatirl contact +353 1 4180200

LONDON FIRE BRIGADE @LONDONFIRE

LONDON CALLING

DEC 14 French man called 999 to ask us to translate a word. Emergency? NON #12DaysXmas

08 10

DEC 16 Ladies stopped dancing by slippery floor is not a 999 call #12DaysXmas

LONDON FIRE BRIGADE @LONDONFIRE DEC 16 Can you believe a woman once called for us to warm her baby’s milk! #12DaysXmas

LONDON FIRE BRIGADE @LONDONFIRE DEC 16 Man called 999 to recite the Lord’s Prayer to us #10LordsaLeaping #12DaysXmas

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working to make a difference | www.ipb.ie Irish Public Bodies Mutual Insurances Ltd. trading as IPB Insurance is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

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FACEBOOK

DFB’s Facebook page keeps the public updated and entertained.

WORD ON

THE STREET DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE

SUNDAY 20 DECEMBER Last day for 2 of D Watch’s finest. Dermot Hughes is retiring after 30 years service & our No. 1 badge Noel Hosback is finishing after 42 years with DFB. It’s been a pleasure to work with these gentlemen and we not only wish them the best but thank them for their time with us.

DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE

FRIDAY 15 JANUARY Congratulations to our second class of recently promoted District Officers. They undertook a development course in the training centre this week. Subjects on the course include the Fire Services Act, fire prevention, command and control, media management and HR. Each has many years experience as Station Officers. We wish you well in your new positions and looking forward to see all the new D/Os on station very soon.

DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE

WEDNESDAY 27 JANUARY Our 1916 exhibition is now open in the Vaults of Dublin City Hall, opened by Lord Mayor of Dublin, Críona Ní Dhálaigh. This special exhibition tells the story of Dublin’s firefighters during Easter week 1916. Exhibits show the impact of the Rising on the city while we learn about the brigade’s involvement throughout the week. Fire engines and ambulance crews were on continuous duty dealing with the ravaging of the city centre. The log book that gives an account of the Battle of Mount Street Bridge forms part of the exhibition. Admission to the exhibition is free, open Monday to Saturday, 1000 to 1700. Runs until 30th June. #Dublin1916

DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE

SUNDAY 07 FEBRUARY Firefighter/Paramedic Sarah Good based in Rathfarnham station is walking Glendalough National Park every day in February to raise funds for LauraLynn – Ireland’s Children’s Hospice. Sarah may be recognisable to some from RTÉ One’s Operation Transformation series. She promises not to be as tough on anybody who wishes to join her for the walks or donate to her efforts. Check out her challenge Facebook page ‘Walk The Glendalough Way Every Day’, for LauraLynn.

DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE

MONDAY 22 FEBRUARY Tomorrow we say farewell to our friend & colleague Ian ‘Frodo’ McCormack. At this so very sad time we wish to express our sympathies to Gemma & family, but also to all the firefighters who worked with Frodo over the years. Ian started with DFB on 13th June 2005 and will continue to serve with us every time we remember and have a laugh with him.

FIRECALL SPRING

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CISM AWARENESS

A LISTENING EAR

DFB’s CISM team provides a crucial service in preparing firefighters for traumatic incidents, and helping them to deal with the aftermath.

ver the years, effective critical incident stress management (CISM) has become increasingly prevalent. A protocol devised to deal with traumatic events, it allows those involved to share their experiences and emotions, learn about stress and its management, and avail of further help if required. At the head of Dublin Fire Brigade’s CISM team is A watch No 2 sub officer Adrian O’Grady, a 21-year veteran of the job. His task is to ensure their services are up-to-date, and that those within DFB are both aware of, and willing to approach if necessary, their team. O’Grady, who earned a Masters in Bereavement Studies with the Royal College of Surgeons, had his first traumatic experience in his early days,

a case featuring the death of a young child. Back then there were no such support structures – it was a matter of simply getting on with your job. “Only for my colleague pulled me to one side and had a good chat with me – that made the world of a difference. And that’s what we do for each other,” he explains. “CISM is just building on that, providing that peer support. It’s about building on the bricks of camaraderie we have within the job.”

EARLY INTERVENTION Pre-incident intervention is key – if you know what to expect then a traumatic incident may not be quite as overwhelming. Recruits are provided with several days of training early on, while similar training is provided to

control room operators. In addition, training is provided when an individual receives a promotion, before they go out in the field. The CISM team also organises post-incident one-to-one interventions where required, alongside group interventions two to three days after the incident. “That’s about camaraderie and getting the group to heal together, and talk through the incident as best as possible,” O’Grady says. The team also branches out into other sectors of the mental health field – suicide awareness training, breaking bad news, and awareness of depression and other conditions for paramedics.

FAMILY AWARENESS O’Grady is particularly interested in educating new recruits and their families, making them aware of the services they provide. Recruit research conducted several years ago indicated an unwillingness on their part to approach an officer or the CISM team for help – a lack of awareness of the potential reaction, or how the CISM process works. They would, however, speak to their family members. As a result, the CISM team organises family awareness nights in the OBI, the most recent of which was held in March. Families are given an idea of what to look out for – if their loved one comes home feeling under the weather, quieter than usual, or perhaps talking more than normal. If they can spot the signs, they may then be able to talk their family member into engaging with the CISM team. It’s also an opportunity to introduce firefighters’ families to one another, encouraging friendship and bonds that can last a lifetime. The next awareness night will be held in June or July. “It’s part of the job to be exposed to trauma, but we’re trying to provide them with the coping strategies and techniques so that it won’t overwhelm them,” O’Grady says. “You’re building up that sense of community from early on in their recruit training. If the families trust the CISM team, the more likely it is that the firefighter will trust the CISM team too.” To contact the CISM team phone 086 815 0183, 086 815 0181 or 086 210 5276 for confidential advice and support.

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COMMERCIAL FEATURE

AT THE FOREFRONT OF INNOVATIVE LIFELONG LEARNING IT Carlow offers a number of programmes specifically for emergency service professionals, which combine learning from a lifetime of practical experiences at the frontline with academic theory.

esponding to industry needs and collaborating with industry professionals and agencies constitutes an essential element of the IT Carlow ethos in engendering a culture of lifelong learning in organisations. The outcome generally allows a reflective learner to enhance their decision-making and examine organisational opportunities/choices/ solutions at a more strategic level, ultimately growing their role within their organisation.

BACHELOR OF BUSINESS (HONOURS) IN EMERGENCY SERVICES (SUPPORTED BY DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE) This programme is an ideal opportunity for fire professionals, fire prevention officers, sub officers and station officers to underpin their life experience with academic theory and understanding. It allows them to formulate solutions using knowledge, skills and competencies acquired in the different subject areas. This programme aims to produce graduates who are equipped with in-depth knowledge, skills and competencies in management with a particular emphasis on management in the fire services. Graduates will be capable of demonstrating an understanding of the cross-functional nature of their work environment through the use of research projects and their ability to critically evaluate and analyse problems. This degree programme reflects the link between fire services training and management training.

Successful graduates are positioned to take advantage of management job opportunities and apply strategic thinking towards the development of organisational goals.

EXIT AWARDS The modern hectic lifestyle often impacts on learning, so this programme affords students the opportunity to exit with an academic award at the end of any of the completed academic stages of the programme. For example, a Certificate after Year 1, a Higher Certificate after Year 2, an Ordinary Degree after Year 3 or the Honours Degree after Year 4.

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1916 WELCOME

A YEAR to Remember

Chief Fire Officer Pat Fleming outlined the historical role of Dublin Fire Brigade, in particular the work undertaken as Dublin burned in April 1916, at the recent opening of DFB’s 1916 exhibition.

ince the foundation of Dublin Fire Brigade in 1862, it has been intrinsically linked with the history of Dublin and with the life of Dubliners. And, by default, with the history of our nation. The addition of the emergency ambulance service in 1888, which was the first emergency ambulance service in Ireland, further enhanced the capability of the brigade to render humanitarian aid and succour to people in their time of need. This proud tradition continues to the present day.

IMPORTANT ROLE The brigade has played a major part in historical events such as the 1916 Rising, the War of Independence, the Civil War, the German bombings in Dublin and Belfast during World War II, sectarian bombings in the early 1970s, as well as major fires and other tragic incidents such as Stardust in 1981 and the Carrickmines fire last year. However, the brigade has also had an involvement in happier times with the history of Dublin and Dubliners, particularly in its role as aide to the Lord Mayor at civic receptions, Lord Mayor awards, major events and the awarding of the freedom of the city of Dublin to extraordinary national and international men and women. In the ‘Dublin Fire Brigade and the 1916 Rising’ exhibition, we see the impact of the Rising on the city, but also we see how Dublin Fire Brigade

responded throughout the week. It looks not just at Dublin Fire Brigade itself but also at brigades in the townships like Rathmines and Pembroke that were later subsumed into Dublin Fire Brigade. Among the many rare and never before displayed pieces in this exhibition is a silver medal issued to firemen of the Rathmines township fire brigade by the council there in recognition of their services in the rebellion. This has come on loan from Canada from the grandson of the man who was awarded it in 1916. Another rare piece is a helmet from the fire brigade of the Powers Whiskey Distillery fire brigade, and items from the Guinness Brewery fire brigade. Both brigades sent firefighters to assist the city fire brigade to battle the huge fires after the surrender on April 29th. During the week of the Easter Rising, the brigade’s fire tenders and ambulances were on continuous duty dealing with the ravages of the city centre, often under fire or held at gunpoint by the military. Many people do not realise that there were many more civilian casualties in the 1916 Rising than there were military casualties. One of the major events of the Rising was the battle of Mount Street Bridge, which is both tragic and heroic. The scenes that unfolded in this leafy suburb made an indelible mark on the history of Dublin and we are

privileged to have in the exhibition the logbook that mentions this battle and Dublin Fire Brigade’s response to the aftermath.

REFLECTION There has been much debate about this year as to whether it is a celebration, a commemoration or a reflection. I believe we will see all three during the year. When I was taught history, we learned it by rote, primarily battles which we invariably lost, dates and the names of the principal figures. This, in my opinion, is a shallow reflection of what real history is all about. Over the last 20 years we’ve witnessed a huge interest in local history, ranging from the neighbourhood to the townland to the parish. It is a recognition that history is made by ordinary people – through their actions, their ambitions, beliefs, ideals, strengths and weaknesses. When you read the storyboards and look at this unique collection of material from the Dublin Fire Brigade museum and private collections, I would like you to think of the people directly involved. These would include the people of Dublin who were not involved in the Rising, but saw the destruction of their city by the actions of the British Army. The families and parents of the child victims of the Rising, who only recently had their voices heard by the research and publication of Joe Duffy’s book. Captain Thomas Purcell, Chief Fire Officer, who watched

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1916 WELCOME

Above: CFO Patrick Fleming; Top right: 1916 replica pin. Photo: Trevor Hunt. Bottom right: DFB live tweeted their response to the events of Easter 1916

from Tara Street fire station as plumes of smoke rose around the city, unable to respond. When the opportunity arose, after the surrender on April 29th 1916, Dublin Fire Brigade undertook the mammoth task to save the remainder of the city, together with help from the work brigades in Guinness’s brewery and Powers Distillery. Joe Connolly, a fireman in Tara Street – he fought with the Irish Citizens Army at the Royal College of Surgeons. His brother was killed in City Hall, where he was accompanied by another brother, who was just 16 years of age – Matthew. Joe was imprisoned in Frongoch and on his release he rejoined Dublin Fire Brigade and subsequently became Chief Fire Officer. Indeed, I recently met retired Third Officer Danny Fitzpatrick, whose father fought in the Rising – this is living history we’re talking about here, it’s not just a story that you read about in a book. What you will see in this exhibition

is only part of the long and rich history of Dublin Fire Brigade. I thank the Lord Mayor for her support of Dublin Fire Brigade’s activities this year, the commemoration committee of Dublin City Council and deputy chief executive Mr Brendan Kenny, Many aspects of Dublin Fire Brigade’s participation in the 1916 commemorations would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the 1916 Committee. Their work contributed to the success of the various commemorative events including the presentation of the commemorative cap badges, participation in the State parade on Easter Sunday, and the Guard of Honour at Liberty Hall. My thanks to all the committee members, Bevin Herbert, Dan Fynes, John Keogh, Tom McLoughlin, Willie Maher, Brian Murray, Ray Murray and Las Fallon. Our social media team embraced the 1916 commemorations highlighting Dublin Fire Brigade’s contribution and involvement at every opportunity,

culminating in the ‘live’ tweeting of DFB’s response to the events of the #EasterRising1916, well done Trevor Hunt and Ray McMonagle. My thanks also to the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band, the Sports and Social Club and all of the people who have contributed in any way to this exhibition and our commemoration programme. I would particularly like to thank Dr Mary Clarke for facilitating this exhibition in this absolutely fantastic and magnificent building. However, this exhibition would not have happened without one man – Las Fallon. His commitment, interest, enthusiasm and knowledge has been instrumental in pulling this entire project together. I would also like to thank Paul Hand who curates our existing museum in the O’Brien Institute, and Tom Geraghty who, together with the late Trevor Whitehead, wrote the definitive history of Dublin Fire Brigade in 2004. We owe them all a great debt of gratitude for the work they carried out.

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1916 EXHIBITION

A ROLE REMEMBERED Dublin Fire Brigade’s 1916 exhibition has been opened to the public at City Hall, providing an in-depth and interesting account of DFB’s activities during the insurrection.

s part of Dublin Fire Brigade’s commemoration of the Easter Rising 1916, an exhibition has been developed which traces the brigade’s role in the insurrection, including firefighters (both current and those who would go on to join DFB) who fought on the city streets that week. The initial launch was held at the O’Brien Institute on Monday January 11th, opened by Chief Fire Officer Pat Fleming, who spoke about the importance both of 1916, and the role which Dublin Fire Brigade firefighters played in the events of that week. “This is part of a number of events which Dublin Fire Brigade has planned during this historic year with the intention of commemorating and bringing to the attention of a wider audience the role that the brigade has played in those historic times. Since the foundation of Dublin Fire Brigade in 1862, it has been intrinsically linked with the history of Dublin and the life of Dubliners. And, by default, our nation,” said CFO Fleming. “The brigade has played a major part in major historical events such as the 1916 Rising, the War of Independence, the Civil War, the German bombings in Dublin and Belfast during World War II, sectarian bombings in the early 1970s as well as

major fires and other tragic incidents such as Stardust in 1981 and the recent Carrickmines fire last year.” Having spent two weeks at the OBI, on January 25th the exhibition moved to a more permanent location – for six months at least – City Hall. Speaking at the launch, Lord Mayor Críona Ni Dhálaigh expressed her enthusiasm for making the history of DFB known to a wider audience. “I am delighted to be involved with opening this exhibition here in City Hall, a venue which was a 1916 battleground and which provides an evocative backdrop for this exhibition of rarely seen material,” she stated. “I want to congratulate Dublin Fire Brigade for putting together an important piece of Dublin’s lost history in this exhibition. The work done by members of Dublin Fire Brigade during the Rising has never been truly appreciated and as we reflect on the events of that time, it is of great significance that we can now acknowledge the heroism of these men who were simply doing their job, but in the worst of circumstances.”

EASTER 1916 During the week of the Easter Rising, DFB were called to a total of 93 fires, which resulted in damage totalling more than £2,500,000 according to

estimates from then Captain Purcell. In their seminal history of Dublin Fire Brigade, authors Tom Geraghty and Trevor Whitehead noted: “The fire engines were practically on continuous duty for six days dealing with this ravaging of the city centre, often under fire or held at gunpoint by the military, the crews carrying on their professional duties in probably the brigade’s finest week.” In addition to their efforts in battling blazes which would destroy 68,900 square yards in the O’Connell Street area alone, ambulance crews responded to at least 50 calls each day, under threat of getting caught in the crossfire between the British Army and the rebels, picking their way through the debris and destruction, much of which was caused by shelling from the gunboat Helga, which was moored in the Liffey. The authors reference a letter sent by the city coroner, Louis Byrne, to the Lord Mayor in June of 1916, which commended their actions: “Now that the excitement of the Insurrection has passed, I deem it my duty to bring under notice the very great service rendered by the members of the City Fire Brigade, who worked the ambulances during this trying time. To my personal knowledge, these gallant fellows worked night and day, and several times under fire, bringing

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1916 EXHIBITION

DFB’s restored ambulance outside City Hall.

in wounded (Sinn Féiners, military and civilians) among the latter being women and children, and by their care and training saved many a valuable life. I consider some recognition of their services be made.”

RARE MATERIALS The exhibition contains rarely seen material which has been gathered together for the first time, including items from the Dublin Fire Brigade museum and private collections. Exhibits show the impact the Rising had on the city, and visitors can learn more about DFB’s participation that week. A log book, for example, details the Battle of Mount Street

Above and top: The exhibition in the vaults at City Hall.

Bridge – highlighting the dangerous conditions fire and ambulance crews worked under during Easter 1916. The exhibition also tells the story of firefighter Joseph Connolly, a member of the Irish Citizen Army, who left Tara Street station to fight in the Rising. Following the rebellion and imprisonment in Frongoch, Connolly returned to his post in DFB and later rose to lead the brigade as Chief Fire Officer. “The material that is gathered here is an evocative reflection on that history. This material from Dublin Fire Brigade’s museum, from private collections and from the families of some who took part in

those events at Easter 1916 has never been gathered in one place before,” Lord Mayor Ni Dhálaigh added. “It is a fine collection of material, well illustrated by images from the time and it does justice and pays proper tribute to those who have often been overlook in the popular memory.” Also included among the rare pieces in the exhibition is a silver medal, which was issued by the local council in 1916 to the firemen of the Rathmines township fire brigade, in recognition of their service during the rebellion. The piece, which is on loan to the exhibition, has travelled across the Atlantic from Canada, generously provided by

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1916 EXHIBITION

The exhibition contains rarely seen material which has been gathered together for the first time, including items from the Dublin Fire Brigade museum and private collections. the grandson of the firefighter who was awarded it 100 years ago. Other rare items are also on display from two other fire brigades operating in the city during that time – those of the Powers Whiskey Distillery and Guinness Brewery – both brigades sent men to assist the city fire brigade in battling the ferocious fires that raged following the surrender of the rebels on April 29th. Going forward, there is a possibility that this exhibition may become a permanent part of Dublin’s cultural landscape, as both the Lord Mayor and CFO Fleming have called for a fixed exhibition. “What you see here today is only part of the long and rich history of Dublin Fire Brigade. I would like to see a permanent location for it in the city centre, and I hope that the brigade is supported in this endeavour,” CFO Fleming urged.

a lifetime opportunity,” he said. CFO Fleming also had words of particular praise for Fallon, noting that “his commitment, interest, enthusiasm and knowledge has been instrumental in pulling this entire project together.” The exhibition will run in City Hall until June of this year, and will form the centrepiece of Dublin Fire Brigade’s commemorative

programme for 2016. Finishing, Lord Mayor Ni Dhálaigh outlined her vision for the exhibition and its intended impact. “I hope that people – Dubliners and visitors alike – will come here and see this exhibition and remember those forgotten men, and feel a sense of pride in their heroic stories.” Admission to the exhibition is free, Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm.

DRIVING FORCES The exhibition would never have come to life without a number of key contributions. The driving force behind the conception of the exhibition was CFO Pat Fleming, while firefighter and historian Las Fallon brought the concept to life through his hard work and dedication over the past few months. “It’s been an honour and a privilege to curate this exhibition. I’d like to thank Chief Fire Officer Pat Fleming for his deep interest and enthusiasm for the project and for giving me a once in a career – indeed, as I dimly remember 1966, and I suppose I’m highly unlikely to be around for the next centenary, I should say a once in

Photos: An Cosantóir

AWARD WINNING Curator Las Fallon has been working tirelessly to promote DFB’s role in 1916 and beyond, and was recently presented with a plaque from the Defence Forces magazine An Cosantóir for an article which was featured in their 1916 commemorative edition.

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1916 EXHIBITION

LOCATION, LOCATION

Maps at the exhibition showing fire damage to the city in 1916. Below: Retired Third Officer Danny Fitzpatrick, and his grandson, No 2 firefighter Danny Fitzpatrick.

The multimedia exhibition is situated in the vaults at City Hall, facilitated by Dr Mary Clarke. It’s an appropriate location – a 1916 battleground, Sean Connolly (brother to Joseph Connolly) led the men and women of the Irish Citizen Army here, and was the first rebel to lose his life, shot by a British Army sniper on the roof of the building. “Dublin City Hall sits at the heart of the city in so many ways, but its own history makes it a very special place to stage this exhibition,” Las Fallon noted. “O’Connell walked these halls. Parnell lay in state in the Rotunda above us, and his coffin was carried from here to the the waiting hearse by Dublin firemen. The Chief of the day, Captain Boyle, can be seen in a photograph at the event as he arranged the wreaths on the funeral coach. Above us, in that Rotunda too, O’Donovan Rossa lay, the great unrepentant Fenian. His funeral and the powerful words of Pearse at his graveside awoke a nation. It’s a special place, and it’s a special honour to bring our story here. My sincere thanks to all who helped to make that happen.” FIRECALL SPRING

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1916 REENACTMENT

LIVING HISTORY A joint exhibition on 1916 was held in the OBI last January, featuring the collection of the Dublin Brigade Irish Volunteers.

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1916 REENACTMENT

n interesting joint exhibition of 1916 memorabilia from both Dublin Fire Brigade and a number of pro-independence organisations was held in the OBI in January, as part of DFB’s commemorative programme of events. The exhibition was populated mostly by the Dublin Brigade Irish Volunteers, a collection of people focused on the remembrance and promotion of the Irish Volunteers, Cumann Na mBan, Na Fianna Eireann, Hibernian Rifles and the Irish Citizen Army. The group conducts numerous exhibitions around the country, consisting of an extensive collection of memorabilia and artefacts from the years 1913 – 1923, with members appearing in the Irish Volunteers uniform and other uniforms from the time. Set against the backdrop of the recently launched exhibition on Dublin Fire Brigade and the Easter Rising, several members of the reenactment group were also on-hand, answering questions about the uniforms, weapons, memorabilia and the men who fought for Irish freedom on the streets of Dublin and elsewhere 100 years ago. Part of the group’s appeal is their depth of historical knowledge, and the fact that visitors can touch and feel items they might

have previously seen only on paper. “The Dublin Brigade Irish Volunteers are all ex-military. Both myself and Ronnie Daly have been collecting for about 30 years,” explains Paul Callery, one of the group’s members. Paul has a personal connection to the events he now ensures are remembered, as his two great uncles fought in the Rising – Willie Halpin in City Hall and John Halpin in the Four Courts. “We’ve been collecting for the last couple of years and doing displays in schools, colleges and old folks’ homes – anybody who wants us to come in and do a display. I spoke to two girls who are doing their Junior Cert, and they said they’re [studying] this now. They can say that they got to pick up a weapon that they’re learning about, or what the lads would have used,” he adds. As Paul explains, the weapons they exhibit always prove to be very popular, and the group provides an explanation of each, including where they were from and who would have used them. The exhibition includes the Lewis machine gun, the 1921 Thompson machine gun, the Lee Enfield, German Mauser, the Russian Mosin-Nagant and more besides. “There were four Winchester rifles used in the GPO as well – that’s on the manifest from the Rising,” Paul notes. “They had a mixture of everything. All of the weapons from the British Army were either given in sympathy, or they were bought or stolen.” Also there on the day was Chief Fire Officer Pat Fleming, who noted how great it was to see people learning more, not just about the history of the Irish Volunteers, but also Dublin Fire Brigade. “It’s a fantastic opportunity. What we’re seeing here is a very good illustration of the history of Dublin Fire Brigade,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for people to learn more about Dublin, [and] to learn more about Dublin Fire Brigade. Dublin Fire Brigade is an intrinsic part of Dublin, the life of Dubliners and the history of Dublin, and that hasn’t really been explored to date.”

HISTORIC LINKS Also on-hand on the day, dressed in the uniform DFB’s firefighters would have worn in 1916, was museum curator Paul Hand and Dolphin’s Barn firefighter Danny Fitzpatrick. The latter has a more immediate connection to the Rising – his grandfather Denis Fitzpatrick was a member of 1st Battalion, FIRECALL SPRING

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FRONTLINE PARADE

Members of Dublin Brigade Irish Volunteers

Irish Volunteers, and fought in the Four Courts and on Church Street for the week of the rebellion. At the end, he managed to avoid detection and escape the area. Denis, who was one of the Fenian youths who unloaded rifles from the Asgard in Howth in 1914, and would later go on to join the fire brigade, was involved in the reorganisation of the battalion in 1917 and 1918, and became part of the Dublin Brigade Active Service Unit – a part time member of Michael Collins’ Squad. Having joined the National Army, he departed following the signing of the Treaty, and made for the Four Courts with Oscar Traynor, who would go on to be Ireland’s longest serving Minister for Defence. As Danny explains, he then wound up on O’Connell Street alongside Constance Markievicz, Cathal Brugha and others. “They took over a few buildings, burnt

down half of O’Connell Street and then he got a job in the fire brigade,” he says with a laugh. “From 14 to 48 [when he died] he was active, according to my eldest uncle who only died a couple of years ago. He remembers being a child up around Mountjoy Square and his father drilling fellows in the basement on how to use Enfields and making what we call today IEDs – improvised explosive devices – and that would have been in the early 1940s.” After the Civil War, having fought on the anti-Treaty side, Denis left for New York, working with Dan Breen as a bouncer in the city’s speakeasies – establishments which illegally sold alcohol during the era of Prohibition. He went on to work as a trade unionist with the Ford Motor Company, though he later lost his job, “probably because he was causing labour trouble,” says Danny. By the time he met his future

The exhibition was populated mostly by the Dublin Brigade Irish Volunteers history group.

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1916 REENACTMENT

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1916 REENACTMENT wife – Danny’s grandmother – in New York, the tides were turning in Ireland. Éamon de Valera had come to power, and he returned home. “Joe Connolly was Chief of the fire brigade – he was another IRA man and good friends with him. So nepotism kicked in, and he got a job,” Danny adds. The Republican connections don’t simply end there, however. Danny tells me that Denis’s wife Elizabeth was a distant relation to the family of Dan Breen, and that her side of the family was heavily involved in the IRA’s flying columns in Tipperary. The story of his death, or at least the events which led to it, is quite interesting. Denis would eventually succumb to a bullet wound he received during a gunfight with members of the National Army on Cavendish Road in 1922. Having been shot by General Emmet Dalton, Danny tells me, the bullet lodged beside his spine and close to his heart. Back then doctors didn’t have the capabilities to perform such a complex extraction, so the bullet remained where it was. “They were always telling him that at some stage it was going to compromise his life. And then one night he came home (he was living in the Rathmines fire station and the family was there, 10 kids all born in fire stations, so it’s in the blood), the family remembers he came home in an angry mood and put his fist through the wall, saying ‘After all I’ve done for this country, and after all I suffered, I’m still living in a tenement building’, and he died that night.” The date? April 24th 1948, exactly 32 years to the day the Easter Rising began. When he passed away, Denis was accorded the honour of an IRA funeral, and was buried in the Republican plot in Glasnevin Cemetery alongside Cathal Brugha. As he recalls his grandfather’s memorable life, Danny reflects on how his family connections are really a matter of chance – you don’t choose which family you are born into. “It’s a roulette table really... who your heritage [can be traced to]. I’m just very lucky this man seemed to have a colourful Republican life, a revolutionary lifestyle from the time he was young until his last days.” SPRING 28 FIRECALL

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1916 COMMEMORATION

MARK OF HONOUR A recent ceremony was held in Glasnevin and Mount Jerome cemeteries in memory of the Dublin Fire Brigade personnel who fought for Ireland’s freedom in Easter 1916.

Firefighter and Honour Guard member Jonathon Forbes salutes the grave of Captain Connolly

mong the men and women of Easter 1916, who risked life and liberty to make a stand for their belief in the right of Ireland to her independence, were eight Dublin Fire Brigade firefighters – one serving in Tara Street fire station at the time, and seven more who would join the brigade in the years that followed. Those eight men were honoured on January 28th, when their graves in Glasnevin and Mount Jerome cemeteries were marked by a Dublin Fire Brigade colour party and surviving family members. A wreath was laid at the graveside of Captain Joseph Connolly by Councillor Micheál Mac Donncha and honour guard member Jonathon Forbes, and the graves of the other seven men were also marked. The family members were also the subject of a presentation following the ceremonies, alongside the unveiling of a memorial plaque dedicated to the memories of those men, detailing the 1916 garrisons and dates of DFB service of the eight firefighters who fought in the Rising. “It’s part of our 1916 celebration, I think it’s very, very important that the families get an opportunity to share in what their predecessors did, both for the country during the Easter Rising, but also for the people of Dublin when they joined Dublin Fire Brigade,” says CFO Pat Fleming. “And now there’s a permanent plaque which will have a position of privilege within Dublin Fire Brigade so that we in Dublin Fire Brigade will be able to remember them forever more. It’s important for the families to have that connection and it shows what these people did – they

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1916 COMMEMORATION

I think it’s very, very important that the families get an opportunity to share in what their predecessors did, both for the country during the Easter Rising, but also for the people of Dublin when they joined Dublin Fire Brigade.

Las Fallon and museum curator Paul Hand.

carried on that service to the people when they joined Dublin Fire Brigade.”

REMEMBRANCE On the day, Dublin City Council was represented by Sinn Féin Councillor Mícheál MacDonncha, who laid a wreath on the grave of Capt. Connolly. Cllr MacDonncha later noted the importance of recognising DFB’s role in the insurrection. “It’s a huge tribute to Dublin Fire Brigade first and foremost. The research that has been done on the history of the fire brigade and in particular by Las Fallon, the connection between the fire brigade and the Rising and particularly those eight firemen who took part – I would see it as totally in line with the ethos of public service

that is through and through in the fire brigade,” he says. “These were people prepared to give their all for their fellow citizens, working in an emergency service as people do today. I would see it as a very important and proud occasion and we should be unapologetically, unashamedly proud of these people and the legacy they left us.” Cllr MacDonncha was also vocal on the wider importance of Ireland’s 1916 commemorations. A large swathe of events have been planned for the year, including the recent State parade on Easter Sunday, the opening of the Connemara cottage owned by Pádraig Pearse, revolutionary roadshows, talks and exhibitions, and plenty more. “I think they’re absolutely crucial, and it’s

not just about looking at history, it’s very important to understand the facts, get the narrative correct,” he explains. “There’s debate, interpretation etc. but for me and for many people it’s about applying the principles of the Proclamation to Irish society today. It’s not just about the past, it’s about the present and the future. It’s about trying to bring about an Ireland closer to the ideals of the men and women of 1916.”

STANDING GUARD Among the members of the DFB Honour Guard present in Glasnevin on the day was Pipe Band member and No 3 firefighter Jonathon Forbes, who assisted in laying the wreath at the grave of Captain Connolly. Forbes first heard

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1916 COMMEMORATION of the opportunity from Gerry Corcoran, who has responsibility for DFB’s honour guard – the search was on for DFB personnel who were willing to take part in the commemoration. “When I heard what it was for and what it was in aid of, I said yes – sign me up,” he says. And, for Forbes himself, standing by the graveside and taking such an intimate role in the proceedings was a great personal honour. “Without a shadow of a doubt,” he tells me. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime [opportunity] – we’re not going to be around for the next centenary. To be a part of it and to that extent, directly involved with history – standing in front of you through the family members – [was great]. The family members are coming up, they’re showing you the medals that were awarded to the firemen, the 1916 survivors’ medal and the 1916 combat medals...to see them up close and personal is an experience.” Forbes notes the positive reaction from the families of those remembered during the ceremony, which almost amounted to surprise. “As far as they were concerned, it was amazing. Nothing like that has ever happened, even though their family members fought and died and were veterans of the Easter Rising, they were amazed at the level of support the fire brigade has shown them, and the honours that the brigade gave their family members – they were over the moon,” he says. Forbes is also appreciative of DFB’s wider 1916 commemorative programme, noting that the general public tends to be unaware of the role Dublin’s fire brigade played during that week. “Not a lot of people know that we are one of the only State organisations that were around then and are still around today. The Guards weren’t formed, the Irish Army wasn’t formed until after we got independence. Dublin Fire Brigade was always part of the city. To take that onboard is great, to know that we have that history – it needs to be celebrated.”

REVOLUTIONARY FIREFIGHTERS ● JOE CONNOLLY was a young probationary fireman in April 1916. He was also a member of the Irish

Top: The DFB Honour Guard. Above: Cllr Mícheál MacDonncha and CFO Pat Fleming

Citizen Army. He left Tara Street fire station to fight at the Royal College of Surgeons with Michael Mallin and Countess Markievicz. He would later return to the brigade after imprisonment. In later years he would go on to lead this brigade. ● ROBERT MALONE led a section of the 3rd Battalion at Boland’s Mill in Easter Week. Later he would join Pembroke Fire Brigade and come into DFB when those brigades amalgamated. He would lose his life along with two comrades, Tom Nugent and Peter McArdle, at a fire in Pearse Street in 1936. ● THOMAS COYNE also served in Easter Week in the 3rd Battalion at Boland’s Mill in the same section

as Bob Malone. He would later join Dublin Fire Brigade and serve well and honourably for many years. ● THOMAS KAVANAGH served with the 4th Battalion at Watkins Brewery and later at Jameson’s, both outposts of the South Dublin Union garrison. Tom’s activities on behalf of the Volunteers did not end when he later joined DFB and he was involved in many actions during the War of Independence whilst a serving fireman. ● GEORGE CONNOLLY was a member of the Irish Citizen Army and was involved in the initial attack on Dublin Castle where he was one of those who captured the guardroom. He fought with the

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1916 COMMEMORATION City Hall garrison in the company of his brothers and sister, and later followed his brother Joe into Dublin Fire Brigade. His career in DFB was cut short by a serious accident but he continued his service in DCC/Dublin Corporation for many years. ● DENIS FITZPATRICK was a young man of 16 years when he fought with Ned Daly’s 1st Battalion at the Four Courts. He was stationed at the heart of some of the fiercest fighting in the city that week. He was very active in the Republican movement throughout the War of Independence and Civil War. He would go on to join DFB in the 1930s and served as a Station Officer in Rathmines. He died suddenly in Rathmines fire station in 1948 as a result of complications from a gunshot wound he had suffered at the start of the Civil War. ● PATRICK KELLY was another man who fought with the 1st Battalion at the Four Courts garrison. We can be grateful that his story has been preserved better than most by virtue of statements made to the Bureau of Military History by himself and others who knew him. A fearless and tireless fighter for Irish freedom, he would go on to have a long and honourable career in DFB. ● THOMAS SMART was the son of a Dublin fireman. In 1916, he too was a member of the Volunteers 1st Battalion and fought in the cauldron of the Four Courts and North King Street. He is singled out in many accounts for his actions with Peader Clancy in burning buildings being used by British snipers while themselves under intense rifle fire. He would join DFB in 1920 while still a very active Volunteer and take part in major actions during the War of Independence, including the burning of the Custom House. ● THOMAS KAVANAGH and PATRICK KELLY lie in Mount Jerome Cemetery. Their graves were marked by serving members of the Brigade and due honour will be paid to them and their memory. The other six lie in Glasnevin’s soil, and we will remember them all.

Above: Awaiting the laying of the wreath. Below: CFO Pat Fleming speaks about the men of 1916.

Denis Fitzpatrick was a young man of 16 years when he fought with Ned Daly’s 1st Battalion at the Four Courts.

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1916 EASTER WEEKEND

A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER In an impressive weekend of commemorative events held in honour of those who fought for Irish freedom during Easter Week 1916, several thousand army and emergency service personnel marched on Dublin’s streets. Conor Forrest was there on the day.

hough some may argue that the recent Easter Rising State commemorations were a month too early, there’s no doubting that the memory of those who gave their lives so that Ireland could take her first step to freedom has been well honoured. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered both in Dublin and across the country to witness tributes paid both by the Irish Government and the relatives

of those who fought and died during those turbulent days. On Saturday March 26th, the commemorative weekend in Dublin began with a solemn ceremony at the Garden of Remembrance, attended by President Michael D. Higgins. The following day the celebrations began in earnest – several hundred thousand lined the streets as Ireland’s Defence Forces and emergency services – including Dublin Fire Brigade, An Garda Síochána, the RLNI and the Civil Defence marched through the city. Those members of Dublin Fire Brigade marching on the day were issued with a special commemorative replica of the 1916 cap badge.

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1916 EASTER WEEKEND

Several vehicles from the DFB fleet were included in the parade, alongside the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band, which proved quite popular on the day, and a DFB colour party. At noon, following the arrival of President Higgins, silence fell as the flag was lowered and the Defence Forces’ head chaplain read aloud the Prayer of Remembrance, followed by a laying of flowers and a piper’s lament. After a powerful rendition of the Proclamation by Irish Army Captain Peter Kelleher, whose grandfather and granduncle were members of the 1st Southern Brigade of the IRA in West Cork, the Military Band played Mise Éire. “In this centenary year, we honour the memory of those who died in 1916 with the respect and the dignity that is their due. And we cherish, 100 years later, the principles and the ideals contained in our Proclamation for which they have fought,” said Acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny. The ceremony concluded with the laying of a wreath by President Higgins, and the observation of a minute’s silence, with the Irish flag flying above the GPO raised to full mast. A total of 3,500 personnel took part in the parade. Commencing at St. Stephen’s Green South, the marchers proceeded past the Royal College of Surgeons towards Dublin Castle. Passing the GPO on O’Connell Street, the parade wound its way through Parnell Square on its way to the conclusion on Bolton Street. Several vehicles from the DFB’s fleet were included in the parade, alongside the Pipe Band and a DFB colour party. Easter Monday, meanwhile, featured another flurry of events. Eleven synchronised wreath laying ceremonies were held at the sites of 1916 garrisons in Dublin – Moore Street, the National Archives (site of the former Jacob’s Factory), City Hall, Boland’s Mill, the

Far left: Captain John Quinn reads the Proclamation at the site of the Jacob’s Factory. Photo: MerrionStreet.ie; Above: Dublin Fire Brigade personnel stand to attention outside Liberty Hall. Photo: Trevor Hunt

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1916 EASTER WEEKEND

A number of events were also held throughout the city as part of RTe’s Reflecting the Rising endeavour on Easter Monday. Four Courts, Royal College of Surgeons, St. James’s Hospital (South Dublin Union in 1916) – and in Ashbourne, Enniscorthy, Cork and Athenry. A number of events were also held throughout the city as part of RTÉ’s Reflecting the Rising endeavour on Easter Monday, which featured everything from an exhibition on the seven signatories at the National Library of Ireland to a talk on the Irish prison system at the Four Courts. Las Fallon gave an interesting account of DFB’s activities during the revolutionary period to a packed room at the Cobblestone Pub in Smithfield. Just across the road, a military/emergency service vehicle and equipment display took place in Smithfield Square, including DFB’s refurbished ambulance and two costumed firefighters who posed for photos and spoke about the fire brigade’s history to a highly interested crowd. Dublin Fire Brigade was also involved in one of the final Easter weekend events which took place the following Tuesday, April 29th at Liberty Hall. Held to commemorate the contribution by James Connolly and the Irish Citizen Army,

Left: DFB members march past the GPO on Easter Sunday. Photo: Colin Heaslip, Irish Air Corps; Above and top right: DFB personnel proceed along Dame Street

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1916 EASTER WEEKEND

Opposite page (top right): The DFB Honour Guard marches on Dame Street. Above: Preparations in front of the GPO. Photo: MerrionStreet.ie

Top: President Higgins lays a wreath at the GPO on Easter Sunday. Photo: MerrionStreet.ie; Above: The Pipe Band and appliances pass the GPO. Photos: Colin Heaslip, Irish Air Corps

the Proclamation was read by Sgt James Pearse DFTC, a great-grandson of James Connolly. The DFB Pipe Band provided several rousing tunes alongside the Army No. 1 Band, while President Higgins inspected a DFB colour party outside Liberty Hall. DFB were also invited to a ceremony at the Mansion House on April 5th, as guests of honour of the Lord Mayor. CFO Pat Fleming spoke on the night, with musical renditions provided by the Pipe Band. The success of DFB’s involvement in these commemorative events has been made possible by a number of people. Both the Sports and Social Club and the organising committee – Bevin Herbert, Dan Fynes, John Keogh, Tom McLoughlin, Willie Maher, Brian Murray, Ray Murray and Las Fallon – contributed to the success of the various commemorative events including the presentation of the commemorative cap badges, participation in the State parade on Easter Sunday and the Guard of Honour at Liberty Hall. DFB’s social media also embraced the commemorations, including the live tweeting of DFB’s involvement during

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1916 EASTER WEEKEND

Liberty Hall, Easter Monday

the Easter Rising by Trevor Hunt and Ray McMonagle. The Pipe Band also played a stellar role in the commemoration programme, with a jam-packed schedule since their participation in Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. Several days later the Band joined the Defence Forces at a flag raising ceremony at Parnell GAA Club. From there they played in the State parade on Easter Sunday, in Smithfield Square to huge crowds for RTÉ’s Reflecting the Rising event on Easter Monday, and also at the Irish Citizen Army commemoration held at Liberty Hall on Easter Tuesday, And, alongside the Honour Guard, the band attending a function at the Lord Mayor’s residence in recognition of DFB’s involvement during the Rising, at which the Lord Mayor was presented with a gold replica of the 1916 cap badge, and a statuette of a firefighter for her continued support of the fire brigade. It doesn’t end there – next up is the Vision of 1916 parade which will take place in Dublin on April 24th, alongside renditions in the City Hall’s Rotunda on the centenary of the fall of City Hall. “A great time had, and great to be part of it,” said Chairman Tom McLoughlin. ‘It’s fantastic.”

Clockwise from left: DFB reenactors in Smithfield Square, Easter Monday; Antique fire appliance; CFO Pat Fleming presented the Lord Mayor with a replica 1916 cap badge at the Mansion House.

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ST. PATRICK’S DAY

DUBLIN GOES GREEN

Dublin Fire Brigade had a strong presence at the recent St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Dublin, including rousing renditions provided by the ever popular DFB Pipe Band.

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ST. PATRICK’S DAY

Photos: Trevor Hunt

ore than 500,000 people lined the streets of Dublin to view this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. Themed ‘Imagine If...’, the city streets were awash with colour, imagination and creativity, as almost 3,000 performers dazzled and delighted the gathered crowds. Joanne O’Riordan occupied the honorary position of Grand Marshal, and a specially composed theme tune – March to Dublin – was played on the day. The parade, as with all years, was by no means a solely Irish affair – marching bands and performers travelled from all over the world to take part, including the John F. Kennedy High School Shamrock Regiment from California, the Bagad de Vannes Melinerion from Brittany, France and the Essex Marching Corps from the UK. First responders from Berkeley, California, whose department attended the 2015 balcony collapse which claimed the lives of six people last summer, also travelled to take part in the festivities. “Every year we continue to be impressed by the vision of artists seen through their parade creations and performances, and this year is no different. The Festival parade is a true testament to the artistic talent we have here in Ireland, talent that is showcased on a global stage today as the parade is viewed by millions the world over,” said Susan Kirby, CEO, St. Patrick’s Festival. Also among those marching on the day was the DFB Pipe Band, accompanied by a colour party. As is now tradition, DFB personnel formed up and made their preparations in No 3. Just before 10am the national flag was raised, followed by a rendition of the national anthem. Chief Fire Officer Patrick Fleming then made an inspection of all members on parade. The Pipe Band also later played to a delighted audience at the Guinness Storehouse at St. James’s Gate.

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HELPING THROUGH HIKING

A LITTLE BIT OF GOOD GOES A LONG WAY One member of Dublin Fire Brigade has gone to new heights to pull the local community out into the fresh air, and for a very worthy cause, writes Orla Connolly.

ith a host of charity events under her belt and an appearance in the last two seasons of RTÉ’s Operation Transformation, Sarah Good is no stranger to making an effort for a worthy cause. Most recently this proud member of Dublin Fire Brigade could be found wandering the Spink Loop in Co Wicklow. Not merely out and about for some fresh air and a stroll, Sarah was participating in a month-long charity event to raise money for Ireland’s only children’s hospice, LauraLynn – every day for the month of February both she and her partner Doug made the stunning and often weather beaten journey through the beautiful landscape of Glendalough.

STIRRED INTO ACTION

Sarah and Doug. Photo: Sarah Good

The recipients of Sarah’s fundraising efforts, LauraLynn, provide respite, transitional and crisis care for children with life limiting conditions. Having witnessed the personal support this facility offers, and realising they receive no State funding, Sarah wanted to find a way to actively show her admiration. “My partner Doug, his nephew passed away four years ago and he had availed of LauraLynn’s facilities during his short life. They also supported the family afterwards so it was something that I wanted to do for them,” she tells me. One of the most important aspects of this experience was Sarah’s desire to engage the local community while also promoting the historic scenery located on

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HELPING THROUGH HIKING their very doorstop. She explains: “It’s not only wanting to raise money for LauraLynn, but wanting people to see that hike who haven’t done it before. And also [to] get up, get out and get moving with people, as opposed to me just doing something myself and people sponsoring me.” Sarah notes that when she and Doug began their endeavour, they expected to accomplish a majority of the walks by themselves. However they were pleasantly surprised to find that there would be no difficulty finding volunteers to accompany them on their daily trek. The total number of participants who walked the Spink Loop – an 11km hike – amounted to a staggering 324 people, with several arriving repeatedly to show their support, of all ages and fitness levels. Local community groups like the Dalkey Scouts also turned out for a trip but, naturally, front and centre were Sarah’s colleagues and friends in DFB. “Lads from a good number of stations turned up day after day at the 5 o’clock in the morning ones, and half seven at night, when it was raining, in the dark with head torches. It’s easier to get people to do it when it’s nice weather, so it was great to have a big contingent from the fire brigade.” Not to be outdone by Dublin’s firefighters, the local primary school, principal and all, made the trek out to Glendalough with Sarah and Doug. In an act of generosity the 5th and 6th classes also donated their confirmation money in an effort to show their support for their peers in poor health. “For them, they were learning that other children weren’t as lucky to be healthy and also the value on their money – you know that you’re putting something back into the community,” Sarah explains.

greatest difficulty in the logistics of fitting in her DFB shifts, her personal commitments and her daily hike into only 24 hours. She jokingly calculates an approximate 12 minutes at home per day before leaving again to join the hike. Sarah was overwhelmed that people, with similar schedules, carved time out of their day and drove hours at a time to support LauraLynn. “It restores your faith in humanity enormously, the people coming out of the woodwork and turning up day after day, people donating money, people you might not have seen in ten years, in the UK or Australia, are donating online. The positive feedback we got was just incredible, that was the most memorable thing for me,” she says. “We had a lot of support, a lot more than we had envisaged. We thought we would have a lot of days where it was just the two of us. I think over the 29 days we had two where it was just the two of us, so it was pretty incredible.” Sarah mentions one particularly stormy night when both she and Doug weren’t hopeful for much company on their evening hike. “It was cold and it was wet and it was miserable, and I said to Doug ‘It’s just going to be the two of us this evening’,” she recalls. “We turned into the car park and there was just a sea of lights with all the head torches. It was just incredible, people just turned up and kept turning up.”

KEEPING BUSY Even though the month of hikes has concluded, Sarah is determined not to stay still for long. Joined by fellow firefighters Dave Connolly and Neil Dempsey, she’s been kept busy with her role on national television series, Operation Transformation. Having been involved for two seasons now, Sarah is eager to help people improve their health and satisfaction of life, and to demonstrate to the nation everything Dublin Fire Brigade has to offer. “It’s highlighting health and fitness, it’s highlighting all the aspects of the fire brigade in a very national forum,” she says. At the beginning of March, Sarah and Doug presented a cheque to LauraLynn for a total of d7,550. The generosity of the public hasn’t yet dissipated. “There is actually still money coming in, so we’re closer to the d8,000 mark at the moment, which is incredible,” she says. Sarah is particularly amazed that the majority of the sum was made up of small donations of d10 or less, showing how far small acts of kindness can go when everyone participates. With donations still arriving daily and pushing up the total, it’s very possible that Sarah and Doug will reach that d8,000 mark for LauraLynn, and make a real difference to the lives of those in need.

TOUGH TREKS For Sarah, the most challenging part of the experience had little to do with the blistering winds, icy temperatures or aching feet, although she does gleefully admit to sipping hot whiskey in a scorching bath one post-hike evening. Instead, she found the

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

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STATION PROFILE

STATION PROFILE RETURN TO THE OBI

S OUR LAST VISIT TO THE OBI TRAINING CENTRE WAS JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS, WHEN WE DISCOVERED MORE ABOUT THIRD OFFICER GERRY STANLEY’S VISION FOR THE CENTRE. CONOR FORREST PAID A RETURN VISIT TO MARINO EARLIER THIS SPRING, AND CAUGHT UP WITH THE MUCH BUSIER BRIGADE TRAINING OFFICER.

tepping foot on the grounds of the OBI for the first time since last November, there’s a much more noticeable hive of activity about the training centre. Classrooms are full, officers are striding from one destination to another, and the training yard is full of equipment and instructors, ready to produce another cohort of highly skilled firefighters for Dublin Fire Brigade. The most recent class took the first step of their new careers in January, with a total of 44 recruits being put through their paces at present. This class is a little different than their predecessors, however – included in the 44 are ten recruits from Limerick and one from Louth, the first time the OBI is training firefighters from other local authorities in a joint full time recruit

class. Though the average age is late twenties, there are a few older and perhaps wiser heads among the numbers. “All are getting on very well, they’re halfway through the course at the moment,” Third Officer Gerry Stanley tells me. “We did lose one on the first week – it just wasn’t for her, so she returned to her old employment. But that happens.” Although the current crop of trainees were all recruited from within Dublin’s local authorities, they come from all walks of life, from motor taxation and administration to pools and other diverse roles. One common thread unites them – a desire to join DFB and save lives.

PROVIDING DIRECTION When I returned to the OBI in early March, the recruits had completed their initial basic training – basic firefighting, ladder and hose drills, water relays and other lessons. Since then, they’ve branched out into the ‘specials’ – several weeks of intensive training covering breathing apparatus, SRT and other work. Spanning a total of eight weeks, the recruits will then complete a one week refresher course of the basic skills, and then begin preparations for their passout parade at the end of April. A number of new modules and topics have been added for the latest

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STATION PROFILE class. Alongside SRT training in Lara, Co Wicklow, the recruits will attend presentations and demonstrations by the Army bomb squad, experience aircraft firefighting at Dublin Airport, and work their way through a new Hazmat course. “Progress is being made,” T/O Stanley says. “These new courses have been developed because of the recruit training. There’s always great feedback – it’s very interesting and they enjoy it. We’ve also started the first flood awareness course that we’ve ever offered. We completed that a few weeks back. It’s something we’re concentrating on a lot this year, both for recruits and operational personnel.” Overseeing their progression through this demanding programme is Barbara Cahill, Course Director. Now 21 years in the job, Cahill is on secondment from her regular role on A watch HQ, and it’s clear to see that she’s thoroughly enjoying the experience, and she hasn’t forgotten her own training days. “I started in February 1995, so I know what it’s like to be in the drill yard in the depths of winter,” she says with a laugh. Cahill’s role involves ensuring the training process is as smooth as possible. That presents quite the logistical challenge, requiring the right personnel, equipment and other resources be ready on each day they are needed. “It’s making sure that everything is here at the right time and the right place and in the right order. There’s no point in having a BA set here next week when your course was running this week,” she says. “And

you have to suit each course with the right instructors. Sometimes they can’t provide us with the training staff we need because they need to be operational. It can sometimes be a bit of a juggling act, but we do the best we can. So far, I think we’ve had great results.” Training standards are also an important issue, as is health and safety. “There are now national training standards, so we have to make sure that our training – both cognitive and psychomotive – are to the required standard out in the drill yard, and that they’re receiving enough knowledge in the classroom required to support what they should be doing out in the drill yard,” she notes. Cahill is ably backed up by Assistant Course Director James Hetherington. Though second in command at present, James will be taking on the main role himself when the next batch of recruits arrive in June, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge gained through 30 years of experience – his class was the second ever to be trained in the OBI, beginning in January 1986. Working alongside six core training instructors, it’s a not insignificant commitment – they give three months of their lives to the training programme, including an additional week either side of the course. “They’re all very competent – I wish I could keep them on for the next training course!” says T/O Stanley. “It’s a big commitment to take three months doing 9-5, because it’s not

just 9-5. Those instructors are in here at 7.30am every morning, and might be here until 6 or 7pm. There are no complaints. They enjoy it too, of course.”

TACKLING CHALLENGES Ensuring the right equipment is in place is aided by a good working relationship with their colleagues across the various departments, including the stores. James mentions acting sub officer Stephen McMenamy in particular, noting his huge contribution to the smooth running of the training course. “Anything that we need, we’ll have it within a day or two. If he hasn’t got it in stock, he’ll sort it for us,” he explains. “We haven’t been without anything – anything we’ve required, we’ve got, even from before the course started. It’s all coordinated from before [the recruits begin] – weeks and months before they start it’s all in place.” The team of syndicate officers, including Gordon McArdle, are also name-checked. “Our general operative Gordon McArdle has been excellent, an absolute treasure,” says James. “A superstar,” Barbara adds. “You can print that!” Alongside the logistical issues, James has responsibility for the yard, ensuring that drills are completed to a high standard, making sure PPE is in optimum condition, and that safety checks are carried out each week. Health and safety, unsurprisingly, is a huge factor, something that is constantly emphasised. “We work on a safe person concept all of the time,” says James. “You’re looking after

The most recent class took the first step of their new careers in January, with a total of 44 recruits being put through their paces at present. FIRECALL SPRING

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STATION PROFILE

your own safety and everyone else’s safety. From day one that’s drilled into them – teamwork and the safe person concept.” “Health and safety is a huge factor,” adds Barbara. “We have to make sure that everybody here, and when they become operational, is going to be a safe pair of hands. There’s no point in anybody coming in here, sitting in a classroom and saying ‘Yes, I can do this’, and then when they go out onto the streets, they aren’t able to do the job. So we need to give them a health and safety ethos, and a team ethos, so that when they go out there they can do the job safely, for the betterment of the public. And it’s as simple as that.” It’s not all serious, however, and Barbara tells me that enjoyment and having fun are an important part of the course. “You can see it in the students that they’re actually enjoying themselves. We’ve tried to instil in them that we are a team, that there are certain times you have to be serious and get the job done. But then there are other times that you need to have a bit of a laugh – you need to release.”

FIGHTING NATURE Some challenges, however, are out of their hands. Ireland’s weather has been resolutely uncooperative for much of the year so far, which has impacted on their timelines. Barbara recalls her own experiences with the weather during her training days – coping with a particularly warm summer in 1995. “When I did my passout we had a really hot summer, the gorse went on fire, [as did] the south Dublin hills. So when you’re doing your passout and you’re practically wearing a duffle coat in the middle of summer, it’s 30 degrees outside and you’re running around like a lunatic, that can pose its own problems,” she says. “The cold, for us, has been a bit of a problem, but we managed somehow to heat the students up in the yard,” she adds with a smile. James nods in agreement, a similar grin spreading across his face. “We kept them running...well, walking at a fast pace,” he says. Barbara explains that high winds in particular forced them to postpone the ladder training which would

normally take place much earlier in the training programme. “At one stage we were thinking ‘These people can only go to bungalow fires’!” she says. “But Mother Nature started to play ball and we caught up. And we have another week when they finish their specials courses, when they are going to be honing their skills, becoming masters of their trade. And then we have a couple days to prepare for their passout.” Despite these challenges, both have a positive attitude when it comes to getting the job done one way or another. “As we always say, adapt and overcome,” they say simultaneously.

BUSY TIMES Clearly the OBI is a busy place to be – alongside the recruit classes, internal training requirements must still be met and paramedics must complete three days of CPG. On top of that, April will see another, smaller recruit training course commence, when 12 potential retained firefighters arrive for a three week course. And it won’t end there. The current class will finish in April,

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STATION PROFILE

Course Director Barbara Cahill and Assistant Course Director James Hetherington

with another cohort arriving in June. A third batch of recruits is expected to begin their training in January 2017. “We’re averaging around 100 people going through here per day, between recruits, other courses, our CPGs, our commercial side – the canteen is operated on a roster basis!” T/O Stanley tells me. “But it’s great to see such a hive of activity.” They may also have some return visitors from France – a group of French students spent three weeks in the OBI at the end of last

year, and were presented with scrolls of completion by the French ambassador to Ireland following the completion of their course. Having enjoyed themselves so much, another group is booked to arrive in 2017. As such, there’s no doubt that the OBI won’t be too quiet for some time to come. T/O Stanley smiles, however, and acknowledges that he wouldn’t have it any other way. “It’s a while since we had recruits,” he says. “It’s great to see the place alive again. Long may it continue.”

EYE IN THE SKY

One of the recruits being put through their paces in the drill yard

Although the OBI’s drone hasn’t seen much operational action since last we spoke, T/O Stanley explained that it is still being put to good use. With officers from Limerick and Louth keen to keep up-todate on how their recruits are progressing, they’ve been provided with limited access to DFB’s LearnPro system, where they can see weekly exam results for their respective recruits. “We also attached video clips of their recruits doing drills, so they can actually see for themselves what’s going on,” says T/O Stanley. “The drone has some great clips on it!” There’s also discussion regarding an investment in a second drone – a larger model with thermal imaging capabilities. DFB manned a stand at the recent drone exhibition in the RDS in April, displaying their technology and informing enthusiasts on how the fire service uses it. “We hope to see some new technology there,” T/O Stanley adds. FIRECALL SPRING

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RETIRED MEMBERS

RETIRED MEMBER PROFILE Patrick Madden Conor Forrest sat down with retired District Officer Patrick Madden to discover more about a career well spent.

f you enjoy hiking through the mountain ranges of Ireland, Scotland and further afield, chances are you might bump into Patrick Madden. Retired from the job as a District Officer since 1995, the outdoors remain a great passion for the man from Glasnevin and, when I pay him a visit, he proudly shows me a photo of himself and his wife, taken at the top of Ben Nevis – the highest mountain in the British Isles. “I was at work one day and some of the lads said they were going hill walking. I asked if I could go with them – that’s nearly thirty years ago now – and I fell in love with it,” he says.

EARLY DAYS Patrick’s first exposure to Dublin Fire Brigade came at a very young age, growing up in Sandymount. His father, also a firefighter, was on duty in Tara Street, and his mother brought the young Patrick in for a visit. “While we were there, just as we were leaving, a fire call came in and my father went out on the appliance,” Patrick recalls. “He was on the turntable ladder

standing on the side of it. That was my first introduction to the service.” A move to Chapelizod beckoned, and the family relocated to the quiet area sitting in the shadow of the Phoenix Park. Patrick recalls with a smile that he would cycle into the city on Christmas Day on a mission to deliver the Christmas dinner to his father, who by then was working in Buckingham Street. Patrick loved being around the station, chatting with the firefighters and admiring the polished engines – somewhere in those visits, a small spark was ignited. “It was great – meeting the lads, seeing the fire engines and everything so clean and spotless. I really couldn’t have seen myself working as anything else,” he tells me. Patrick joined DFB in 1962, following several years in the hotel business. His first application had been turned down and he was in the process of applying to London’s fire service when word came that DFB were recruiting once again. He jumped at the chance, and thus began a career that would last more than 30

years, spanning four decades. Following his six weeks of training in Tara Street, Patrick remained there for less than two years, transferring to Dorset Street station under the watchful eye of Station Officer Paddy Hanratty, a name you may recognise from one of our previous profiles. It was during his time in Dorset Street that the Noyeks timber factory fire occurred – in 1972 – an incident Patrick remembers well. “I had only been on the premises a few days before. We knew a lot of the staff who went by Dorset Street station on their way to work, and you’d often say hello to them. It was a terrible tragedy, eight people killed – a very sad occasion,” he says. By coincidence, several years later Patrick brought his car into a garage for repairs, and got chatting to the mechanic about his work. When he discovered Patrick was a firefighter, the mechanic revealed that he was a brother of one of those who lost their lives in the blaze.

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RETIRED MEMBERS

Patrick loved being around the station, chatting with the firefighters and admiring the polished engines – somewhere in those visits, a small spark was ignited. avail of,” he says. “There was one of our lads who worked with me when I was in Finglas – a great guy, a very nice fellow. He was on ambulance duty one night, a few years after I had retired, and he was attacked for no reason at all. It affected him so much that he had to retire a year or two later.”

MOVING ON

Patrick Madden

Not all of his memories are sad ones, however, and Patrick recalls a serious fire at the Central Hotel on D’Olier Street. Despite being trapped by the flames, many people were rescued. “I was so proud of the lads and the job they were doing,” he says. Recalling such incidents brings us to another topic, one which was touched upon previously by Paddy Hanratty – counselling, or a lack thereof for firefighters in those days. Patrick mentions a case that took place many years ago, close to Christmas, in which a mother, her daughter and grandchild perished in a fire. “It’s great that there are now counselling services which modern firefighters can

For Patrick, his father and many of their respective generations, working in the fire brigade was most definitely a calling, as pay was low and many other occupations could provide a much more promising financial incentive. Though he opted for life as a firefighter, Patrick was initially offered a position in hotel management, by a man he had worked with in the Russell Hotel in Stephen’s Green. “My father was earning something like £12 a week, and I was earning £20 or £25 in the bar business at that stage – it was incredible, the difference. Many men down through the years dropped money to join the service, and that’s called having a vocation,” he explains. His departure from Dorset Street after 12 years was brought about by a promotion to Sub Officer, and Patrick spent the next few years doing relief work across a number of stations. His next, more permanent, posting was in Finglas, where he arrived as a Station Officer following the death of his predecessor in a road accident. He would remain there for eight years. “It was a very busy station, covering Ballymun, the Airport and all of North County

Dublin. It was a busy station but it had a great crew – I really enjoyed working with them,” he tells me. After another stint at HQ, Patrick moved to Phibsboro, which had replaced the now defunct Dorset Street station in the intervening years. Chances are, one of Patrick’s exploits (and those of his crew) during this time were caught on camera, and could be gathering dust in a musty archive somewhere in Donnybrook. On turntable duty one Sunday lunchtime in Tara Street, a call was received concerning a fire in a building near Moran’s hotel on Gardiner Street. With the fire having taken hold in the lower floors, a number of people were trapped. The turntable crew sprang into action and rescued those inside, with no injuries or deaths. “Everything worked out perfectly. There were two women in it, one or two men and, if I remember correctly, a young child,” says Patrick. “What we didn’t realise when we were there that, while all of this was going on, there was a camera crew from RTÉ who were on the way to Croke Park for a match, and they got the whole lot on camera! It was on the news that night at six o’clock, fantastic coverage, and it was on the news later that night as well. We were all pleased at the way it went, it was great that it was successful and everybody was saved, but we never realised we were on camera.” His time in Dublin 7 saw him promoted once more to District Officer, with a move to the O’Brien Training Institute not far behind. Moving from shift work to regular office hours was something of a shock

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RETIRED MEMBERS

FAMILY CONNECTIONS From a family of 10, both Patrick and his brother (who joined in 1976) would follow their father into the profession. It also transpired – in a rather amusing way – that Patrick’s cousin was interested in a career with DFB. He tells me that he was on duty one Saturday at HQ when a couple passed by as he was closing the gates. The man was looking for an application to join the fire brigade, and Paddy asked him if he knew anyone currently serving. To his surprise, the enquirer revealed that he was a relation of one Gerard Madden and his son Paddy. “I said, ‘I’m Paddy Madden,’ looking around for hidden cameras,” Patrick recalls with a laugh.

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Patrick at home in Glasnevin

to the system. “I was a bit dubious about it at first. I had been on shift work for those years, and then to be going in 9-5...” Having his weekends off, however, was a very welcome change. “I didn’t realise how many weekends I had missed when working the shifts, you just took it for granted, you went in and did the work,” he adds.

WINDING DOWN? Following two enjoyable years at the training centre, Patrick retired in 1995. It wouldn’t be fair to say, however, that he is taking things too easy in his retirement. Having decided that he would remain an early riser, Patrick is quite active – on the several mornings he goes swimming, he’s at the pool

for 7am. Once a week he hikes with his wife Clare and their friend John Williams, whose father was in the fire brigade, in the Dublin or Wicklow Mountains, and they often travel away to take in a different view. He also enjoys being an active member of the Retired Members Association, which keeps him in touch with those he might not otherwise see. Looking back, Patrick is keen to stress that, if he had the chance to turn back the clock and take a second shot at life, he wouldn’t change a thing. “It’s nice to be able to say it – I’ve said it many times and I’ve heard other people saying it – if my life could be lived over, I’d do the same job.”

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FRONT LINES

ON THE FRONT LINES DFB personnel have responded to a wide range of incidents in the first three months of the year, including several larger fires across the city. We spoke with incident commanders present onscene to discover more.

t’s been a busy year for Dublin’s firefighters so far – alongside the usual incidents that pepper the capital and surrounding areas, DFB has had to contend with a number of larger fires in the city. One of the largest fires to-date occurred on February 26th just after 7.30pm, at the Kingfisher restaurant on Parnell Street. “On arrival there was smoke issuing from the takeaway section of the premises with a strong wind blowing smoke along Parnell Street and into adjacent

premises,” explains D/O Peter Barriscale, from D watch No 3. “All occupants were already evacuated from the restaurant and were in the process of evacuating from apartments next door. Access was somewhat restricted due to the fencing around the ongoing Luas works at the scene.” On arrival, BA crews were deployed to the ground floor, basement and later to the first floor. D/O Rogers explains that firefighters managed to confine the flames to the takeaway section of the restaurant, preventing the fire from spreading to the apartment building,

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FRONT LINES though fire travelled via a pumped extractor system to the neighbouring basement level. Once flames were seen exiting a flue at roof level, a crew was dispatched to deal with the issue. Total attendance comprised seven pumps, the environmental tender, turntable ladder, HP, DICU, two D/Os, a Third Officer and the Assistant Chief Fire Officer. “The fire was brought under control in approximately two and a half hours, with damping down and checking all areas for smouldering taking another few hours,” says D/O Barriscale.

LIVING HISTORY This particular building has a noteworthy history, particularly for those with an interest in Ireland’s struggle for independence. Situated beside Sinn Féin’s headquarters, it was on the footpath outside the restaurant where rebel leader Padraig Pearse was captured on camera surrendering to Brigadier General William Lowe and his son, Officer John Lowe. Also present at the time the photo was

taken, though she was later airbrushed out of it and of history, was Nurse Elizabeth O’Farrell, a midwife and republican who cared for the wounded at the GPO during the Rising. O’Farrell was the one who carried the white flag out onto Moore Street on April 29th, signalling the rebels’ surrender. Two days after the fire at the Kingfisher restaurant, another large scale blaze broke out, this time at the site of a derelict pub in Inchicore. The call came in just after D/O John Rogers and the crew of C watch Dolphin’s Barn had come on duty that evening. D/O Rogers is the newest officer on duty with C watch, having joined No 2 in January. One of the class of D/Os promoted just before Christmas, he’s now in his 31st year in DFB. Life as a D/O, he tells me, isn’t quite the same as in his previous roles. “It’s a little bit different – though I was acting D/O in Donnybrook – to being a station officer where you’re travelling with the lads on the tender,” he explains. “But it’s great, I’m enjoying it.” The fire was initially a six pump

incident, alongside a turntable ladder, the environmental unit, the Incident Command Unit and a Third Officer. Two appliances – Delta 101 and Delta 102 – were dispatched from HQ to provide water until the environmental unit arrived, before returning to Townsend Street to resume cover for that area. “It was an old derelict pub, it was what we would call ‘going well’, it was well alight,” says D/O Rogers. “The roof went in on it fairly early on – when we left the station here we could see the smoke. When we arrived, it had really got going – there was a lot of smoke coming off the building. Once the roof went in the turntable ladder did great work.” Incident command divided the area into two – one sector on Emmet Road to the front of the building and the second to the rear, accessed via an apartment complex. A neighbouring house, which had been divided into apartments, was safely evacuated. Highly skilled and experienced, the crews tackled the blaze without great difficulty, and C watch were back at the station by 9.30pm.

JANUARY 3 Domestic fire, Dartry, Rathmines. Four units. JANUARY 13 Domestic fire, Lucan. Four units. JANUARY 19 Underground car park fire, Artane. Five units. JANUARY 21 Commercial premises, Newmarket. Five units.

SNAPSHOT

FEBRUARY 26 Kingfisher fire, Parnell Street. Seven units. FEBRUARY 28 Derelict premises, Inchicore. Eight units. MARCH 11 Residential fire, Malahide. Five units. MARCH 11 Industrial fire, JFK Industrial Estate. Six units.

Parnell Street photos courtesy of Simon Lazewski, foto farm

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PHILIP ISLAND INTERNATIONAL CLASSIC

BURNING RUBBER A team from Ireland joined four other nations at the recent Philip Island International Classic in Australia earlier this year – among them No 8 firefighter and motorbike racer Mark O’Byrne.

t’s fair to say that Mark O’Byrne has been well and truly bitten by the motorcycle bug. Alongside owning a 600cc Kawasaki Ninja which he uses as his regular commuter, in recent years he has become involved in the world of motorbike racing, investing in an eye-watering 1,000cc Kawasaki ZX-10R race bike, which will do the quarter mile in less than nine seconds. Having spent most of his career in Nutgrove fire station on A watch (peppered with a year in Donnybrook and several years in the control room), Mark picked up his first bike when he joined DFB back in 2004. He describes the lure as simply the ability to ride a bike as hard as you can and as fast as possible through a corner, though he also mentions the camaraderie he experiences as part of a racing team, and the element of trust. “It’s being able to put your trust in someone when you’re riding a bike at its absolute limit. You’re shoulder to shoulder as you go through some corners, the slightest

mistake could put you off,” he explains. So what does one need to hop on a sports bike and take off like the devil himself is chasing you? Mark isn’t quite sure – beyond requiring a level of fitness that might be surprising for those unfamiliar with his world, it’s a relatively indescribable feeling rather than a set checklist of skills. “It’s just in some people or it’s not to go quick on a bike,” he says. “Some people just don’t like it, can’t do it. I don’t know if I could put my finger on what is needed.” Perhaps it’s the lack of an aversion to risk – Mark tells me how his pursuits include skydiving, water skiing, scuba diving and duties as a motorbike paramedic at road races. “I love that, that’s exciting for me, so racing motorbikes was a bit of a natural progression,” he adds.

COMPETITIVE WORLD Although an enthusiastic attendee at various track days for several years, Mark’s competitive debut came

around six years ago. As he describes it himself, he dabbled in the competitive world for several years before he had a proper go at the championship in 2014. Unfortunately he fell off his bike and broke his wrist in May of that year, an incident he would repeat the following year on the same track. His most recent competition was also the largest in which he has competed to-date – the Philip Island International Classic in Australia. Representing Ireland (along with six other team members) against four other teams racing classic superbikes – the UK, New Zealand, Australia and the USA – their first ever appearance in the competition was a success. It was certainly a dramatic event. Although Australia led after day one, the team from the UK turned around a 12-point deficit to win by 99 points. As newcomers, the Irish team were described afterwards as “impressive”, scoring a total of 421 points to scoop third place.

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PHILIP ISLAND INTERNATIONAL CLASSIC world were there too – to be able to compete with them was phenomenal. And the track that we raced on is a Mecca for motorcyclists. So it was a real privilege to be there,” says Mark. Off the race track, Mark also has a keen interest in marshalling and instructing potential racers at track days held in Kildare’s Mondello Park, a tarmac clad haven for speed demons. Having mounted a GoPro on the front and rear of his bike, he can follow a trainee for several laps of the track, and offer pointers and critique their driving style. He himself is an alumnus of the California Superbike School, which ran a programme in Dublin several years ago. “So I can impart that information to someone else,” he says.

DAYS AHEAD Although the season has just begun, Mark has temporarily hung up his racing boots, but for good reason. With his partner Virginia Victoria having recently given birth to their first child, Valentina, it’s understandable that his attention will be elsewhere. His trusty commuter bike will be put to good use over the summer months, although he notes that once he stepped foot on his 1,000cc racing Ninja, the experience will never be quite the same again – it’s clear that racing is where his heart lies. “As soon as I did my first track day I knew then that I was going to go racing,” he says, and I can almost hear the smile in his voice. “It was just a matter of when.”

Above: The Irish racers line up. Far left: Mark, fourth from the right on the bike he rode at Phillip Island, a 1978 Nico Bakker Kawasaki. Photos: Cameron White

REPUTATION

“That was incredible,” Mark recalls. “We went there as the underdogs – it was the first time Ireland had competed in that event. We went over there on an absolute shoestring budget. During testing almost all of our bikes had some sort of serious mechanical issue, our garage looked more like a breaker’s yard than a race garage, and on Friday – qualifying day – it rained all day. And believe it or not, even though everything that could possibly have gone wrong, went wrong, the team still managed to pull off a third place. So we were absolutely delighted.” They were certainly in good company – Australians Jed Metcher, a former MotoGP racer who competes in the IDM Superbike Championship, and Steve Martin, a veteran of the World Superbike Championship; and Jeremy McWilliams, one of only two riders from Britain and Northern Ireland to win a race or pole position in the MotoGP World Championship from 2000-2010. The Philip Island circuit, meanwhile, is also an esteemed destination and is home to the Australian GP and World Superbike races. “I’ve never represented my country before, and to be given that opportunity [is great]. Some very big names from the motorbiking

Mark raced to third place in the Irish Southern Star championship in 2015 on his ZX10R. Photo: Joe Connolly, Big Joe Photos

It’s quite clear that Mark has no objection to risky activities, and he speaks of his colleagues’ reactions with a laugh. “I don’t think there’s a single person in DFB who, when my name is mentioned, doesn’t follow it up immediately with ‘he’s mad’.” But he’s also quite touched by the support he has been shown. “They’re unbelievably supportive. I couldn’t say enough about them, even people who I wouldn’t think know or care about motorbikes – they ask how you’re getting on, they heard I was in Australia.”

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MIGRATION

RENDERED

Europe has experienced what has become known as the ‘migrant crisis’ since the summer of 2015. Conor Forrest examines the crisis from an Irish perspective, and speaks to Irish naval commander Daniel Wall, who travelled as part of a humanitarian mission to the Mediterranean last year.

small island in the Aegean Sea, the Greek island of Kos has long attracted tourists to its sandy shores, its ancient marketplace and its luxury resorts. These days, however, visitors to Kos share the sights with an ever-growing body of Syrian refugees, who have flooded into the idyllic island from Turkey as they

await the processing of their paperwork and entry into the Greek mainland. What has become known as the European migrant crisis began last year when migrants from Asia, Africa and parts of Europe began to cross the Mediterranean or the continent in search of asylum in the European Union. Those who flee do so in large part due

to the wars plaguing African and Asian countries – the Syrian civil war, wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and Darfur, as well as insurgent organisations including ISIL and Boko Haram. In 2015, more than one million people moved in search of a better life across the continent, traversing dangerous waters, difficult terrain, and closed borders. In January of 2016 alone,

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Migrants and refugees in the Greek island of Lesbos. © IOM/Amanda Nero 2015

MIGRATION

over 55,000 people entered the EU via the Mediterranean – more than 200 people lost their lives while doing so.

MIGRANT PLIGHT Across Europe and, indeed, the world, opinion is divided on these migrants, many of whom are fleeing oppression and death in search of a better life elsewhere. Some are fearful of allowing potential threats in among genuine refugees – in the US, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has become well-known for his outspoken views on the crisis, warning against the admittance of Syrian refugees into the US for fear that it is a ‘sinister plot’ concocted by ISIS. More are worried about the impact on crime levels – in Germany, for example, police have said that crimes at refugee and asylum centres are on

the rise, though they note that many of these people are living in conditions that promote criminal activity, while a report published after the sexual assaults in Cologne in Germany on New Year’s Eve noted that the attackers were “almost exclusively” migrants. Anti-Islamic groups, such as Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident (Pegida), formed in Germany in 2014, have been gaining support, and have even found their way to Irish shores – clashing with opponents on O’Connell Street on February 6th of this year. Many have also been moved by the plight of these people, heightened in some cases by images which flashed around the world of three-year-old Alan Kurdi, a Kurdish boy who perished alongside his mother, five-year-old brother and 10 other refugees, and whose body washed up on a beach in Turkey last September. A number of voluntary groups from the Aegean Islands, through which many migrants have travelled, were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for their actions in feeding, clothing and in some cases welcoming incoming migrants into their homes. It’s a delicate situation. Some migrants, it has been claimed, are economic migrants rather than oppressed or persecuted refugees in genuine need of asylum. How does one distinguish between the two? In addition, those who seek refuge elsewhere include youths and elderly people, those of different nationalities, ethnicities and outlooks, which presents certain challenges. “The diversity of those on the move, including the young and the old, single men and women as well as families, victims of trafficking and gender based violence, and people from different nationalities and backgrounds means that individuals face different immediate needs based upon their specific vulnerabilities. This poses a further challenge to already overstretched authorities,” the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement.

IRISH EYES Here in Ireland, around 60 Syrian refugees have already entered the country, remaining first in emergency

accommodation at several reception sites, before moving to permanent housing. Under the EU’s relocation programme, Ireland will accept a total of 4,000 refugees over the course of the next two years. “Ireland has always lived up to its international humanitarian obligations and we are fully committed to playing our part in addressing the migration crisis facing Europe. We have all been shocked and upset at the scenes witnessed in southern and central Europe and the distressing scenes during rescues in the Mediterranean. It is only right that we do all we can as a nation to help,” said Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald. In the interests of security, members of An Garda Síochána have been quite active in this regard – travelling abroad in order to vet potential refugees. “All other pre-clearance measures for persons being relocated from Italy and Greece including a Garda security assessment of case files; Garda interviews in the country of refuge; the checking of fingerprints against national and international databases and pre-departure health screening will be carried out in keeping with established practice as for refugees under the resettlement programme,” said Minister Fitzgerald, quoted by The Irish Times, in response to calls to strengthen the screening procedure following attacks in Cologne on New Year’s Eve last. Two members of the force decided to take a more personal approach, however, and travelled to the Greek island of Kos last year in order make a personal impact on the migrant situation. Moved by the pictures of Alan Kurdi and funded by a mixture of fundraising and money from their own pocket, Gardaí Damien McCarthy and Ray Wims made their way to Kos last October to lending a helping hand, meeting incoming boats full of refugees, helping them to get ashore safely and providing them with supplies such as water, food or a much-needed change of clothes. “We would normally head down at maybe 1 or 2 in the morning [to the beaches] with binoculars, and it’s from then to dawn. You could have two boats, five dinghies...dinghies just come up to the shore in sheer panic and despair,”

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MIGRATION

As part of a humanitarian mission to rescue migrants fleeing North Africa by sea, the Irish Navy vessel LÉ Niamh was one of three ships deployed to the Mediterranean as part of Operation Pontus at varying times over the past year, carrying 57 personnel on-board, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Daniel Wall. Their mission – to provide search and rescue capabilities, undertake humanitarian rescue operations and assist those in distress at sea. It’s safe to say this endeavour was an unqualified success – as Lt Cdr Wall tells me, “the deployments of LÉ Eithne, LÉ Niamh and LÉ Samuel Beckett resulted in over 8,000 people being rescued from dangerous and perilous situations. A lot of migrants would probably have perished if the Naval Service had not undertaken this mission. I believe the mission was a success and Irish Naval Service involvement resulted in many lives being saved.” Desperate situations were encountered at sea by those on the LÉ Niamh. Lt. Cdr Wall recalls seeing hundreds of migrants jammed into unseaworthy vessels like sardines – they encountered 24 of these craft in the Mediterranean over the ten weeks of their mission. “The initial approaches to the migrant vessels by our RHIBs (rigid hulled inflatable boat) and the evacuation of children from these overcrowded vessels stick out most in my memory. Often we rescued small babies and very young children. This resonated strongly with all of us onboard LÉ Niamh,” he says. Those in the rescue craft distributed lifejackets among the occupants, and oversaw their safe evacuation – women, children, the injured and the elderly first. “The migrants had little, if any seagoing experience and our RHIB crews had some tough experiences keeping the situation in the migrant vessels calm and controlled,” Lt. Cdr Wall adds. Unfortunately, not all

children. Thanks to their quick reactions and highly honed response skills of the LÉ Niamh’s crew, however, 365 people were saved from certain death. Looking back on their mission Lt. Cdr Walls feels that their successes – as evidenced by the sheer numbers of lives saved – highlight the capabilities of the Irish Naval Service in operating to the highest standards overseas, working with other navies and organisations which, he says, has led to “huge appetite” for future deployment overseas. It’s also a very real contribution on Ireland’s behalf to a problem affecting the entire continent, and one which has made an enormous difference to the lives of all those people the Irish Navy has saved. “I think this mission was a very positive experience. I believe that our involvement made a real difference and I know that there are many more people alive today due to the work of the Irish Navy.”

Above: LÉ Niamh Med OP 26 Aug 2015 Below: LÉ Niamh Med Op 24 July 2015. Photos: Irish Defence Forces

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of these people made it to shore alive. On July 27th 2015, the crew of the LÉ Niamh were faced with one of their most arduous challenges – the recovery of 14 migrants who had lost their lives aboard a wooden boat – having perished from asphyxiation, overcrowding, dehydration and exhaustion. It would not be the last time the ship’s crew would have to recover rather than rescue. “The largest challenge we faced occurred on August 5th when we encountered an overcrowded fishing vessel which capsized in approximately 30 seconds. Reports from rescued migrants stated that the smugglers had locked many of the migrants below in the fishing hold and had been using knives and batons to control those on board,” Lt. Cdr Wall explains. A number of those on board went down with the ship. A total of 25 bodies were recovered from the sea, including those of several

L.É. NIAMH: THE LOWDOWN

Gda Damien McCarthy told Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show. “It was quite difficult to see the kids obviously very traumatised when they arrived. It’s very traumatising for the parents as well, for everyone when they arrive, but you just have to keep the head up.”

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INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE

SAVING LIVES IN THE LEVANT

Although they normally find themselves on opposite sides of a decades-old conflict, in 2010 firefighters from Israel and Palestine came together to battle a deadly blaze. Conor Forrest examines how each fire service operates, and details the event that brought both sides together.

he conflict between Israel and Palestine is a complicated one, dating back to the mid 20th century. Since then, both sides have battled it out, with the violence and the casualties spreading to the civilian population on both sides. At the heart of the fighting in both regions, tasked with tackling the aftermath of widespread actions and individual missions, are two hard-working fire departments, who risk their lives in very dangerous circumstances.

HEART OF DANGER With one of the most dangerous professions in the region, Palestinian firefighters, particularly those in Gaza, often find themselves on the front lines, extinguishing fires, rendering medical aid and dealing with the aftermath. Not every urban centre within Palestine has its own dedicated fire service, which comes under the realm of responsibility of the Civil Defence Directorate. Nablus, located around 50km north of Jerusalem, is one of the few cities within the West Bank to have its own department. Founded in 1958, the department began with five members and one tender, which had grown to 70 members and more than 20 response vehicles in 2008. Its area of responsibility covers the Nablus and Tubas Governorates. In Gaza, the fire service also incorporates SPRING 64 FIRECALL

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INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE an ambulance service. It’s certainly a dangerous job – conflict has flared beyond the usual realms of violence on a number of occasions, most recently in 2012 and 2014. According to a documentary produced by IRIN Films, nine firefighters were killed during the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict, with a further 85 injured. Despite the danger, equipment levels can be quite sparse on the front lines during times of strife, while a mixture of the Israeli blockade and funding issues with Palestine have taken its toll on some departments. Working on 24-hour shifts and faced with limited repair capabilities, firefighters in Gaza have spoken about shortages of power and fuel, and a lack of drugs for medical use. As a result, creativity and ingenuity are key – vehicles are often adapted from old trucks, with the necessary equipment welded or bolted on. Training is provided by a number of organisations, including the Ministry of Health, the Red Cross, and Medical Relief Committees, covering fire response in public locations, dealing with traffic accidents, and first aid. Palestinian firefighters have also developed a strong relationship with their counterparts in Scotland. In recent years, personnel from the Palestinian Civil Defense Fire Service have trained in Scotland in coping with flash floods, while firefighters from Dundee donated two fire tenders and life-saving equipment. Equipment has also been provided by the EU. Last June, 14 vehicles (five rapid response and nine administrative support) were delivered to General Mahmoud Issa, Director General, Palestinian Civil Defence. Mobile lighting masts and electric generators were also provided to assist in nighttime operations, as part of a c3.7 million equipment grant from the EU. “The Palestinian Civil Defence has shown itself to be an increasingly professional rescue force, able to serve the community in difficult circumstances. We have witnessed a remarkable development in its capacity over the past few years,” said EU representative John Gatt-Rutter. “The EU will continue to support the

Palestinian Civil Defence in building and enhancing its resources in the service of the Palestinian people. This contribution will expand the coverage of the civil protection services to new areas in the West Bank and will reduce the response time to potential incidents.”

ACROSS THE DIVIDE Across the border in Israel, meanwhile, firefighters face similarly lifethreatening situations though they are, it could be said, better trained and more extensively equipped compared to their Palestinian counterparts, if not equal in motivation and courage. The fire service in Israel can trace its origins back as far as 1897, though the first professional fire service was established in 1960 under the Firefighting Services Law – until then, firefighters had worked on a voluntary basis. Israeli teens, however, can still volunteer to assist the professional firefighters via a personal responsibility programme which has been established in the country’s high schools, which aims to empower young Israelis and provide them with an opportunity to save lives. Participants must first undergo a 50-hour training course with their local fire department, studying firefighting theory and learning how to operate fire tenders, deploy hoses, climb ladders and more. Once completed, the teen volunteers continue to learn under local firefighters, assist in patrols and work special events including the Israeli Independence Day celebrations. Firefighters with Israel’s Fire and Rescue Authority receive their training at the National Fire and Rescue Training School, established in 1979, which also provides training to several external agencies such as Israel’s prison service and the Negev Nuclear Research Center. With a range of core courses covering basic and advanced firefighting, team commander and officer courses, the school also provides instruction for fire safety inspectors, fire investigators, hazardous substances, fire scouting and driving vehicles over 15 tonnes. The fire service also works alongside Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national EMS service, which was

founded in 1950, two years after the Israeli declaration of independence. Mainly staffed by volunteers, the organisation has a network of 119 stations across Israel, and a fleet of more than 700 ambulances. Recognised by the International Red Cross as the national aid organisation for Israel, MDA also operates blood banks, and has established a tracing service which assists people in locating relatives lost during the Holocaust.

SPOTLIGHT Somewhere in the region of 2,500 personnel are employed by the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority – around 1,800 are operational. Israeli fire crews tend to be smaller than their international counterparts, and firefighters generally operate in teams of two or three. According to an article in the Baltimore Jewish Times, as most buildings in Israel are constructed from concrete, firefighters generally enter a building on their own. Apart from their regular firefighting duties covering anything from residential fires to the aftermath of rocket attacks, special units conduct emergency and rescue operations when required: • Special Rescues Unit Specialising in rescues from challenging situations, include cliffs, flooded regions or tall buildings. • Hazmat Unit Responsible for rescue and treatment of victims of hazmat incidents. Management of such situations, preventing or containing leaks or spills. • Elite Rescue Unit Called on to rescue both firefighters and civilians – membership of this unit requires high skill levels. Overlooking each incident is ‘Shalhavet’ – Israel’s command and control system which manages all fire and rescue operations within the country. Connecting the

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INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE country’s operation rooms, Shalhevet incorporates a list of daily incidents, tracking of response vehicles, shift management, investigative tools, a fire prevention model and statistical reports.

TACKLING TRAUMA The situation for emergency responders in Israel and Palestine is quite different to that of most of their colleagues around the world – dealing with war zone conditions, rocket strikes and bombings. As a result, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a very real threat, something highlighted by a study conducted by researcher and firefighter Dr Marc Lougassi. “The population in Israel is unique because of the extra dimension of terror and war that firefighters are exposed to,” he told Innovation Exchange, a publication from the Ministry of Public Security. “Beyond responding to typical fires, buses are blown up, there’s gun fire and missiles; and overall, there’s more of a chance to be exposed to a traumatic event.” As part of the study, Dr Lougassi interviewed 300 firefighters from 31 fire departments in Israel, from many different backgrounds. The results showed that 24 per cent of those interviewed suffered from full PTSD, 67 per cent from partial PTSD. Just 9 per cent of the interviewees were unaffected by the disorder. The results from the study have had a direct impact on the country’s fire service – after traumatic events, for example, firefighters meet with psychologists for a debrief.

JOINING FORCES On December 2nd 2010, fire ignited on Mount Carmel, just south of the Israeli city of Haifa. Thought to have been caused by human error, dry conditions in the weeks and months leading up to the fire combined with strong winds to spread the flames around the mountain area. Overwhelmed by the fierce flames, Israel accepted the assistance of firefighters from at least ten countries, including the USA, Greece and Turkey, most of whom supplied firefighting aircraft. An Evergreen 747 Supertanker, the largest firefighting plane in the

world, was drafted in to spread more than 40 tonnes of firefighting chemicals across the stricken area, as residents who weren’t evacuated were asked to close their windows and turn on their air conditioning systems. In a relatively unusual display of cooperation across a tenuous border, 21 Palestinian firefighters set aside their differences with their Israeli counterparts to join the fight against the blaze, which burned for several days. Entering Israel via the Salem Crossing, a corridor between Israel and the Gaza Strip, the firefighters immediately set to work in Haifa. This remarkable story is told in an interesting documentary, Fire Lines, produced by Journeyman Pictures. The documentary charts the situation from beginning to end, framing the scene within a wider historical context and being careful to give equal consideration to each side of the story. Though help was initially offered by the Palestinian Civil Defence on first hearing of the fire, it wasn’t accepted until the blaze was well and truly underway. Palestinian firefighters were eager to assist – some felt a connection to the city of Haifa, others a bond to their fellow firefighters in Israel, they told the film-makers, and were frustrated at having to sit on the sidelines. It wasn’t as simple as just packing up and heading over the border, however. Over the decades, citing security concerns, Israel’s open borders were closed with permits introduced as a requirement to enter the country. Having arranged documentation, firefighters from Jenin, Bethleham and Ramallah arrived at the Al Jalama checkpoint three days after the fires began. Though the Palestinian and Israeli firefighters worked side-by-side on the ground, not everything was rosy. The former travelled with armed guards – Israeli soldiers – a constant reminder that they weren’t operating in friendly territory. Nor were they entirely exalted by many of their countrymen – some of the firefighters experienced criticism from their own people, who couldn’t understand why they would help their enemy. “A

Palestinian citizen might wonder, ‘These are Jews, why should we care?’ But we, given our humanitarian qualities, our work and experience, we don’t differentiate between Jews and Arabs or Druze, Muslims or Christians,” Hamed Armoush, Fire Commander in Ramallah, told the film-makers. A certificate presented to Ahmed Rized, DirectorGeneral, Palestinian Civil Defense, noted that ‘The State of Israel expresses its gratitude and deep appreciation to the Special Delegation from The Palestinian Authority for the invaluable contribution and exemplary courage in battling the blaze on Mt. Carmel.’

AFTERMATH When the last flames were extinguished, the cost was counted. Over 17,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes, while 12,000 acres of land was consumed. There were 44 fatalities, many of them officer cadets from the Israel Prison Service. When the fire began on December 2nd, the nearby Damon Prison called for reinforcements

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Top left: Aftermath of the fire near the village of Isfiya. Photo: Hanay/Wikimedia Commons. Bottom left: Israeli firefighters extinguish a brush fire. Photo: Etan Tal/Wikimedia Commons. Above: Israeli firefighters tackle a fire in RamatHasharon. Photo: Amit A/ Wikimedia Commons

in order to evacuate prisoners. A bus was used to transport the requested personnel to the prison however, it caught fire on the way. Several managed to escape though many, including firefighters and police officers travelling behind the bus, lost their lives. The Carmel Fire prompted massive changes in firefighting in Israel, following criticism of the government in relation to a lack in the response, resources and funding for the fire service. The country’s fire service has been nationalised following huge investment, involving the creation of a unified force (previously it was based around municipalities), coming under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Security. New administrative positions were created, alongside specialist units to tackle incidents involving heights and water. An aerial firefighting unit was also established under the control of the Israeli airforce – eight planes, each with a foam/water capacity of 3,000L. Technology has also continued to make a difference within the

reorganised structure. The Shalhevet system, for example, has been installed not only in fire stations, but in the prison service, forest service and more. And then there’s the Matash fire prediction system, which has been operational since 2012. Developed by the National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), along with several other government and research groups in the United States to predict the spread of fires, Matash consists of two strands – data collection (meteorological and topographical) and a model of the fire’s spread. Both work together to provide a picture of where a fire might travel, considering factors such as wind and vegetation. The ending for those who travelled from Palestine to fight the Carmel Fire, however, was less positive, and the documentary concludes on a note that highlights the strained relations that exist between both states. At a ceremony in Jerusalem in honour of the countries and firefighters who arrived in Israel’s time of need, the Palestinian flag

was only raised after some discussion. Civil Defence firefighters were also later invited to a tribute ceremony in Israel. A number were refused entry when they reached the border, in what the Israeli Defence Forces later described as a bureaucratic error. None of the firefighters attended, and the ceremony was cancelled by Israeli firefighters, furious at the disrespect shown to men who had risked their lives on Israeli soil. While relations between leaders and those in power may be frosty, it’s fair to say that on the ground, however, the mood is somewhat different. Speaking to the Fire Lines filmmakers, one Israeli firefighter said of the Palestinians: “In the beginning, we didn’t know how to take it – firefighters from Judea and Samaria (West Bank) coming to help the Israeli firefighters. But today when I think about it, it’s clear, because a firefighter has values and norms that you won’t find in any other emergency service. We have a common enemy – the fire.” Perhaps there’s hope yet.

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BOOK SHELF

THE JUDGING OF ABIGAIL PERDUE A new book, which examines the afterlife and the intricacies of human nature, has been penned by former DFB firefighter, Ger Mallen.

Released to rave reviews in the US, The Judging of Abigail Perdue offers an interesting take on what happens to our loved ones when they pass on. It follows the story of the titular character, a professional cellist who crosses the divide following a subway accident and finds herself in Stasis – a form of purgatory – awaiting final judgement. Judgement on the fate of her soul, however, is not determined by God, but by five other recently deceased individuals who will examine every aspect of each other’s lives, and then vote on their fates. The author of this interesting novel just so happens to be Irish firefighter Ger Daniel Mallen – he opted to use his middle name for the purposes of publication, as many Americans have trouble correctly pronouncing his given name. Though he currently works for Cork City Fire Brigade, Ger’s firefighting journey began with DFB. Having joined as a recruit in January 1991, Ger worked on A watch for the duration of his time in DFB, first in Townsend Street and then in Donnybrook. His move down south was the result of a romance – engaged to a Cork

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woman, he swapped places with a Cork City firefighter who was engaged to a Dublin girl, and moved to the Rebel County in 1997. However, though the views may have changed the work is virtually the same. “The only major difference would be that we don’t have the ambulance in Cork – we do have cardiac first response, a new initiative in the last 18 months or so. Everything else is very much the same, though the shift system varies a small bit – we do 24-hour shifts at weekends in Cork,” he says.

PICKING UP THE PEN Though his novel writing is a recent addition to his skillset, Ger has been involved with bands and songwriting for a number of years. When he was still serving with DFB, he was part of a band in search of a record deal, which managed to get some exposure on the Late Late, hosted by Pat Kenny at the time. “I literally got a few hours to go off to Donnybrook and go on the TV with Pat Kenny, and then go straight back to work on the ambulance,” he recalls with a laugh. “I arrived back to find the whole crew had watched the show, and gave me a real slagging for wearing my fire brigade shoes when we performed!” Over the years, songwriting morphed into more lengthy literary endeavours, and Ger partly credits his work in the fire service with the inspiration for his first book. Given the nature of the job, firefighters find themselves around death quite a lot, more than the average civilian. “Like anyone in the emergency services, a fireman, a guard or a nurse, chances are in any given month you are going to encounter a couple of incidents,” he says. “I suppose that [gives rise to] the thought that you’re here one minute and the next minute you’re gone – and where does that person go?” One other inspirational event, however, came a number of years ago. A woman called into the fire station on Anglesea Street in Cork City. She was there to visit to a colleague of Ger’s, who had travelled to the US

after the attacks on 9/11 in order to pay tribute to the firefighters who lost their lives. She brought with her several memorial t-shirts, one of which wound up in Ger’s possession. On the sleeve was the name of her son, Michael Roberts, who lost his life at the World Trade Centre on September 11th 2001, and that of his Engine crew – 214. “I’ve worn that t-shirt on and off for nine to ten years. When you put it on, you always see the name on the side, and you’d think ‘where did they go?’ They were there one minute and then they’re gone.” Inspired to pen his first work of fiction, Ger knew that one of his characters would be a FDNY firefighter called Michael Roberts – a tribute to a man he never knew, but thinks about quite often. A strange coincidence occurred when Roberts’ mother got in touch to express her appreciation when the book was published. In the book Roberts has a sister named Karen, which also turned out to be the name of Roberts’ real-life sibling.

HITTING THE SHELVES As anyone familiar with the world of publishing in the modern era, getting your life’s work onto bookshelves and in readers’ hands is no easy task. Ger explains with a laugh that if he had known how difficult the process would be, he might never have started in the first place. His first port of call was an Irish publisher, who advised getting a literary agent, and also recommended the American market as the best option for his work. Ger dutifully sent his manuscript to around 20 agents, of which two got back – both were keen to take him on. One of those agents was Steve Hansen, who works with a well-established publishing house in New York, Curtis Brown. The firm has an impressive résumé – Curtis Brown has published some of the world’s most well known authors, including A.A. Milne, W.H. Auden, C.S. Lewis and Ian Fleming, the latter of James Bond fame. Though, with the wonders of instant global

Ger Mallen

communication, he never had to leave Ireland throughout the publishing process, Ger tells me that he has an invitation to do a reading of his book at New York University early this year. Thus far the book has been wellreceived by audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. Ger explains how he received some stick for opting to use his middle name, particularly from his colleagues in the fire service. “I became Daniel overnight in work, which was amusing. Though I would have to say at the same time, for all the stick you get, they’re fairly proud of you, and they give you support too,” he explains. The first, but by no means his last effort, although he can’t divulge any specifics, Ger tells me that work on his second book is well underway, with his agent quite optimistic about his chances of success. He plays down such talk, however, noting that the publishing process is so lengthy that it could be years before it sees the light of day. In the meantime, he has no intention of giving up the day job. “What I’m very interested in is stories about human nature. We experience people when they’re at their most vulnerable, when they’re done, when everything really important to them is at stake,” he says. “So there is plenty of food for thought in this line of work, and it isn’t something I would be thinking of packing up by any means.”

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as both a service workshop and an authorised lGV vehicle test centre our workshop and test lane is equipped with the most modern and latest technology diagnostics testing tools and vehicle electronic systems analysis covering the majority of the range of petrol and diesel car and lGV commercial vehicles.

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Best Wishes to the Fire Services

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II Corvo Italian Restaurant

Best wishes to the Dublin Fire Brigade

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16/03/2016 13:41 27/02/2015 17:14 08/04/2016 16:44

TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS

TECH TOOLS: part vi

The latest in technological innovations to benefit emergency responders around the world.

As part of ongoing efforts to tackle wildfires using technology, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, is developing a network of sensors in space, working in collaboration with San Franciscobased Quadra Pi R2E. FireSat would consist of over 200 thermal-imaging sensors deployed on satellites, which would be used to quickly identify wildfires around the world. “While many wildfires are reported by 911 calls soon after ignition, some are not, and delays in detection can lead to rapid escalation of a fire, and dramatic growth of the cost of suppression. The system we envision will work day and night for fires anywhere in the world,” said Robert Staehle, lead designer on the project. FireSat’s sensors would be extraordinarily accurate, capable of detecting fires between 35 to 50 feet wide within an average of 15 minutes from ignition. Emergency responders would receive a notification within three minutes of detection, improving response times and potentially preventing further spread. NASA has also said that these sensors would be able to locate other heat-based emergency situations around the globe, including explosions, oil spills and other events. Though existing satellite-based systems can only detect fires twice per day, and transmit large images, FireSat could provide low resolution

FireSat/Quadra Pi R2E

SEEN

images at a rate of one per minute, coupled with the latitude and longitude of the target. The system was first conceived of back in 2011, and the intervening years have been spent refining the idea. A range of factors, including reduced costs, advances in microelectronics and software technology – which was developed to increase the autonomous capabilities of the Mars rovers – have led to the project’s progression. Fire monitoring is an existing function of satellites currently employed by NASA, including the Terra Satellite which incorporates an imaging spectroradiometer for the purposes of fire detection. The Sensor Web Project, meanwhile, is used to study wildfires, flooding and ice freezing/thawing events. FireSat would complement those systems which are already in place, providing an additional level of capabilities, and is due to be fully operation by June 2018.

PYROLANCE

K-MAX helicopter. Photo: Lockheed Martin

With plenty of funds in their coffers, there’s no surprise that Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates can enjoy the best of technological advancements – and their emergency responders are no different. Civil Defence personnel in the UAE can now take advantage of a nifty new tool – a structure piercing system. Developed for use on interior fires, the PyroLance system can blast high pressure water or foam through a variety of materials, including brick, concrete, marble and steel plate. The technology is already used by the US Navy in fighting fires within confined spaces on vessels.

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TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS

FIREFIGHTING FOAM Russian scientists have created a new ceramic firefighting foam, which is capable of withstanding temperatures of over 1,000 degrees Celsius. A team of chemists at the International Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Technologies (SCAMT) at ITMO University in Saint Petersburg, working alongside research company SOPOT, developed the foam using inorganic silica nanoparticles, which provide better results in terms of extinguishing fires, stability and bio compatibility. The foam can absorb water, soften, and then degrade into ‘bioinert silica particles’. “Our foam is based on silica nanoparticles, which create a polymer network when exposed to air,” said Alexander Vinogradov, deputy head of the SCAMT laboratory. “Such a network embraces and adheres to the burning object and momentarily cools it down. At the same time, the foam itself hardens. The inorganic origin of this polymer network allows it to resist temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius, which ensures gigantic stability from the aggressive environment in the midst of a raging fire.” The foam was tested in a forest fire scenario, creating a flame retardant belt to halt the spread. The results were quite positive, demonstrating its ability to remain active throughout the fire season. “The flame retardant belt made of our foam will prevent the spread of any forest fire, regardless of its strength and level of complexity,” explained Gennady Kuprin, head of SOPOT. “We can localise the fire and be sure that the adjacent territories will be safe. This is crucial to organise evacuation works during forest fires.”

Regenova 3D Bio Printer. Image courtesy Cyfuse Biomedical K.K. (PRNewsFoto LifeNet Health)

RE LifeNet Health, a leader in regenerative medicine, has recently added a Regenova 3D Bio Printer to their research and development facility in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The printer, which is only the second in use in the US, can print 3D

tissue from specific cells – for example, cardiac cells could be printed to allow researchers to test whether a certain medicine could be harmful to a person’s heart, drastically increasing the speed of drug discovery and risk identification.

SMARTER PHONE Your iPhone mightn’t be great at enduring the high temperatures and dangers of a fireground, but the new CAT S60 thermal smartphone will certainly do the job. Launched at the recent Mobile World Congress in February, the waterproof CAT S60 is a world first, featuring an integrated thermal camera within its slimline body. The camera comes from thermal-imaging company FLIR – featured within these pages before – and while low resolution won’t see you winning any international photography contests, it could prove useful in a rescue situation. The camera can measure surface temperatures from distances between 50 to 100 feet and see through smoke, while the phone itself is waterproof at depths of up to five metres for an hour.

“To stand out from the crowd in today’s smartphone market requires true innovation and we are proud to partner with FLIR to announce what is truly a world’s first,” said Peter Stephens, CEO, Bullitt Group, which licenses mobile devices for Caterpillar. “The Cat S60 represents a milestone for smartphones.” Alongside its thermal-imaging capabilities, the S60 is an extremely tough proposition. Exceeding military specifications, it can withstand drops onto concrete from heights of up to 1.8m, and is dust and waterproof. Protected by the latest Gorilla Glass, the touchscreen can also be controlled with wet fingers or while the user is wearing gloves. Available later this year, the S60 will cost around €649. FIRECALL SPRING

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TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS

GOOD SAMARITAN

An emergency response app is currently under trial with the London Ambulance Service, with the intent of speeding up the arrival of ambulances and paramedics in London. When a member of the public encounters an emergency, touching one button in the GoodSAM app will dial 999, while simultaneously alerting the nearest emergency first responder who has registered their details with the app. If they can’t respond, the next nearest responder will be alerted

to the situation. Those on the scene can also stream live video to medics, and the app displays distance to the nearest responder, can store personal information, has a built-in defibrillator locator, and the ability to measure pulse and respiratory rate. Doctors, nurses, paramedics and first aiders can register with the app as a Good Samaritan, while dispatch integration and responder and administration dashboards are available.

BROADBAND Benefit The first real-world demonstration of the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) took place earlier this year, when it was used to monitor security during the 127 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. The technology was used by first responders to help protect around 750,000 attendees who took part in the 5.5 mile route. LA-RICS is a robust broadband network for first responders which allows, among other things, the streaming of live video, and tracking of personnel locations and equipment – enhancing situational awareness for police,

fire and emergency response teams. At large events, commercial broadband networks can often become overwhelmed, prompting the need for a reliable system. “The successful LA-RICS demonstration at the Rose Parade created an ideal platform to showcase Motorola Solutions’ best-in-class devices, software and services that improve public safety,” said Mark Schmidl, vice president of sales, Motorola Solutions. “It has been our privilege to build the nation’s largest dedicated public safety broadband network, which will significantly enhance safety throughout the Los Angeles area.”

SPIDERBOT As technology marches ever onwards, developments in the robotics field in particular are ushering in an unprecedented aura of safety, with the ability to provide reconnaissance and rescue measures in environments that could prove dangerous for humans. A new firefighting drone from South Korean research university KAIST falls firmly into this category. Researchers at the university have developed a scout drone that can climb walls (like a spider) in the event of a high-rise fire, with the ability to locate both the source of fires and people trapped inside burning buildings. Skyscrapers present a particularly dangerous risk in the event of an emergency, both in terms of the potential for the rapid spread of fire, and the challenge of fighting flames in such tall buildings, including accessibility issues. Codenamed Fireproof Aerial RObot System (FAROS), the drone will detect a skyscraper fire, search the building’s interior and transmit real-time data to a control room. The FAROS is also equipped with autonomous flight capabilities, making it a useful tool in such situations. Fireproof and flame retardant, the FAROS can resist heat from 1,000 degree Celsius butane gas and ethanol aerosol flames for over 60 seconds, thanks to aramid (synthetic, heat-resistant) fibers which protect its electrical and mechanical components. A thermoelectric cooling system also works to maintain an air layer buffer within specific temperatures. “As cities become more crowded with skyscrapers and super structures, fire incidents in these high-rise buildings are life-threatening massive disasters. The FAROS can be aptly deployed to the disaster site at an early stage of such incidents to minimise the damage and maximise the safety and efficiency of [the] rescue mission,” explained Professor Hyun Myung of the university’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, who led the research team.

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TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS

TOUGH TABLET

Toughened laptops and tablets are a great tool for any emergency service – providing connectivity on the go without worrying about whether it’ll be safe. Joining the list of available options is Panasonic’s 12.5” Toughpad FZ-Q1 rugged tablet device. Powered by an Intel processor and running Windows 8.1 Pro, the new tablet features a shock absorbing case and a magnesium alloy chassis, and is capable of withstanding drops, dirt and dust. There’s also full HD, a touchscreen with an anti-reflective treatment, integrated stylus and a fast charging battery, alongside a 2MP webcam and an 8MP rear facing camera. “When fully rugged notebooks were introduced, we slowly saw the demand grow for similar solutions that were less robust,”

said Panasonic’s Jan Ruderman, Vice President, Business Mobility Group, North America. “Many applications don’t require a fully rugged device, and as a result, businesses felt compelled to purchase consumer-grade solutions. Unfortunately, those tablets don’t provide the reliability, usability and security businesses require and consumer device manufacturers typically don’t have the sales and services infrastructure needed to support enterprise customers.”

EMERGENCY Alert

A new emergency services app, which is aimed at alerting other road users to the presence of an emergency services vehicle in order to move out of the way, is currently being trialled in Michigan in the United States. Known as the Heedful Audio Alert System (HAAS), the software transmits an alert to any nearby connected devices, via agencies or the emergency response vehicle itself. Many vehicles now come with sound insulation, while motorcycle helmets, although doing much to protect riders, reduce hearing and the field of vision. Speaking to Voice of America, CEO Cory Hohs said that a near miss with a fire tender on his motorcycle in Chicago provided the inspiration for the system. “It scared me enough that I started looking for a product that would alert me when they’re coming,” he said. The first feasibility test took place in a controlled environment using a real ambulance and motorcycle at the mCity University of Michigan autonomous driving car track. The test yielded positive results, and the technology has grown from there, with investment and partnerships developed with a number of organisations.

FIRECALL SPRING

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MOTORING JEEP RENEGADE

A RENEGADE life CONOR FORREST TOOK THE LATEST 4X4 JEEP RENEGADE FOR A SPIN.

he new Jeep Renegade represents a number of firsts for the company. It’s their first entry into the miniature SUV market for one thing, while it’s also the first Jeep to be exclusively built in Europe and then sold in the US and other markets, instead of vice versa. To look at, the Renegade is very much a blend of European and North American influences. It’s got the iconic Jeep grille and headlights, for example, and various nods to its heritage around the cabin, though it’s not quite as square as the Wrangler. Style-wise, I still find it hard to say whether I like it or not. The front grille is fantastic – pure Jeep (and chrome) – while the rear, including the lights, is certainly

interesting. When you look at it from the side, however, it does seem a little squat, like the offspring of the aforementioned Wrangler and a Skoda Yeti. It’s more adorable than macho. Don’t be fooled by the cute and compact exterior, however. Inside it’s surprisingly roomy and the quality is impressive, lending the Renegade a more upmarket feel. There’s a decent sized glovebox and plenty of cubby holes including (and I love this one) a small cargo hold accessed by pulling up the front passenger seat cushion. Boot space isn’t fantastic – 351L – though it does increase to a more respectable 1,297L once you fold the three rear seats, and is at least quite wide and accessible.

In the central console you’ll find an impressive 7-inch touchscreen media centre. Unlike some examples, this one is actually quite easy to use – pairing a phone via Bluetooth wasn’t the usual teeth-grinding annoyance. Next door, the instrument cluster features a second screen which displays information including current speed, fuel economy and directional information from the sat nav. Alongside the media centre in this particular model (2.0L, Limited trim) is driver lane assist, cruise control, a speed limiter, reversing sensors, a decent sound system, heated front seats and steering wheel, and headlights that allow you to see around corners. Optional extras include an alpine white paint

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MOTORING JEEP RENEGADE job (s600) and the function pack, which includes folding mirrors and keyless entry (s550). It was a little disappointing, however, to discover that the seats must be adjusted by hand (it’s a hard life), while the handbrake is electronic – there’s a lot to be said for the manual version. A reversing camera (s200 optional extra) would come in handy too – despite the sensors bleeping urgently, there was still usually two to three feet of room to spare. If parking isn’t your forte, you can always opt for the complete parking pack – s950 will provide you with the rear camera, blind spot detection and parallel/perpendicular park assist.

GETTING GOING

Price:

D36,000 as tested

ENGINE:

2.0L MULTIJET II

140hp

BHP:

JEEP RENEGADE 2.0L 4X4 LIMITED

RRP D34,795;

0-100 KM/H

9.5 SECONDS

C02: 134g/km ANNUAL TAX OF

g280

On the road it takes a bit of coaxing from the clutch to get going, but once it does you’ll be motoring along nicely in no time, and gear changes are completely smooth into second and above. Road noise is fairly limited – despite an almost vertical windscreen and large wing mirrors. This version takes 9.5 seconds to get from 0-100km, helped along by a 2.0L 140hp engine from Fiat. There’s plenty of choice, however – ranging from a 1.6L 110hp petrol (FWD) to the 2.0L 170hp 4WD automatic. Though claimed fuel economy figures are 5.0L (56mpg) combined, I found it to be 8 on the nose (35mpg) without too much heavy handed driving. The Renegade is a mixed bag during day to day life. Parking is difficult without the electronic aids, and visibility when reversing is impacted by the pillars, while the boxy front can make it a little hard to judge spaces. The A-pillars are quite chunky, and can be a little restrictive of your view. And, if you’re tall enough, you might find your view of traffic lights and signs can be restricted on approach by the rearview mirror, which is mounted lower on the windscreen than you might expect. Relatively comfortable on the tarmac (though somewhat bouncy), with less than sharp feedback via the steering wheel, its 4x4 capabilities

might be limited by road tyres and a clearance height less than, say, the Mitsubishi L200. But, as a Jeep, it’s got off-roading in its DNA. There are several nice touches hidden in plain sight around the cabin, including a mud splash on the rev counter instead of the usual red line, and a tiny printed WWII Jeep Willys ascending the windscreen surround. But it’s not all stickers and tailored rev counters – the Renegade can actually go off road. Tasked with traversing a hilly and muddy environment it performed admirably, even without the likes of hill descent control – staples of the proper off-roading 4x4s. Having also had the chance to test it out in recent snowy conditions, it’s more than capable of holding its own, though the lower ride height means you’ll need to be extra careful. You won’t be tackling any competitive trails, but rural laneways and mucky fieldwork won’t be a challenge. If you want the peak of off-road experience, however, you’ll have to fork out s40,500 for the flagship Trailhawk edition. That will get you off road wheels with mud and snow tyres, a fuel tank shield, hill descent control, skid plates for the transmission and front suspension, alongside all-weather floor mats, heated front seats and steering wheel, and leather upholstery.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS So, as a compact 4x4 proposition, is it worth it? It’s certainly an expensive choice – s31,600 in its cheapest form. The 4WD Dacia Duster might be a fairly barebones choice, but it’ll cost a lot less at s20,390. The better-styled Qashqai weighs in at a similar s30,145, the Skoda Yeti 4x4 starts at s27,990 and the Fiat 500X Crossover, on whose platform the Renegade is based, would set you back s24,350. If you’re buying it for road use only, the Yeti or the Qashqai would be the better options, although the 1.6L FWD Renegade (s27,600) is well worth a look. But if you think you’ll need some rough and off-road experience, the well-built Renegade is by no means a bad choice.

FIRECALL SPRING

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MOTORING MERCEDES-AMG C43

WELCOME TO

THE NEW MERCEDES-AMG C43 IS ONE OF A NEW ERA.

THE FAMILY

esign-wise, Mercedes has been very hit and miss over the last few years, much the same as BMW. The latest addition to the C-Class, the new C43 4MATIC Coupé, has been launched at the recent Geneva Motor Show and is certainly more hit than miss – in more ways than one. Sporty and muscular, it improves on the rear end found on the CLA, helped undoubtedly by AMG styling which includes distinctive air intakes, chrome trim and a rear diffuser. The C43 is just one of a number of ‘43’ models planned to be introduced this year – vehicles that are genetically AMG, sports cars built for driving performance. It’s

part of an overhaul of Mercedes’ AMG division. AMG Sport, which was introduced as a midway point between ordinary models and the fully fledged AMG beasts, is now defunct. From here on out those models will simply fall under the Mercedes-AMG moniker, which means that future owners can get their hands on one of those coveted badges for a little less than usual. But, despite the fact that you can’t claim that your engine was hand-built at the Affalterbach factory in Germany (an honour reserved for the top of the line AMG models), that doesn’t mean that they’re a slouch, although some AMG

purists are already up in arms. Beneath the bonnet of the C43 Coupé sits a 367hp 3.0L V6 twin turbo engine (assisted by modified boost pressure) which will do the 0-100km/h sprint in 4.7 seconds. It’s not terribly underpowered compared to its pure blood older brother, the AMG C63, which boasts a 4.0L V8 with 476hp and will travel the same distance in 4.1 seconds. The former is paired to a 9-speed automatic gearbox which has been specially developed for the car, decreasing shifting times for those who care about such things. The same Nanoslide cylinder coating used in Mercedes’ Formula One engines

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MOTORING MERCEDES-AMG C43

ENGINE:

3.0L V6 TWIN TURBO

MERCEDES C43 AMG 4MATIC COUPÉ

367

has been appropriated for the C43, a wear-resistant coating that improves friction and contributes to increased efficiency. In addition, Mercedes engineers have made use of a ‘sailing’ function when the car is in ECO mode. According to Mercedes you can wrangle between 7.8 – 8 L/100km out of the C43 (3536mpg), though it’ll be interesting to see if this translates to real world driving conditions. Inside, meanwhile, it’s quite snazzy. Think a black leather multifunctional steering wheel with red stitching, sports seats, an instrument panel trimmed with man-made leather and aluminium trim. If you fancy the Russian

PEAK TORQUE: 520 NM

0-100

KM/H

4.7

SECONDS

TOP ELECTRONICALLY LIMITED TO SPEED: 250KM/H

price:

AROUND s60,000 (BASED ON UK PRICE OF £47,000)

8L/ 100KM FUEL CONSUMPTION (35MPG)

gangster look on the exterior, the optional Night package will add heat-insulating dark tinted glass behind the B-pillar, a black front apron trim, black diffuser insert to the rear, as well as two black exhaust pipes. As a marketing strategy, this could be a great step forward for Mercedes, ushering in a new cohort of Mercedes fans who want an AMG badge for less – based on UK prices, the C43 would cost around S60,000, compared to S77,000 for the C63. Will it be a worthy bearer of the AMG badge, synonymous with a fantastic driver experience, bordering on madness? Only time will tell.

FIRECALL SPRING

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MOTORING IN BRIEF

RIMAC’S Usually we can count on Bugatti or Brabus to startle us with insane figures, but this time it’s the turn of Croatian outfit Rimac, and their insane Concept_S. An electric hypercar (a term reserved for when ‘supercar’ just doesn’t do any justice), the Concept_S boasts an impressive 1,384hp and 1,800Nm, will travel from 0-100km/h in 2.5 seconds and has a top speed of 365km/h. Not for the faint hearted so. Described by Rimac as the evil twin to its predecessor, the Concept_One, it weighs 1,800kg, which works out at a cool 768bhp/tonne. Extremely aerodynamic, with plenty of downforce, power is delivered via an all-wheel system, which determines the precise amount of power required by each wheel. We patiently await our turn.

LUXURY Bentley Mulsanne

It might be out of reach for the majority of us, but that doesn’t mean one can’t dream of owning the new Bentley Mulsanne. Calling it luxury on wheels would be a bit of an understatement – think handcrafted leather interiors, rear electric privacy curtains, top spec air suspension and a pair of integrated Android tablets with a Bentley-specific interface in the rear. It’ll shift too, thanks to its 6.75L turbo V8 – 530bhp, 0-100km/h in 4.8s and a top speed of 305km/h. Expect prices in the eye-watering range of €300,000.

E10R

Rimac Concept_S

xxxx Zenos E10R. Photo: Jarowan Power

This is the latest effort from British sportscar maker Zenos – the E10R. And it looks fantastic. Developed with the racetrack in mind, the E10R features a 2.3L turbocharged Ecoboost engine and will hurtle from 0-100 in a mere three seconds, undoubtedly aided by 350bhp and 700kg dry weight. The third iteration of the E10, this version features better springs and shocks, lighter wheels and bigger brakes, and can be retrofitted to previous versions. Reviews have been great – perfect handling, plenty of grip (but not too much) and an overall experience that will leave you wanting more and more. And, at £39,995, it’s not terribly expensive either (it’s all about perspective).

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a wondErful ExpEriEncE for ThE wholE family

Best Wishes to the Dublin Fire Brigade from

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Hogan’s Bar

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T: 01 677 5904 • 35 SOUTH GREAT GEORGES STREET, DUBLIN 2 238631-2L-Hogans Bar-IB-FC.indd 1

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13/04/2016 17:28

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

TACKLING The Zika virus has exploded across the Americas in recent weeks and months, even making its way to European countries in rare cases. Conor Forrest examines this recent rise, the impact the virus is having on affected countries, and the measures being taking to halt its spread.

Brazilian mother gently rocks her baby to sleep, stroking a delicate head that is far too small for its age. A man twists and turns in bed in his home in Denmark, muscles racked with pain, his head throbbing. Though separated by millions of kilometres of ocean, these two people have one thing in common – both of their lives have been affected by the Zika virus, a disease transmitted mainly by the female Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is affecting people in countries from the USA to Tonga. Once dormant, according to the World Health Organisation Zika is now spiralling out of control. Women in affected areas are being advised not to get pregnant. Brazil’s president, Dilma Rousseff, has declared war on the virus. The World Bank has announced funding of $150m to fight Zika across countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Pope has even indicated that contraceptives may be used by those in danger of contracting the disease, despite the Catholic Church’s firm stance on the matter over the decades.

WHAT IS ZIKA? A mosquito-borne virus, Zika was first identified in Rhesus monkeys in Uganda in 1947, and in humans in 1952. Though a precise timeline is unknown, the incubation period is thought to be several days. The virus is mainly transmitted via the mosquito, though several cases of transmission via sexual activity have come to light. Diagnosis can be difficult – medical professionals often have to combine the presented symptoms with the patient’s travel history. Laboratory testing provides the only confirmation, testing for the presence of the virus RNA in the blood or other bodily fluids. Symptoms of the virus generally only last for several days, and include fever, rash, muscle pain, headache and vomiting – not unlike other illnesses. Those infected with Zika generally don’t require hospital treatment, and death is a very rare occurrence. Treatment is simplistic, and represents a waiting game – rest, drinking of fluids and common pain/fever relievers are most often prescribed. Prevention is the best form of defence against its

spread, however, and the WHO has issued a number of precautions to be taken. These include the reduction of mosquito populations, and humanmosquito contact, regular application of insect repellent, sleeping under mosquito nets and the regular cleaning of water containers. Those affected most, it has been claimed, are the very young or the unborn. A definitive link has yet to be established, but some scientists believe that the virus can result in microcephaly, a rare neurological condition which results in an abnormally small head when born, generally associated with incomplete development of the brain. Researchers have noted that in Brazil, over 3,500 cases of microcephaly and Guillain-

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Students participate in a national mobilisation to fight the Zika virus. Photo: Gabriel Jabur/Agência Brasília

Barré syndrome – which results in muscle weakness and paralysis in some cases – had been reported by the beginning of 2016. The country, and the city of Recife in particular, has been named Ground Zero for the virus. Such a spike in figures – 150 cases of microcephaly were noted in 2014 – has resulted in some panic. In Colombia, women have been advised to avoid getting pregnant for a period of six to eight months. In El Salvador, meanwhile, the government has extended this time frame to 2018. “The causal link between Zika infection and microcephaly has not yet been proven, but the possibility that it is linked to the growing number of these cases makes Zika [an] urgent public health concern,” said Dr Marcos

a definitive link has yet to be established, BUT SOME scientists believe that the virus can result in microcephaly, a rare neurological condition.

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Left: Biological larvicide has been distributed in Brazil to combat the spread of mosquitos. Photo: Pedro Ventura/Agência Brasília. Right: A meeting between Brazil and the US on the Zika virus at the headquarters of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in Brasilia. Photo: Marcello Casal Jr/Agência Brasília

Above: Emergency tents at the Hospital Regional de Brazlândia in Brazil. Photo: Toninho Tavares/Agência Brasília. Right: Brazilian Army personnel, alongside firefighters and agents from the coutnry’s Department of Health, visited people’s homes to inspect standing water and provide guidance and advice. Photo: Gabriel Jabur/Agência Brasília

SPREAD Large scale Zika outbreaks have been a relatively recent phenomenon. In 2007 an outbreak was reported for the first time in the Pacific, and again in 2013 in Yap and French Polynesia. The latest outbreak, which began last

year, has seen over 13 countries in the Americas alone reporting outbreaks of the virus, indicating an unprecedented spread on the map. According to the CDC, at least 32 countries and territories in total have active Zika transmission, including Bolivia, Costa Rica, Haiti, Mexico, Samoa, Tonga and Cape Verde. At least nine deaths have been linked to the virus across Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela. So why has Zika become such an issue now? That’s a question that has yet to be satisfactorily answered. Some experts think that the virus underwent a genetic mutation which has made it much more potent than previous strains. Others, however, offer a simpler explanation – large numbers of people congregating in areas where the mosquito carriers are also present. What is clear, however, is that more and more regions and countries are

Despite the outbreak, Brazilian authorities have confirmed that the upcoming Olympics in Rio, due to be held in August, will go ahead as planned, in the face of worries expressed by athletes from countries including the US and Kenya. Officials have been quick to soothe such fears, arguing that the only people who need worry about travelling to Brazil are pregnant women. Despite taking place during the country’s cooler season, which lasts from May until September, mosquitoes and the diseases they carry will still remain a problem – particularly with projected tourist figures of around 480,000.

RIO 2016

Espinal, Director of the PAHO/ WHO Department of Communicable Diseases. Caution should be counselled, however. According to the WHO, it could be months before a tangible link is demonstrated, if it exists – a recent Brazilian study has said that microcephaly cases have existed in the country as far back as 2012. A team of epidemiologists from the US-based Centres for Disease Control has recently arrived in Brazil, and will collect and analyse data from hundreds of women in an effort to determine the truth behind the claims.

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INTERNATIONAL FEATURE falling victim – the WHO has indicated that as many as 3 to 4 million people could be infected in the Americas alone within 12 months, which drastically marks this outbreak apart from its predecessors. The lack of knowledge on the virus and its complexities certainly doesn’t help. Several cases have also been reported in Europe, brought back by those who have recently travelled to affected regions. Since the beginning of the year, cases have been confirmed in Portugal, Spain, Denmark and Switzerland, though a spread as seen in other regions of the world is very unlikely. “The worst case scenario would be that the mosquitoes come to Europe and start biting people and spreading the disease. It is also possible that it would happen through existing mosquitoes that are already endemic to some countries in southern Europe,” said Dr Roberto Bertollini, the WHO’s chief scientist and EU representative. “The best case scenario is that we are able to isolate areas where outbreaks occur, eliminating the mosquitoes and then controlling the infection. In my view this is the most likely scenario, as we have a very strong public health system and now that we are aware of the problem, we can detect an outbreak very quickly.” Though there have been some fears here in Ireland, we needn’t worry. Zika requires heat and rain to thrive – while we may have plenty of the latter, the virus and the mosquito that carries it are more suited to tropic environments. According to the HSE, there have been three known cases of Zika in Ireland so far. All three contracted the virus while travelling – two had visited Colombia, while the third had been to Barbados.

FIGHTING BACK The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has spoken out in favour of a partnership approach – between government, donors and other organisations – to contain the situation. “The only way to stop Zika virus disease is to control the mosquito vectors or completely interrupt the

human-to-vector contact, and do so alongside measures to reduce poverty,” said Walter Cotte, Director of the IFRC’s Americas Region. “Half a century ago, the Pan-American Health Organisation was able to reduce dengue in the Americas, and even eliminate it in some areas, through a vector control strategy. But the mosquito returned, and the global number of dengue cases increased from 15,000 per year in the 1960s to 390 million today. We cannot allow this to continue. And we must not allow it to happen with Zika.” One of the organisations most active in the fight against the virus is the World Health Organisation (WHO). Their Regional Office for the Americas (PAHO) has been working closely with affected countries since May of last year, helping to ensure accurate diagnosis and treatment, tracking of the virus and the mosquito carriers, as well as the promotion of prevention techniques. Since then, the WHO has developed a global response to the outbreak. Their Strategic Response Framework and joint Operations Plan is guiding international response to the spread of the virus. According to the WHO, the strategy focuses on “mobilising and coordinating partners, experts and resources to help countries enhance surveillance of the Zika virus and disorders that could be linked to it, improve vector control, effectively communicate risks, guidance and protection measures, provide medical care to those affected and fast-track research and development of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.” An Incident Management System has also been activated, with the aim of overseeing global response. While countries such as Cuba, for example, have deployed soldiers and other personnel to eradicate the carrier mosquito and the conditions necessary for its survival, others have suggested more technologically-inclined interventions. Genetically modified mosquitoes have been touted as a possible solution – though the WHO has advised further field trials and risk assessment, some strains of mosquitoes

have been genetically altered to ensure their offspring perish at the larval stage. The possibility of releasing sterile male mosquitoes has also been raised. Female eggs would remain unfertilised, resulting in a similar reduction of the population.

VACCINE WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan has noted that in the space of less than a year, “the status of Zika has changed from a mild medical curiosity to a disease with severe public health implications.” The race has already begun to develop an effective vaccine for the virus which, according to the WHO, could be 18 months away, with at least 23 developers on the hunt. In the US, President Obama requested Congress expedite the process to secure funding to the tune of $200m for vaccine research, development and commercialisation. A lab in Texas, which has studied the virus for decades, is currently working with the Brazilian government. In New Zealand, the Christchurch Clinical Studies Trust has been engaged to adapt a flu vaccine tablet, if possible, with clinical trials underway. French company Sanofi has also joined the hunt, leveraging its expertise in developing vaccines for a number of similar viruses, including yellow fever and dengue. A firm in India, however, may be the closest to a solution. Bharat Biotech has recently announced two viable vaccine candidates, and is seeking government approval pending the completion of trials. WHO Chief Scientist Dr Roberto Bertollini is confident in the development of a vaccine to combat Zika’s spread. “I think it will be successful. We now have a lot of experience with Ebola vaccination. We have been able to develop an almost complete Ebola vaccine in a very short time. We are pretty optimistic that we will develop at least a pre-vaccine suitable for trials in the next 15-18 months. The Ebola case was a major lesson for many people. There has been a major change in attitude,” he said. The waiting game continues.

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Emergency Services News From Around the Globe.

USA:

SPAIN:

IRISH STAG RESCUE

AUSTRALIA:

His friends returned to their hotel, only realising he was missing when they woke up later that day. As the bar was locked and the owner couldn’t be located, firefighters had to break down the door to free the trapped and presumably embarrassed groom.

WORLD GAMES BOYCOTT In a show of solidarity among members of the emergency services community around the world, firefighters in Australia announced a boycott of the 2017 World Police and Fire Games, due to be held in the Canadian city of Montreal. Over 6,000 firefighters in New South Wales have joined their colleagues in The Canadian Police Association and elsewhere in supporting firefighters in Montreal, who have

✶

A groom on a stag party in Barcelona had to be rescued by Spanish firefighters after he became trapped in a bar while wearing a tutu. Flying the flag for Irish pride, the man was left in the bar’s toilet when the owner ordered the party out and locked up the premises.

been protesting against a controversial pension reform bill, which sees pension plan costs capped, and retroactive contributions applied to municipal workers in the province of Quebec. Part of this protest involves a boycott of the Games, introduced as a result of Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre’s support for the bill. Although around 12,000 people were originally expected to attend the Games, this figure is expected to drop dramatically.

FIREFIGHTING DAD OF THE YEAR A Florida father and firefighter has been praised for his quick reactions at an Orlando baseball game during which he prevented his son being struck by a fast-flying bat. Shaun Cunningham and his son Landon were seated near the dugouts – Landon was sending a photo to his mother and, looking up, noticed

that a black baseball bat was heading straight for his face. His father reacted instinctively, reaching out his arm and deflecting the bat away from his son’s face and over his head. The incident was captured on camera by a photographer for the Tribune-Review, and within hours had gone viral across the globe.

DUBAI:

FRAUDULENT FRIEND An Emirati arrested and accused of sneaking barefoot into a skyscraper fire at the Address Downtown Dubai hotel, while wearing a firefighter’s uniform, has been charged with impersonating a public official. Reports have said that the 34-year-old man told Judge Fahad Al Shamsi that he was a member of the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence and had arrived at the fire on New Year’s Eve 2015

to offer his assistance, which he said had been accepted, although the shoes offered to him were too big. The man was said to have lit a cigarette on the 35th floor of the hotel and filmed himself walking around claiming that the fire was under control. He then allegedly shared the video via WhatsApp. He was also accused of mocking Civil Defence personnel and will stand trial for his actions. FIRECALL SPRING

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CANADA:

A FISHY SITUATION

UK:

BECAUSE THE LADY LOVES A FIREFIGHTER Amid competition from around 20,000 rivals, a Liverpool firefighter was recently named Cadbury’s newest Milk Tray man. Alongside a career with Cheshire Fire and Rescue, Patrick McBride has modelled and done some television advert work. He managed to impress the judges by delivering a rendition of the opening monologue from Love Actually

while demonstrating a fireman’s lift in full gear. Though slightly nervous about stepping into an iconic advertising role, McBride also wondered about the reaction from his firefighter colleagues. “You can’t get away with very much in a fire station. I’d expect some playful banter...maybe the odd poster up. Maybe they’ll come to work wearing black polo necks,” he said.

MICHIGAN:

SAVING LIVES Saving lives may not be out of the norm for firefighters, but sometimes the manner in which they do so can be a little unusual. Earlier this year, Michigan firefighter Ryan McCuen was called to a house where he discovered a teenager with muscular dystrophy on a ventilator, which was operating on battery power. Unable to breathe on his own, 18-year-old Troy Stone had undergone a tracheotomy. Seven machines are required to keep him alive – the increased electricity bill has placed even more strain on the family’s finances. The family had suffered a number of financial difficulties, and

were unable to pay off their power bill. Despite having provided a medical letter stating that electrical power must not be cut to their home, power was nevertheless cut, with the company allegedly stating that a nurse had signed the note rather than a doctor. When McCuen arrived at the house, Troy’s ventilator had only three hours of battery life left. Without pausing, McCuen took a picture of the $1,023.75 bill and paid it, to the astonishment of Troy’s mother. “I just happened to be put in that spot to do what I was supposed to do,” McCuen told Fox6Now. com. “I was just doing what you’re supposed to do.”

Firefighters in Nova Scotia found something unusual in a malfunctioning fire hydrant while attending an incident – a dozen fish had managed to swim

past one of the strainers, and had become lodged in the pipe. The puzzled personnel removed the fish from the hydrant and went about their day.

OUTER SPACE:

FIRE ON THE ISS People joke about scientists conducting potentially dangerous experiments as a result of a desire to simply see what would happen. It would seem that some of those scientists are employed by NASA – the Spacecraft Fire Experiment (also known as Saffire) has seen a team of researchers from the aerospace organisation setting fire to several objects aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to watch the results. In fairness, it’s not quite as dangerous as it sounds. Understanding how fire works in a zero-gravity experiment is quite important, as knowing what to do or how to react in such a situation could be the difference between life and death for the astronauts who brave the trip beyond Earth’s borders. “NASA’s objective is to reduce the risk of long-duration exploration missions, and a spacecraft fire is one of the biggest concerns for NASA and the international space exploration community,” said Jason Crusan, NASA’s Advanced Exploration System director. Saffire I

launched in late March – the second iteration will begun its journey skyward in June. Saffire has the distinction of creating the largest ever man-made fire in space, involving the burning of a number of materials, including a fiberglass/cotton blend cloth, plexiglass used in the construction of windows, alongside other vessel construction materials, in specially designed modules that have been sent to the ISS, which orbits the Earth at a distance of approximately 400km. The researchers are seeking answers to two key questions – will upward spreading flames grow or be limited by microgravity? Secondly – what fabrics will catch fire in space, and in what manner will they burn? “Gaining a better understanding of how fire behaves in space will help further NASA’s efforts in developing better materials and technologies to reduce crew risk and increase space flight safety,” said Gary Ruff, NASA’s Spacecraft Fire Safety Demonstration project manager.

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