Firecall Summer 2018

SUMMER 2018

FIRECALL CALL OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF DUBLIN FIRE, AMBULANCE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

FBU'S COMMEMORATION IN BELFAST

Social Ladder

DFB'S SOCKIES SUCCESS

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DUBLIN FIRE RESCUE EMERGENCY AMBULANCE SERVICE

PROTECTING THE CITY AND COUNTY SINCE 1862

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CONTENTS

04

EDITOR’S LETTER

16

FIGHTING BLINDNESS

Tallaght D watch reflects on a successful cycling charity fundraiser

07

FOREWORD

26

Dublin Fire Brigade’s social media team was successful at the Social Media Awards.

NEWSLETTER

DFB IN BRIEF CLUB NIGHTS

CLIMBING THE SOCIAL LADDER

18

MAKING THE TEAM

Dublin Fire Brigade has revived its rugby team.

DFB’s Sports & Social Committee Resurrects Popular Night Out

20

A PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY

14

CHIEF FIRE OFFICER RETIREMENT

We pay tribute to recently retired Chief Fire Officer, Pat Fleming

Nutgrove Fire Station opened up to the public to raise funds for charity

ROMEO GROUP

Retirement Group On The Lookout For New Recruits

29

RECOGNISING THE GOOD SAMARITANS

DFB has been awarding the Good Samaritan Coin for extraordinary acts.

32

PIPE BAND UPDATE

Mark Toner sums up the recent activities of the DFB Pipe Band.

CONTENTS FIRECALL SUMMER

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CONTENTS

34

STATION PROFILE –FINGLAS A watch at No 5 take us around their station.

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE Eithne Scully recounts the recent Trauma Challenge in Tipperary.

43

MADE TO MEASURE Catching up with the recently retired Eddie Mangan, the tailor who has provided DFB’s dress uniform for over 30 years.

46 38

STATION PROFILE – NUTGROVE Nutgrove's A watch give us the grand tour.

PROFILE

FOLLOWING PROCEDURE

A look at a more robust reporting procedure to deal with overcrowding in Dublin.

D/O Derek Cheevers tells us about the European Civil Protection Mechanism course offered in the OBI.

52 FIRE DRILLS AT THE PORT

DFB paid a visit to Dublin Port to check out Circle K’s newly installed fire protection system.

41

A tribute to friend of the Dublin Fire Brigade, Bill Kelly.

PREPARED FOR A MAJOR EMERGENCY

We learn about the shelters and pods that DFB can deploy around the city in response to major emergencies.

FIRE BRIGADE UNIONS CENTENARY

Las Fallon reflects on a weekend of commemoration in Belfast.

50 HARMONISING EUROPEAN RELIEF EFFORTS

A SALUTE TO BILL KELLY

We learn more about DFB’s water rescue unit, which supports its colleagues in the coastguard and Dublin Port.

Retired Members

We meet retired firefighter John Whelan.

48

56

NAVIGABLE WATERS

54 HEARING FROM THE CHIEFS This year’s Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) conference took place in Westport, Co Mayo.

A WORLD'S FIRST Las Fallon examines the development of the Dublin Fire Brigademen’s Union.

HIS BROTHER'S KEEPER

The story of two firefighting brothers who shared their successful transplant story.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Emergency services news from around the world.

CONTENTS SUMMER 02 FIRECALL

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INSURING

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EDITOR’S LETTER

letter from the

Editor: Tiernan Cannon Consulting Editor: Dan Fynes Contributors: Mark Toner, Eithne Scully, Andrew Jennings, Las Fallon, the Irish Kidney Association Editorial and Production Manager: Mary Connaughton

:

Creative Director Jane Matthews

Assistant Designer: James Moore Cover credit: Tiernan Cannon Photography: Dublin Fire Brigade, Trevor Hunt, Ray McMonagle, Tiernan Cannon, iStock 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 Chairman: Diarmaid Lennon Distribution by: Magazine Mailing Ashville Media Group Unit 55, Park West Road, Park West Dublin 12 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 necessarily those of the Editor or of the publisher.

Copyright ©2017/18 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.

EDITOR ear readers, Welcome to the latest issue of Firecall, packed as ever with news and features from across Dublin Fire Brigade. A big change for this edition is that Conor Forrest has, after four years, completed his last issue as editor of the magazine.

I won’t be alone in thanking Conor for his contributions to the publication.

Another change comes in the form of what we hope will become a regular feature – Mark Toner’s Pipe Band Update. Here, Mark gives us all the news and goings-on of the Pipe Band, from recent events to future plans and everything in between.

Elsewhere, I went out to Nutgrove Fire Station in Rathfarnham and Finglas Fire Station in order to profile their A watches, getting a tour of their buildings and facilities, and meeting some of the people that make the job what it is. I found that the two stations were quite different from one another in many ways, but a general theme that runs through the two is undoubtedly the sense of camaradarie amongst the crews which pulsates throughout both places.

I also went out to the River Liffey to learn more about DFB’s water rescue services, plus I spoke with Assistant Chief Fire Officer Greg O’Dwyer to find out about the major incident shelter and pods which are on standby throughout Dublin City.

We must also give a mention to Chief Fire Officer Pat Fleming, who retired this year. The support that Pat has shown his firefighters in their various endeavours will not be soon forgotten, and I know that many a brigade member would like to express their gratitude to Pat. I hope you enjoy the read,

Tiernan Cannon

Farewell from

THE EDITOR, Sadly, our previous issue was my last as editor of Firecall. I've thoroughly enjoyed the last four years, having had the opportunity to meet some incredible people who do a tough job without complaint. My thanks to all of those with whom I've worked along the way and who have contributed their time, expertise and energy to the magazine in all aspects, particularly Dublin Fire Brigade Sports and Social Club General Secretary Dan Fynes. It has been a privilege.

Conor Forrest EDITOR’S PICKS

p

A PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY

Nutgrove Fire Station has held its annual open day to raise funds for charity.

46 RETIRED MEMBER PROFILE

I met with retired member John Whelan, who reflected on an interesting life and career.

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FOREWORD

Honorary Secretary’s

FOREWORD elcome readers to our summer issue of Firecall, covering what has been an active few months for the Dublin Fire Brigade and our Sports and Social Club.

I would like to start by acknowledging the hard work and dedication to the Sports and Social Club

by Trustee Jim Mc Donnell. Jim has been an integral part of the club since it’s inception in 1972 and stepped down from his position as trustee earlier this year. I would like to thank him for all his work throughout the years, Jim has been a great ambassador for the cIub and Dublin Fire Brigade and his experience and knowledge will be sorely missed at Committee level.

I would also like to thank Patrick Fleming who has recently retired from DFB. During his tenure as Chief Fire Officer, Pat has been a great advocate for the club and has supported us at many of our events over the years. On behalf of the Club, I would like to acknowledge and thank you for all of the work you have done to enhance and promote the DFBSSC, we wish you health and happiness on your retirement.

In June, we received more evidence that DFB’s social media strategy is paying dividends with the news that our social media team was successful at the 2018 Social Media Award.

DFB was nominated within several categories, and of these nominations, we took the ‘Best Medium Business or Organisation Twitter Account’ and the ‘Best Use of Social Media by State Body’ awards on the night. A great achievement for the social media team, so a huge well done.

Elsewhere in this issue, speaking at the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) annual conference, Dave Carroll, CFO Tipperary, paid tribute to the direct actions of the fire services around the country, but also warned that they would have to be prepared for a higher frequency of adverse weather conditions in the future.

Dublin Fire Brigade’s water rescue unit, which plays an important role in supporting its colleagues in the coastguard and Dublin Port, is also in focus in this issue.

The sterling work being performed by Nutgrove Fire Station in south Dublin is highlighted in two seperate features. We take a look at the station opening its doors for a day in late spring to the local community, in order to raise funds for charity, while the Rathfarnham-based station is also profiled.

Finally, be sure to check out our story of firefighting brothers, Ger and Jimmy Dolan, who shared their successful transplant story in support of the Irish Kidney Association’s Organ Donor Awareness Week 2018.

I would like to thank former editor, Conor Forrest for all his hard work over the previous years, for the assistance he has given us here at Firecall and wish him well in his new ventures.

Enjoy the read,

Dan Fynes

DAN FYNES

Our annual Kids Christmas party will take place in a new venue this year on Dec 16th in the Castleknock Hotel notices will be sent to all members.

SUMMER 2018

FIRECALL CALL OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF DUBLIN FIRE, AMBULANCE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

FBU'S COMMEMORATION IN BELFAST

Social Ladder

DFB'S SOCKIES SUCCESS

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SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB

SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB UPDATE We take a look at what’s upcoming for members of the Dublin Fire Brigade Sports and Social Club (DFBSSC).

STATION REPRESENTATIVES: NO. 1

Linda Scully Sarah Good

NO. 2

Eithne Scully

NO. 3

Gerry Corcoran

NO. 4

Ger Ryan Deirdre Berry

NO. 6

Dave Connolly

NO. 7

Gary Mason, Keith Dore

NO. 8

Derek O’Riordan

NO. 9

Neil Quinn

NO. 12

Ray Kenny Paul Marsh

SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB COMMITTEE FOR 2018/19 Get to know your committee members. Please feel free to contact your station representative with any questions you have. If there is a free space in your station and you would like to become a station representative, please do not hesitate to contact us.

CLUB COMMITTEE

8

CHAIR

Declan Rice

TREASURER

Simon Finglas

HONORARY SECRETARY

Dan Fynes (HQ)

NO. 13

Mick Ratchford

HQ

Dean Kelly Sean Mac Domhnaill Paul McCann Siobhan Talbot

ERCC

Ray Campion

LOGISTICS

Paul O’Toole

RETAINED

Glen Fitzgerald

RMA

Frank Nugent Tommy Doyle

TRUSTEES

Dave Snee Willie O’Leary

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SPORTS AND SOCIALCLUB MONTHLY RAFFLE PRIZE WINNERS Please contact your station Sports and Social Club representative in order to collect your prize.

MAY 2018 €100 euro voucher for Tayto Park Tom O’Rourke D1 Barney Mulhall B HQ Gareth Pierce D2

STATION PRIZE A Watch Dolphin’s Barn Evening of bowling and quasar for each member.

JUNE 2018 Voucher for Ticketmaster Brian O’Keefe A5 Geoff Tracey A7 Barry O’Holohan A13 Paul Keyes C4

JULY 2018 A nights B&B in a deluxe room in the Kilkenny Hibernian Hotel John Walshe B7 Liam Rooney A8 Michael O’Reilly HQ (5th floor)

STATION PRIZE B Watch Phibsboro Days paintball for each member.

Congratulations to all of our winners, we hope you have a great time.

DFBSSC KIDS SUMMER PARTY This year’s kids summer party will be held on 2 September 2018 in the OBI from 12:00 to 17:00. On the day there will be food & refreshments, games, music, face painters and plenty of fun to be had by all.

We look forward to seeing you on the day.

DFB RUGBY Our newly reformed and unbeaten rugby team travelled to Newry RFC on 24th July for a 1pm kick off to take on the NIFRS rugby team. “E” District Vs “D” District B watch Echo District played B watch Delta District in a soccer match on 14 August at 10am at Whitehall Colmcille’s all-weather pitch on Old Airport Road.

DFB CYCLING CLUB DFB cycling club are looking for new members. Dig out and dust down the long forgotten bike in the shed. They are looking to encourage new and maybe not so new members to come back to cycling (or start cycling).

Membership includes: DFB SCC jersey, Couch to 50km cycle program, Bicycle tool kits for each station. Organised overnight trips both in Ireland and abroad.

Training in group riding, road craft and etiquette. Training and social spins organised throughout the year both Northside and Southside.

Contact: Mick Whelan: 087 6850360 or Brendan Ladola: 087 2996572

ID-CARDS New ID cards can now be ordered by emailing idcards@dfbscc.ie.

You will need to attach a headshot photograph (on neutral background) and your name, station watch & location to the email for the ID card.

AGM The DFB sports and social club AGM will be held on 13th August 2018 in the Trinity Capital Hotel at 19:00. Should any member wish to become part of the DFBSSC Committee member, can they please advise by email to secretary@dfbssc. ie of their intent to put themselves forward for a position at least 24hrs prior to the AGM. There are no applications considered on the night.

GRANT APPLICATIONS Please note you can apply for all grant applications online via the dfbscc.ie or Firecall.ie websites.

Please ensure you apply in advance so the grant can be discussed in a timely manner with the committee. http://dfbssc.ie/grant-applications/ or www.http://firecall.ie/grantapplication/

THURSDAY NIGHT SOCIAL EVENTS In early summer we held a couple of Thursday night social events.

The first event was held in The Church bar, Mary Street, and was a chance for each watch to meet up, have a few drinks, food and banter.

Feedback so far have reported that these nights were a success. Our second event was a pub quiz where we tried to pitch watch against watch in categories such as say what you see, music, history, general knowledge and many more. Overall, each night had a majority attendance from one watch, but those that attended had a great night pitting their wits and brains against each other. We had cash prizes for the top two teams and many spot prizes on both nights. Donnybrook fire station showed that their brains are Number One in DFB as they had the winning teams on both nights. A watch No 1 on the first quiz night and D watch No 1 on the second taking home the victory. I think there were noises from A watch No 6 for a rematch in the near future.

FIRECALL Did you know that you can now view previous editions of Firecall magazine online - www.firecall.ie. There are also links to our other social media information accounts and current news. Feel free to make suggestions to our Committee members as to how we can improve this.

WE REALLY WANT YOUR FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THESE SOCIAL NIGHTS OUT.

SPORTS EVENTS

Please fill out a survey / feedback sheet which is available from any committee member or email the committee with your suggestions.

All are welcome and can range from drinks to music, Viking Splash, Guinness Brewery, cinema, bowling and so on. No suggestion will be turned away.

If you have any upcoming sports events you would like mentioned in this newsletter, please contact the committee to advise.

Looking forward to hearing from you, till next time.

DFBSSC

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DFB IN BRIEF

DFB

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

Congratulations to Firefighter/Paramedic Marc Fitzharris and Emergency Department Nurse Brid on their marriage.

Chief Fire Officer, Pat Fleming, joined FF/APs Liam Rooney, Linda Scully and Terry Dore at their BSc in Paramedic Studies graduation ceremony in UL.

DFB cricket team on winning the Willie Webster Cup.

DFB recruits receiving an introduction on hoses and their storage.

Fairyhill Playschool in Howth took time out of their day to learn about fire safety.

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C Watch were delighted to have the girls from Loreto Green summer camp in with them in HQ.

RIP Greg Matthews.

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DFB IN BRIEF

Firefighters at straw on fire in Saint Margarets.

The land owner is helping to break up the bales with machinery so it can be fully extinguished.

Happy Birthday to us. This weekend we turned 156 years young. The Dublin Fire Brigade Act was passed in 1862 forming the brigade.

DFB football team secured the civil service double after beating Ely Woodlawn 3-1 in the Cup final.

Training exercises in Galway Bay. 5 pumps and the high volume environmental unit were on scene at a Malahide grass fire.

Finglas Fire Station has installed a firefighter helmet water feature for the Tidy Towns competition.

Finglas firefighters extinguishing grass on fire in Tolka Valley Park .

Overnight crews attending a well-developed fire in a derelict house in Tallaght.

The fire was prevented from spreading to adjoining houses.

Vegetation fire in Portrane.

Crew dealing with a fire in a premises on Thomas Street.

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DFB IN BRIEF

Facebook “f ” Logo

CMYK / .eps

Facebook “f ” Logo

CMYK / .eps

Kilbarrack’s A Watch called to a large fire in Baldoyle.

@DubFireBrigade

Water rescue team on the Liffey. Upgrade training has taken place on the Swift Rescue Kraft shallow water boat. The new engine means a response to Heuston station will be one minute quicker.

Firefighters on the scene at a fire at the Oscar Traynor Rd. The drone was on-scene helping to direct firefighting operations.

Brigade members from Dolphin’s Barn visit Templeogue Synge St Cúl Camp.

Open fire hydrant in Tallaght causing flooding.

Balbriggan firefighters being helped by some nearby builders who ferried water to a grass fire to help extinguish it.

Kilbarrack and Phibsborough stations can use rainwater to fill the fire engines water tanks to reduce the use of treated drinking water.

Dolphin’s Barn station at a car fire in Tallaght.

12

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Finglas firefighters extinguishing grass on fire in Tolka Valley Park .

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BIG NIGHT OUT

DFB’S ‘BIG THURSDAY’ NIGHT OUT RETURNS DFB’s Sports & Social Committee Resurrects Popular Night Out

T

he Dublin Fire Brigade’s Sports & Social Committee earlier this year set up a special sub-committee to focus on organising monthly draws and set about reviving the ‘Big Thursday’ night out, which had gone by the wayside in recent years. The Committee plans to arrange various social activities across all watches in the coming months.

The Church on Mary Street, Dublin 1, was chosen as the venue for the renewal of the Big Thursday night out, with four dates arranged - one for each individual watch - during April and May. The outings were arranged for the night after the Thursday day shift of each watch, with the crews meeting up in The Church bar from 6.30pm.

The food platters were provided free by the venue, some beverages were looked after by Sports & Social club coffers. The nights went on till late, with a great mix of staff from all stations attending.

“New firefighters and seasoned watch staff all had a great night, and it was great to see such a good turnout from across the watches,” said organiser Paul McCann.

D watch was the last of the four nights out and happened to be senior firefighter Joe Kelly’s last day in the job before retiring.

“It was fantastic to see a great mixture of staff from all ranks

show up to wish Joe good luck and made it a really memorable night,” added Paul.

The committee hope to arrange similar nights out soon, with more firefighters attending from all the stations around the city.

It also wants to acknowledge the management and staff of The Church who were very accommodating and went to great lengths to ensure the evenings success. Future events are planned and will be posted on the notice

board. The committee hope to arrange a mix of events.

Paul said: “The reps in each station are happy to pass on suggestions to the committee, so feel free to contact them. We have also produced a newsletter with all the events and winners of the monthly prizes in it, as well as up coming events. Members of the sub committee are: Siobhan Talbot, Linda Scully, Sarah Good, Dee Berry, Sean Mac Domhnaill, Paul McCann and Simon Finglas.

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FAREWELL

DFB FIRE CHIEF RETIRES The end of July marked a changing of the guard for Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) as its Chief Fire Officer, Patrick Fleming, confirmed his retirement.

P

at, a Tipperary native with almost 40 years’ experience contributing to Fire Safety and Fire Service Management all over the country, celebrated his official retirement party on the 7 September in the Mansion House.

Pat studied engineering in Galway before landing a job in his local North Tipperary County Council where he was a senior officer overseeing the Retained Fire Service. He went on to take up a post at Limerick City Fire and Rescue Service before he moved to the Department of the Environment, where he had responsibility for national training as a technical advisor and was involved in initiating the major task of implementing the national Computer Aided Mobilisation Project (CAMP).

He joined the DFB in 2003 as Assistant Chief Fire Officer, where he worked on and developed many aspects of the service, including Fire Safety, Training, Quality and as head of the East Region Communications Centre during its defining years, before being appointed Chief Fire Officer in 2012.

One area of the Brigade Pat is particularly proud of is the work of the O’Brien Institute of Training (OBI), located on the Malahide Road in Dublin. “It was back in the 1990s, when I was organising training in my role as technical advisor to the Department of the Environment, that I first came into contact with the DFB,

in particular the OBI,” explains Pat. “This was the era of John L’Estrange, Aidan Carroll and Frank Kenny. I was blown away by the professionalism and organisation of the training centre. I have seen many centres all over the world and the OBI really is a world class centre of excellence.” Pat believes that this maintaining of excellence does not happen by accident, but is due to the hard work of a series of Brigade Training Officers and their staff over the years.

“I am not sure that the OBI gets the credit it deserves within DFB for the work that it does. “The OBI provides the foundation for all of the values that DFB has and for which it has earned such a respected reputation by the citizens of Dublin. To use the old Jesuit adage, ‘Give me the child for seven years and I will give you the man’. Well, a similar process happens at the OBI and I am always amazed at the ‘before and after’ pictures in the pass-out brochure.”

Pat says that it has been “A tremendous honour and privilege” to have served as Chief Fire Officer of DFB. “DFB is a large and complex organisation with a proud history and it takes a huge effort from a lot of people to make it work. One of the things I said when I got this job is that the management team would be the hardest working part of the brigade.

This has come to pass and I would like to thank all of them for their efforts.”

Pat also singles out DFB’s administration staff for special praise,

stating that they may have a very low profile, but carry out vital functions, without which, the brigade would not function.

The work of fire prevention can also be under estimated and he welcomes the increased interaction between prevention and operations.

The many voluntary services provided by staff such as the CISM team, Pipe Band, Sports and Social Club, Mayor ADC, Colour Party and the Retired Members enhance Dublin Fire Brigade.

Some of Pat’s main objectives during his tenure as CFO of the DFB was to gain OHSAS accreditation, maintain of the coveted Fire/EMS system and improve communications.

“The Brigade has achieved OHSAS accreditation and great credit is due to ACFO T Kearney and his team.

“While the progress on Fire/EMS has been slower than I had hoped, the senior management team of DFB have put in huge effort over the last four years to defend and justify the promotion of the system. We have been subjected to two HIQA audits and a DCC/HSE review. I am pleased to say we have moved from a position of the service being removed to one of how we can provide the service in the future. From recent developments, I would be optimistic that there will be a positive outcome in the near future.”

I wish to acknowledge the effort and commitment of staff in the ongoing provision of the service.

The success of the Brigades award winnings social platforms has greatly improved communications with the public with respect to fire safety and workings of the Brigade.

In a career of many highlights, the 1916 commemoration exhibition in City Hall stands out for Pat, expertly curated by Las Fallon, which proved a wonderful demonstration of the part played by the DFB in the history of this country. “On the same vein I would also like to pay tribute to Paul Hand for the work he does in the Dublin Fire Brigade Museum.

As some people will be aware, I am pursuing an alternate and more

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FAREWELL

suitable location for the museum and hopefully this will come through in the near future.”

Another highlight for Pat was the Lord Mayor’s award in 2016, as this represented a public acknowledgement of the work of the brigade by the citizens of Dublin.

He also highlighted the response workload and professionalism displayed by all who attended the Metro Hotel fire. The efforts of the Brigade in bringing this difficult fire under control again demonstrated to the public the capability of the Brigade to respond to difficult incidents.

Pat also fondly remembers his affiliation with the national Chief Fire Officers Association of Ireland and in particular the time he proudly served as Chair and when Dublin hosted the annual conference in Croke Park 2017. “I would like to thank all of the staff in DFB who made this the memorable and successful event it was, especially my PA Rosa Vickers, who was instrumental in planning and organising every fine detail. The Association initiates the debate, discussion and research and supports the development of policy to enhance fire safety and effectiveness of firefighting in Ireland.

“Overall my career in the Fire Service has been a wonderful experience and one, on which I will look back on fondly. More importantly my time in the Fire Service has afforded me great friendships with like minded and committed colleagues, who while I will miss working alongside on a daily basis, I hope to maintain close links on a personal basis in the future. I would like to thank each and every one of them for their friendship and support over my memorable and happy times with them. I like to think that together we helped shape and improve Irish Fire Safety and Fire Service Operations, providing us with a safer place to work and live. I wish them all every success on improving this even further in the future.

Thank you all Pat Fleming

my time in the Fire Service has afforded me great friendships with likeminded and committed colleagues, who while I will miss working alongside on a daily basis.

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FUNDRAISING

FIGHTING BLINDNESS Tallaght D watch reflects on a successful cycling charity fundraiser last year.

E

ach year a cyclist chooses a charity to receive a sponsorship from the annual D watch cycle. 2017’s charity was chosen by Daithí O’Reilly.

The chosen charity was Fighting Blindness, as friends of his have been leaning on the charity for support in recent months.

Each of the cyclists was given a sponsorship card to raise funds, and two bucket collections were organised.

The first one took place in The Square Tallaght on August 12th, and in Dundrum Shopping Centre on October 14th 2017. An ‘everydayhero’ fundraising page was also set up. The volunteers of the collections comprised

of firefighters from D watch Tallaght and Dolphin’s Barn – most of whom had just finished a 15-hour shift – and also family and friends of Brian and Tracey Whelan, who are trying to raise funds for Fighting Blindness due to the recent news that their daughter has a rare degenerative eye condition. They are trying to raise as much funds as they can for Fighting Blindness and all money raised goes directly to research.

The date chosen for the charity was September 16th 2017 and the destination chosen was Carlow, approximately 90km. There were 35 cyclists taking part, most of whom had little or no experience of cycling such a distance. They all met at 9am at Tallaght fire station, and after all bikes and equipment were checked, set off at 10am to the cheers of some family members and firefighters on duty that day. The group had Dublin Fire Brigade vehicles to support them on

the route, and they were also there to provide some refreshments and bicycle spares if needed.

The weather was quite good, with no rain at all for the day. The route went via Citywest, Rathcoole, Naas, Kilcullen and Castledermot. After a stop for refreshments at the half-way stage, the group stopped again about 5km outside Carlow and were met

by Carlow Fire Brigade. It arrived at Carlow fire station after approximately 3 and 1/4 hours of cycling. A huge thanks to all at Carlow fire station for the fantastic BBQ and refreshments laid on for all involved. It was a brilliant finish to what was a great day and we couldn’t thank them enough for their hospitality and welcome. After the BBQ and the station tour, we stored the bikes away and made our way to the Woodford Dolmen Hotel, where we stayed the night and took the opportunity to relax after the cycle.

We would like to thank all who got involved in the cycle – cyclists, helpers, drivers and fundraisers – with particular thanks going to Joe Mulligan from D watch Tallaght for organising the cycle. The total amount raised was a generous €6,515, which was presented to fighting blindness at Tallaght fire station on Wednesday the 6th of December. Congratulations to all for a great effort.

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RUGBY

MAKING THE TEAM After several years of inactivity, the Dublin Fire Brigade has revived its rugby team. Tiernan Cannon speaks with the man organising the group, Tallaght A watch’s Keith Mason.

W

hen Keith Mason joined Dublin Fire Brigade in 2004, the service’s rugby club was struggling to field a team from game to game. Indeed, it would soon cease playing entirely, remaining on hiatus for several years to come.

This year, however, the Tallaght A watch man took it upon himself to get the team up and running again, and on May 30th, DFB RFC faced the Defence Forces’ team at the Westmanstown Sports Centre.

“There was never, in my time in the job, a full DFB rugby team that was able to fill a team just with members of DFB alone,” Keith recalls from his early days at the brigade. “But what I noticed over the last few years of recruitment was that there were more

and more rugby players joining the job. I had a Facebook page that was lying dormant for DFB Rugby Football Club, so I got that up and running again and I put out a survey to see how much interest was out there. Eventually I put a database of players together and found that I had the makings of a team, with subs as well.”

Once it was clear that there was an appetite for the team, Keith made contact with the Northern Irish Fire Service, hoping to organise a fixture.

Circumstance would have it that this service would have to pull out, but they did so early, allowing for alternative arrangements. “They pulled out early enough that it allowed me to approach both the Guards and the Defence Forces to see if either of them wanted to play,” he recalls. “Both of them were keen, but the Guards had played a lot

of games recently and were looking forward to a break. They said that if we were stuck, they’d play us, but if the Defence Forces wanted to play us, then they’d be happy to step aside.”

PREPARATION As it turned out, the Defence Forces were to be the opponents on the day.

The DFB team began training, but given the nature of the job, it can be very difficult to organise these sessions.

Before the game had taken place, the team had managed to train only three times – twice in St Catherine’s Park in Lucan and once in Corkagh Park in Clondalkin. From these sessions, it became clear to Keith that they had a mixed-ability team. “There are lads that have played AIL level rugby, all the way down to lads that haven’t played much rugby at all,” he says. “We emphasise that this is for anybody that has any sort of playing ability within the brigade.

But you need to have played before, because it’s not about learning to play. It’s bringing what you’ve learned outside of the brigade in, so that we

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RUGBY

can fulfil fixtures and be an occasional touring side.”

Keith enlisted the help of Richie Currie and Martin O’Brien for the training sessions, as these men had done it all before, organising the games back when Keith had joined the force.

He wanted to seek out their advice, particularly in relation as to how a newly-reformed, mixed-ability team should approach the game tactically.

Whatever advice the two must have shared, it seemingly worked.

“The Defence Forces had played and trained together a good bit more than we had, but on the day we went out and played a clever enough game,” says Keith. “We didn’t get sucked into playing the Defence Force’s game, and there were strong performances from lads that have played at that higher level. We were all fairly surprised at how the game went. After twenty minutes, we realised that the Defence Forces were a little rattled. I don’t think anybody ever expected to win the game – we would have taken a draw or a close defeat. If we had just gotten

positives from it, we would have been happy. But to come away with a win was an excellent start.”

A WINNING START 9-7 was the final score, on a wonderful return to the sport for the brigade.

Even aside from the win, the interest in the team and the support it received can be taken as a huge positive. The team secured an annual sponsorship deal with Dubco, received money from the Sports and Social Club – which went towards jerseys and food after the game – and they also received the support from the Chief, who generously paid €500 towards the registration, meaning the team is now officially affiliated with Leinster Rugby.

Keith expresses his generosity towards these contributions, as well as to Ken O’Dwyer and Flashpoint Medical Systems, for donating a fully-stocked touchline bag.

“My whole thing for doing this was to bring good morale and camaraderie back through sport,” says Keith. “We had lads from different watches and

stations that came out to support on the day. They were really happy with how it went as well – lads acknowledging that it was a brilliant start and that it’s great to see the team up and running again.”

With the first game completed, and with even a victory under their belt, the next step, as Keith sees it, is to organise an AGM, set up a committee and to develop a properly structured club. However, with a new baby on the scene, Keith has his hands full, and of course will need help in the club’s management. The club is always, of course, looking for players to join, but also for non-players to help with organisation and management.

“It’s all going in the right direction and it’s all really positive,” Keith concludes. “The next bunch of recruits are coming in soon, so I’ll keep my eye on them to see if there’s any potential rugby players that I can nab there early on.”

If you’re interested in getting involved with the DFB Rugby Football Club, contact Keith at keithjamesmason@gmail.com

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OPEN DAY

A PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY For the fourth year now, Nutgrove Fire Station has opened up to the public in order to raise funds for charity.

A

t the end of April this year, Nutgrove Fire Station in Rathfarnham opened its doors for a day to the local community, in order to raise funds for charity. This was the fourth open day at Nutgrove, after last year’s day to raise money for Snowflake, a children’s charity that provides support for kids with autism. This year’s proceedings went to Suicide

or Survive (SOS), an Irish charity focused on breaking down the stigma associated with mental health issues and ensuring that those affected have access to quality recovery services that are appropriate for the individual.

“One of my work colleagues, a sub-officer down in Dún Laoghaire fire station, his sister-in-law set up SOS through her own experiences, and it’s been going from strength to

strength,” explains Derek Riordan, a firefighter from Nutgrove’s C watch.

“We thought that would be a very worthy cause to have the open day for.”

Derek was instrumental in organising the open day, and he was delighted with the results. Up to 4,000 people from the local community attended on the day, as well as Pat Fleming, the recently retired Chief Fire Officer, and Anna Grainger, a Local Area Representative with Fine Gael who is hoping to set up a local Community First Responder Group in the area. A number of local businesses throughout the

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community, including a number of local SuperValus, Lidl, Tesco, Aldi and the Nutgrove Shopping Centre, also lent the open day some vital support, supplying cakes and drinks that were sold to attendees, with the proceeds going to the charity. Many people and businesses helped out on the day, but Derek Riordan singles out one person in particular for their efforts.

“There was a local lady who deserves a special mention, she’s originally from Whitechurch in Rathfarnham, but she moved up to Saggart. She made an awful lot of cakes, over 300 cupcakes, and they sold like – well, hot cakes,” he laughs. “Her name is Alison Behan and she was fantastic. Every year, she insists on buying her own materials and ingredients and won’t take any

money or expense for it. She’s been with us from day one and she’s been absolutely phenomenal.”

A GROUP EFFORT A number of individuals and organisations donated generously to the open day, which ensured that all money raised went straight to the charity. “Everybody pulled together, and by doing that, there was zero cost, so any money made went straight to SOS,” explains Derek. “We got limited edition Dublin Fire Brigade mugs – they were originally designed

by Darren Donovan on D-Watch, and we borrowed the design and put a photograph of our motor and ambulance on it with a DFB emblem, and we sold them for €6 each. Again, they sold like hot cakes.”

There were other pieces of merchandise circulating on the day too – key-rings, pencils, pens and the like. There was entertainment for the kids, in the form of face-painting and balloons. All of these things could not have been made available, were it not for the generous donations of several groups. Dublin City Council, for example, gave a generous donation for the face-painting and balloons, and the DFB Sports and Social Club paid for sweets, teas and coffees on the day, to the tune of around €400.

Furthermore, the firefighters at Nutgrove themselves were all very accommodating.

“It was great work by everybody, all the watches got involved,” says Derek. “We had cakes donated that were made by firefighters and their

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families. It was a great team event.

All four watches were fantastic.

It wasn’t just an event in which everybody simply rolled in on the day. There was a lot of planning and a lot of people were involved in it.”

REMOVING THE MYSTERY This year’s open day also saw a doctor in attendance. Dr Tomás Barry came to the open day with his car and equipment, and was perfectly willing to show people how this equipment worked to allow them to see what his job entailed. Dublin Airport and the Civil Defence were also present – described, by Derek as, “as brilliant as ever”.

“The whole event was brilliant and nobody said no to anything.

Whatever we asked for, we got,” says Derek. “RSA [Road Safety

Authority] was there, they had a rollover simulator. We had Liam Moore, who has been present from day one – he had two American fire trucks, two amazing trucks. Both of them are from 1967 but both were in great condition.”

2018’s event also marked Chief Fire Officer Pat Fleming’s last open day as Chief. “The Chief came and he was kind enough to give a speech at the end and it just went really well,” says Derek. “Pat has been

“Everybody pulled together, and by doing that, there was zero cost, so any money made went straight to SOS.”

very supportive of us from day one. I think he’s been surprised by the amount of coverage we’ve been getting and how positively we’ve been received from the community.”

The open day has been growing every year since it was first held, which was now four years ago. This year, nearly €6,000 was raised and the day served to highlight the work of Nutgrove Fire Station. “Year-onyear, it’s becoming more and more of a success, which is great for us,” concludes Derek. “It’s raising the profile of the station. Our hope was to remove the mystery of what we do on a daily basis. I think by having the open day and bringing in the organisations, it gives the people the opportunity to come in and see our equipment and to talk to people as well, to see what they’re about.”

SUMMER 22 FIRECALL

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RETIREMENT

RETIRED ROMEOS I Retirement Group On The Lookout For New Recruits

t’s been said that there’s nothing more prized on this earth than true friendship. However, maintaining connections after retirement can often prove a tricky (if ultimately rewarding) endeavour.

Rounding up retired former colleagues can be a thankless task for the person trying to organise it, however, one well-known retired Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) firefighter has employed a novel approach to the effort.

Damien Fynes, who retired as a District Officer in 2009, decided to set up a small social group almost a decade ago in an effort to keep in touch with his former DFB colleagues.

He also gave it a rather novel name too: The ROMEO group. ROMEO in this instance being an acronym for ‘Retired Old Men Eating Out’.

“When I was retiring, there were a number of other firefighters I was close to retiring around the same time,” Damien explains to Firecall.

“We didn’t see much of each other much at first, so I put out the idea to them that we meet up once a month for breakfast or lunch, just to catch up.

“At one of these outings I suggested that we call ourselves the ROMEO group. I got a few odd looks at first, but when I explained what it was all about they were happy to get on board. I also told them if they wanted to being their wives along, that they could join the RODEO group (Retired Old Dames Eating Out).”

ROMEO started out with humble beginnings, with just Damien and the late Les Crowe meeting up for a coffee or breakfast. But it has since grown in popularity.

“It started out with two of us but has since taken off,” says Damien. “Initially,

most people taking part were from D Watch, but it’s sort of crossed watches now, with retired guys joining us from A, B and C, or guys that used to work on D Watch who had moved on. Some months we can have 12 or so, while other months it might be just four or five people joining us, when we we’ll probably do breakfast.”

Damien, who is also involved in the Retired Members’ Association, reveals that sometimes recent DFB retirees can get their wires crossed when he first attempts to recruit them for the ROMEO group.

“I remember about two years ago, I approached a firefighter I knew who had just retired. I asked him, ‘So, now you’re retired, you must join us for ROMEO’.

He asked what it was, so I explained to him, ‘We meet once a month and we are serviced by a young lady for about an hour or so’. He was disgusted and said he was happily married for 40 years, and that he was surprised at me. I eventually explained that the club meets once a month for breakfast or lunch at the SportsLink, where they are regularly served by a young lady. He thankfully got the joke in the end.”

Damien adds that when the group meets, conversation usually quickly turns to the ‘good old days’ of the DFB, or more recently, who was now spending more money on doctors bills rather than holidays.

“The group is open to anyone that wants to come along who is retired, it’s not just confined to our little gang. We’re always trying to grow numbers and I think it has a bright future.

“The club is for guys that haven’t managed to stay in the loop, or guys that probably haven’t been socially active within the brigade. It’s really a way of keeping up friendships and a way to keep in touch. It’s a great way to have a bit of craic and reminisce over old stories, like old station gets ups and so

The group is for guys that haven’t managed to stay in the loop, or guys that probably haven’t been socially active within the Brigade.

Damien Fynes

on. We have a WhatsApp group, so I put out the call on that and whoever is available on the day shows up. Hopefully we can get more news about us up on social media too.

We look forward to reconnecting with all of our retired colleagues in this fun and informal setting. Keep in touch.

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26/07/2017 09:25 06/09/2018 16:28

AWARDS

CLIMBING THE SOCIAL LADDER Dublin Fire Brigade’s social media team was successful at the 2018 Social Media Awards.

A

t the beginning of June 2018, the Social Media Awards, otherwise known as the Sockies, took place in the RDS. This is an occasion to celebrate various organisations throughout Ireland who have excelled in communicating their message to a wider audience through

the various social media channels available to them. This year, Dublin Fire Brigade was a prominent figure at the awards, nominated within several categories – Best Facebook for a State Organisation, Best Medium Business or Organisation Twitter Account, Best Use of Social Media by State Body, and Best Use of Realtime Marketing, for its #BeastFromTheEast and #StormOphelia campaign. Of these nominations, DFB took the Best Medium Business or Organisation Twitter Account and the Best Use of Social Media by State Body awards on the night.

DFB’s social media team is small, and so its success on the night is a significant achievement. The social media channels are administered by Ray McGonagle and Trevor Hunt, though as Ray is at pains to stress, the accounts simply would not function were it not for the various contributions of people throughout the entire brigade.

“Myself and Trev, we administrate it. The management would be Debbie McLoughlin, and it’s overseen by Michael O’Reilly, Assistant Chief, and the Chief Fire Officer [who at the time of the awards was] Pat Fleming.

Pat was very supporting of us at conception. In 2015 we started, and he was on board from the very start,” Ray explains. “But it doesn’t work without everyone contributing. We administer it and that’s it. The information comes from the firefighters and officers on the ground, and without them, the account wouldn’t be successful and it wouldn’t be working for the citizens of Dublin.

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AWARDS

The information comes from the firefighters and officers on the ground, and without them, the account wouldn’t be successful and it wouldn’t be working for the citizens of Dublin.

It’s a small social media team, but in reality, the team is the 900 firefighters and officers on the ground who are actually doing the work. It’s a team thing.”

As Ray points out, social media never stops, and so having a large team of contributors is vital to the success of the brigade’s social media channels.

The accounts – particular the Twitter account – must have a regular flow of content dripping in throughout a given day, so it is necessary for various members of the brigade to contribute.

TARGETED CONTENT In the morning time, the content is generally aimed at commuters.

Throughout working hours, it often leans into the activities of the brigade on that day, or perhaps from the night before. During rush hour, the content is again aimed predominately at commuters, and in the evenings the content might take a more lighthearted slant. These humorous tweets generally contain within them a safety message. At the weekends, the Tweets keep on coming.

“At the weekend the Tweets sort of change to be more recreational or sports-related maybe,” Ray says. “Say for the recent good weather, we’d be looking a couple of days in advance and saying right, at the weekend the chances are that people are going to be out in the hills or they’re going to be BBQing and what are the safety implications around that? So you would have seen an awful lot of Tweets about gorse fires and forest fires and how to prevent them. These are all

timed around what time we think people will be doing this. So with gorse fires, we’d be putting those out early in the morning, before people leave, and then for the BBQs, BBQ safety messages would be timed for late afternoon, early evening – when we think people are going to be having their BBQs.” The brigade also runs a Twitter campaign called ‘Drunk Cooking’, which is based around trying to prevent people from using the cooker when their under the influence or when they’re very tired. “We try to change [the content of these posts],” says Ray. “It could be a picture of a chip pan fire that we would have dealt with recently, or we normally try to encourage people to grab a takeaway or order-in, so it could just be a picture of a nice takeaway – whatever grabs the public’s attention.”

This summer, the brigade has introduced a new strategy to its social media posts, wherein it attempts to incorporate three specific elements into its posts – Prevent, Inform and

Promote. “We try, in every message, to have those three elements in it,” explains Ray. “It’s not always possible to get those elements in, but basically it’s to prevent an occurrence or reoccurrence of an incident or fire and to inform the public what the fire brigade are doing, and then to promote the work of the fire brigade. If we can get those three elements into a Tweet, we’re happy. Normally it’s two, but if it’s three, we’re very happy.”

Dublin Fire Brigade’s social media presence has grown massively since its humble beginnings, and the award wins are a true vindication of the work of everyone who contributes. As Ray says: “I want to thank everybody who contributes to us. As I said on the night, the win is for them.”

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CHALLENGE COIN

RECOGNISING THE GOOD SAMARITANS T/O John Keogh explains to Firecall what the Good Samaritan Coin is all about.

A

bout a year and a half ago, Dublin Fire Brigade had a visitor from Washington D.C. fire department who carried with him something of interest. It was a small coin, carrying the badge of District of Columbia Fire Department, which was known as the Cardiac Arrest Coin. The idea behind it was simple – a person who helped out in extraordinary circumstances with a cardiac arrest would be awarded the coin, in recognition of their efforts.

T/O John Keogh was impressed by his American colleague’s coin, and set about providing something similar within Dublin Fire Brigade.

He got in touch with a company over in the States and eventually settled upon a design. “We wanted some kind of a coin that we could give to anybody that was willing to step out of the crowd and get involved in an emergency situation,” he says.

Generally, when members of the brigade arrive upon an emergency scene, their immediate responsibility is to ensure the patient is removed as quickly and safely as possible. This, of course, can lead the brigade to miss somebody who has performed an extraordinary duty before the emergency services had arrived.

“Some people would be shy about it and would move away. Afterwards somebody would say ‘There was a

Luke Henderson receiving a DFB Good Samaritan Coin after his quick thinking helped save a life in Tallaght.

guy here doing CPR’ or if a person comes back from an injury, they’d say, ‘Where’s the guy that helped me?’ – and nobody knows who it is,” says T/O Keogh. “So I put it out there, looking for stories from people from the control room or from the station, to say that they were at a particular incident and that they are recommending a person from the public who did something.

We just wanted to recognise that there are people doing extraordinary things everyday of the week.”

EXTRAORDINARY WORK Recognition would come in the form of a challenge coin, which, after considering a variety of names, would be known as the Good Samaritan Coin. Around 12 coins

have already been issued by DFB, but the most recent was for a cardiac arrest in Paddy Power’s at Hanlon’s Corner.

It’s just DFB recognising that ordinary citizens in Dublin are doing extraordinary things.

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CHALLENGE COIN “A young guy phoned up and he was prepared to do CPR, but he couldn’t talk on the phone and do CPR at the same time, so he handed the phone over to one of the employees of Paddy Power,” explains T/O Keogh. “They were relaying messages coming through from the control room – how to do CPR, how to assess whether the person was breathing, that they were actually in cardiac arrest. In that case, we had Ann-Marie and Niall, who both got a coin. It’s just DFB recognising that ordinary citizens in Dublin are doing extraordinary things.”

When the emergency services arrived at this scene, the patient was revived with a single shock of a defibrillator. This was made possible due to the work of Ann-Marie and Niall, but after the emergency services had arrived, Niall slipped off, almost unnoticed. “There was a fire engine there, a paramedic crew, an advanced paramedic crew – [Niall] just felt in the way. And he left!” exclaims T/O Keogh. “It was only afterwards that one of the advanced paramedics said to me, ‘Look, this fella did extraordinary work, and when we looked for him afterwards he had gone’ I remember then when I rang [Niall] to say that we wanted to give him this presentation, the first thing he thought was that he was in trouble!

But I said that, to the contrary, we wanted to recognise that he did an extraordinary thing, he saved somebody’s life.”

The actions of civilians can make a huge difference in tragic circumstances. T/O Keogh recalls many stories from the people already awarded with the Good Samaritan Coin, but one is particularly relevant to a major societal problem today.

“The papers carry lots of stories about suicide awareness in Tallaght,” he says. “A young lad there – his name was Luke Hillison – was getting off the bus coming home from college and was taking a shortcut across the playing fields.

There was a guy hanging himself. He

Paul Cassidy a security supervisor at The Ilac Shopping Centre was awarded a DFB Good Samaritan Coin for his role in saving a customer’s life.

saw him and went over and held him up. He couldn’t release the ligature, but was able to get his phone out of his pocket and dial 999 and hold onto him until the emergency services arrived. That person survived.”

GIVEN A CHANCE T/O Keogh explains that the Good Samaritan Coin has also been awarded in cases where the patient has unfortunately not survived.

“During Storm Emma – this was the very first coin we gave out – a girl was helping to push a man’s car out of the snow, and he collapsed and had a cardiac arrest,” he says. “She was doing CPR and another young lad came across who had just done a CPR course two weeks previously, and he assisted in the CPR. They were doing CPR for 35 minutes before the fire engine and the ambulance arrived. Unfortunately, that person didn’t survive, but he was given every chance to.”

T/O Keogh believes that it is extremely important for the

brigade to recognise these events, particularly as, for members of the brigade, incidents such as these are part and parcel. “We tend to just see it as part of the job,” he says.

“But when somebody outside of the organisation, somebody that has no background, no training in EMS, who is not a paramedic – when they step up to the mark, we just want to recognise that.”

T/O Keogh has personally issued each of the coins thus far, but he would like to see the initiative pushed down to a local level, with fire officers based in the community within which an incident took place being the ones to award the coin. It is a simple gesture from the brigade to people that go out of their way to help others, and though many people will still slip under the radar, it is still a small bit of recognition.

“We’re never ever going to catch all the Good Samaritans out there,” concludes T/O Keogh. “There wouldn’t be enough coins, apart from anything else!”

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26/09/2018 09:14

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03/07/2018 16:08

21/08/2018 11:34

PIPE BAND

N PIPE BAND UPDATE Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band’s Pipe Major Mark Toner gives the lowdown of the band’s recent activities.

o strangers to a busy schedule, the DFB pipe band has been quite busy since our last major outing on St Patrick’s Day. We have had an engagement almost every month, and with some of those months, every week.

In May, the band travelled north to Belfast at the invitation of our colleagues in NIFRS and their local branch of FBU. The band has played the traditional ICTU May Day Parades in the past, both in Dublin and Belfast; this time, however, it took on added significance as a group of NIFRS firefighters and the FBU leader Matt Wrack were invited to lead the parade to celebrate 100 years of trade unionism representing our firefighter colleagues in the UK. Our UK colleagues then looked to our band to represent and lead them on what was for them a prestigious occasion. The parade was preceded by the dedication of a plaque commemorating the sacrifices made over the years by members of NIFRS, with our band again playing a pivotal role during this ceremony by provision of a solo piper for the short ceremony. The journey north was well worth it and our colleagues in FBU

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PIPE BAND

Northern Ireland Branch made sure we were refreshed afterwards.

Closer to home and back to our grassroots, supporters and the band took part in another successful station open day in No. 8 station. The band is sometimes very limited by operational requirements and availability of our volunteer members but we do try and provide a representation, in particular at the request of station open days and requests from our base support. This was no different and our mini band was once again well received by the huge crowds attending Nutgrove station. Proud to be part of it, take a bow Derek [Riordan] and team.

This led into a busy summer schedule and a change of gear for the band, as this year the band targets Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann again. This is a heat system whereby the band is required to perform a 10-12 minute set comprised of traditional tunes, firstly at the county Fleadh, then the provincial Fleadh. If successful here, the band then qualifies for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

Sometimes the only competition is against ourselves; however, this doesn’t make the task any less arduous as it requires considerable preparation,

dedication and additional practice by band members, both pipe and drum corps, in preparation for such events.

There is still a standard to be met for judges and more importantly, there is still a standard to be met for ourselves.

We’ll let you know how we got in Drogheda next time.

BIG PLANS A major function of the band is representing the firefighters, of all ranks, from within DFB. In the last number of months we were given the opportunity to welcome DFB’s latest recruits to the service by performing at the recruit class CISM family information evening and by also providing a contingent to play during the passout parade for the latest ESC class. The band would like to wish these newest members of DFB a long and prosperous career and continued good luck with their training.

As well as full and mini band engagements, the bands’ solo pipers are constantly busy fulfilling engagement requests from various official sources.

Sadly, amongst such engagements are funeral requests. In particular, over the last number of months the band has provided a piper for the funerals of a

number of our retired members. Our rule of thumb is to try our utmost to provide a piper for these sad occasions upon receipt of a request from families, and we the band, would like to offer our sincere condolences to all families of our retired members recently bereaved.

Suaimhneas síoraí iad go léir.

Upcoming events point towards another busy couple of months with major events such as the FESSEF celebrations – now an annual fixture, followed shortly by Dublin City Council’s culture night where the band gets to play in the fantastic surrounds of the rotunda of City Hall.

It’s not all work and no play though, so along with the busy band schedule, we also have to find time to let our hair down – although to be fair there’s not much hair left in the band! We will be sure to keep our supporters and associated members abreast of any planned social evenings. You would think that after a busy year we would wind down for winter hibernation, we do take a break during December/early January. However, plans are already in motion for next year. Big plans – and anybody who knows the band, knows we’re good at making big plans.

The new year will bring with it new faces, as we are hoping to have our latest students progress onto full playing band members, providing much needed additions to both the piping and drum corps. But as our band is unique in that we only recruit from within DFB ranks, we need to keep continuously recruiting to keep the show on the road. So if you think you have what it takes to become a band member, why not come along to the OBI any Monday night from 7.30pm onwards. Beginners are very welcome – and don’t worry, musical ability is not necessary, you’ll be in good company.

Our door is never closed, so if you are a previous member and find yourself with a little more time than before, we’ll be glad to have you back.

The band can be reached at any time through any band member or by email at dfbpbsec@gmail.com or via any of our social media pages.

Its’ yisser band!

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STATION PROFILE

STATION PROFILE A WATCH FINGLAS

THE CREW IN FINGLAS A WATCH TAKE FIRECALL AROUND THEIR STATION, SHOWING OFF THE LITTLE TOUCHES WHICH MAKE IT TRULY UNIQUE.

T

he first thing that springs out as you approach No 5 Finglas Fire Station is a rather nifty little water feature that stands outside the front of the station, behind a bed of well-maintained and vibrant flowers and a carved wooden sign. A tall contraption made from old firefighting helmets, the feature had been relocated from the yard to the front of the station as part of a community effort for Finglas Tidy Towns. It depicts the Fire Brigade’s chain of command from District Officer at the top to Recruit Firefighter at the bottom, passing water from one helmet to the next. It is a unique aspect

to the station which immediately serves to define it from all others.

After admiring the water feature, I ring the bell to the station and I am greeted by District Officer Larry Byrne, who shows me in. The Station Officer at No 5 in Finglas is on annual leave at the time of my visit, and so it is down to D/O Byrne and the rest of the A watch crew to show me around. The D/O, however, insists on members of the crew taking me around – ostensibly to give A watch the attention they deserve for their station profile, but one suspects that he enjoyed forcing crew members that prefer to remain behind the scenes to now act as the centre of attention.

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After lots of back and forth, it is eventually Shane Whelan who shows me around. Shane had arrived at No 5 only a year previously, with Finglas being his first base following his passout from the OBI. He gives me as much information as he can as we walk around, though he insists that some of the other crew members who had been there longer would know more.

Being there for only a year, Shane wasn’t even around for the station’s renovations, which had taken place around three years before.

To find out more about this, I speak to Ken Brady, who has been based in Finglas for 18 years. “They knocked down the walls,” he explains, recalling the renovation. “We’ve a chef on D watch, and he designed the kitchen [to complement] the way he works, starting with the prep and then cleaning on the other end.”

As well as the kitchen, the renovations also brought new gym facilities to the station, as Stephen O’Reilly, at the station for five years, tells me. “They built an extension on the side as well to facilitate in-house training and fitness,” he says. “There’s a gym – the extension was built onto the whole side of the station.”

D/O Larry Byrne, Ken Brady, Stephen O’Reilly, Shane Whelan, John Walsh. Missing on the day were S/O Peter Higgins, Floating S/O Shay Caine, Patrick Wickham, Eddie Byrne, Brian O’Keefe, Gary Brennan, Vinny Carroll, John Leckey.

RENOVATIONS The station has quite a unique feel, owing to the renovations and some innovative features that have been installed. There are, of course, the fundamentals to the station which allow it to function at its core level, but there are aspects to the place that cannot be found elsewhere and which come together to mould its overall character. As with the water feature that stands at the front of the station, there are a number of other features which have made use of some old

firefighting equipment and which have been transformed into something entirely new. The most impressive of these would be an ambulance in one of the stairwells, which has the appearance of being built directly into one of the walls. In the kitchen area, it is the same story with the front of a fire appliance, which has a flatscreen at its centre in place of its windshield.

Walking along the second floor corridor, you come to a door which takes you to the rooftop. Here, there is a little recreational area, with a

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STATION PROFILE couple of benches made out of ladders stretching out under the sun. This particular day of my visit is a little overcast – a rarity in the scorching summer of 2018 – but one can imagine this rooftop to be a rather pleasent feature of the station during the days of good weather.

Of course, the hot weather can prove to be a particularly troublesome time for the emergency services, and the crew at No 5 were certainly no exception. No 5 covers to the borders of Phibsborough’s area in Glasnevin, and from there up to the border with Louth. They respond when required to domestic incidents or RTCs alongside crews from Swords, and Skerries and Balbriggan retained fire stations. Bristol-Myers Squibb in Swords presents a potential hazmat challenge, which the large electrical station on the North Road, where large amounts of fuel are stored, adds to the list of potential large-scale incidents.

This jurisdiction covers a vast area and encompasses many different environments, including gorse, which was a particular concern during the heatwave.

“Geographically it’s a decent sized area,” explains Stephen O’Reilly. “You go from here, heading to Ashbourne, into Garretstown, Ballycoolin, heading back down to the start of Glasnevin, Ashtown. You head out to the back of Blanchardstown as well. A lot of gorse too. A lot of grass fires.”

Significantly, the crew was also among the first to respond to the Metro Hotel fire on March 21st this year.

This fire began in an apartment on the thirteenth floor of the high-rise, before spreading in a downward direction to engulf more units on the tenth floor. A number of apartments on both floors were destroyed, while those in between suffered varying degrees of smoke and water damage. Fire fighters were alerted to the blaze at 8.13pm with more than 60 personnel arriving in eight units within about seven minutes and fighting the blaze using the brigade’s specialist equipment.

“We were the first on the scene at the Metro Hotel,” recalls John Walsh.

“There would have been at least eight or ten pumps there.” D/O Byrne confirms: “It finished up with about ten pumps there. It went in as an industrial fire.” There were no injuries reported as a result of the fire and all 150 guests were safely evacuated from the highrise building.

DRILLS In the yard at No 5 station, in the shadow of the training tower, is a structure about the same size and shape as a small Portakabin, though it is clearly marked as a being an object of the fire brigade. As I remark upon it to the A watch crew, they inform me that this structure is a mass casualty pod.

“The pod is a new attachment to the station,” explains Stephen O’Reilly.

“They’re trying to put different pods around the city, and in the event of a mass casualty incident, the different stations will have access to the different pods. There’s currently an on-going familiarisation with our specific pod. They’re rolling out a training programme now to bring everyone to speed.”

There are a number of different pods and shelters which serve a different purpose littered around the city. There is the mass casualty tent shelter, the

mass fatality shelter, and also the hazmat decontamination shelter. The idea behind these pods and shelters is that they will be placed around the city, and in the event of a major emergency, a vehicle will come to collect the pod and deploy it to where it is necessary. The mass casualty pod, as Stephen explains, acts like a portable hospital in the event of a mass casualty incident. “[The pod] has a mass casualty tent on it – like a mobile hospital – so in the event of a mass casualty incident, we could actually roll out a tent inside that inflates and has different bays inside for working in and triaging patients,” he says.

Fortunately, the pod has never had to be used in a genuine scenario, but it has been used for training purposes, as John Walsh tells me. Training and drills are a regular fact of life for No 5’s A watch, as with any crew within the brigade. “Every day you have to do a drill, for familiarisation of the equipment and also to make sure the equipment is always serviceable and ready to go,” says Stephen O’Reilly.

Drills keep Finglas’ A watch sharp and on their toes – which, when you consider the breadth of their jurisdiction, is no bad thing.

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TRAUMA CHALLENGE

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE Eithne Scully recounts the recent Trauma Challenge in Tipperary.

O

n Saturday, April 21st 2018, two teams from Dublin Fire Brigade participated in the Rescue Organisation Ireland (ROI) Trauma Challenge, which was held at Nenagh Fire Station, Co. Tipperary.

The extrication and trauma challenge has run for ten years, with teams taking part from all over Ireland, alongside a number of teams from abroad. The organisation and effort put into running this challenge is phenomenal and is a testament to the ROI. The extrication challenge is comprised of teams of six. Each team completes two scenarios, one

scenario being a complex which entails extracting two casualties trapped in a car within 30 minutes. The second scenario is a rapid extrication of one casualty within 10 minutes. A number of DFB personnel, with potential interest in putting a team together to enter the challenge next year, came to watch and learn.

The trauma challenge was run in a similar fashion. Each team is made up of two members who complete two scenarios – one complex and one standard. The complex scenario entails the assessment and treatment of two casualties while the standard scenario involves one casualty. Each floor test lasts nine minutes, with one minute for handover at the end. The standard is at Emergency First Responder (EFR) level and every team gets a completely different floor test. There is a 15-minute debrief at the end of each floor test, where assessors critique the team’s performance.

For our part, DFB entered two teams into the trauma challenge. DFB 1 was Darren Quigley and Stephen Mason while DFB 2 was Joe Brady and Eithne Scully. The teams met a number of times in the weeks prior to the challenge to get some training sessions in, so thanks must go to the officers and crew of No. 1 station and the Clontarf Red Cross unit who facilitated us in training for this event.

On the day, our training paid off, as both teams put in stellar performances which we were both well pleased with.

DFB 1 was placed 9th overall and DFB 2 was 7th. We learnt a lot from the day itself, but especially from the training sessions beforehand. It is a challenge that I would certainly encourage people to consider participating in.

On behalf of the teams, I would like to thank Ray Martin and Peter Sherlock for their encouragement to get involved in the ROI challenge.

We would also like to thank the DFB Sports and Social Club for their assistance, and DFB management, especially Chief Fire Officer Pat Fleming and Third Officers Brendan McNicholas and John Keogh – it was greatly appreciated.

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STATION PROFILE

STATION PROFILE A WATCH NUTGROVE

The crew of A watch Nutgrove.

SMACK BANG IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LONG SUMMER HEATWAVE OF 2018, TIERNAN CANNON CATCHES UP WITH NUTGROVE FIRE STATION’S A WATCH IN RATHFARNHAM.

T

he sun is splitting the stones on a balmy Monday afternoon, as the crew of Nutgrove Fire Station’s A watch show me around their station in Rathfarnham.

Ireland is very much still in the middle of its prolonged heatwave at the time of the visit, which, in spite of the pleasantness it sets upon the days, imposes some challenges for the crew at Nutgrove.

“We are a sub-station of Alpha district, which is Donnybrook, Dún Laoghaire and Rathfarnham. We also have quite a rural area – a lot of gorse areas,” explains Ken Monaghan, Station Officer of Nutgrove’s A

watch. “There was a huge spike [in gorse fires]. Whether that be through natural means – glass magnifying the sun’s heat onto the grass – or through anti-social behaviour, we can’t tell.”

The sheer intensity of the summer heatwave had created tinder-like conditions throughout S/O Monaghan and his crew’s territory. A watch has been put to task by the heat, with gorse fires particularly spiking in their frequency.

Gorse fires can be an extremely challenging incidents to bring under control for a variety pf reasons, as S/O Monaghan sets out. “A large gorse fire is man-power dependant to extinguish, because of the large

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area it covers,” he says. “Plus, you’ve got issues with fighting fires in the heat – you have to be weary of the firefighter’s health. And the time of day as well – at night-time, it’s dark and you’ve got hollows and holes and all sorts of trips and hazards.”

Gorse fires then are particularly dangerous incidents for the crew to deal with. However, new technologies are coming into play which ultimately serve the fire brigade in its attempts to deal with situations such as this, as has been the case this year with some gorse fires. “The use of the drones gives us a bird’s eye view of the scene of operations to identify the risks and to deploy the staff in

order to effectively prevent a fire,” says S/O Monaghan. “[The drone] was particularly useful in the recent gorse fires. It was able to allow us to deploy staff directly to where we needed to get them. Because of gorse being what it is, your field of vision is curtailed, because you can’t see at a distance, because you’ve high mountains and hills and rivers and valleys and whatever else it might be.

With the drone, you’re able to get a direct picture of where the resources need to go.”

STAYING SHARP Given the location of Nutgrove Fire Station – operating within both

rural and urban environments – it is down to S/O Monaghan to keep his A watch in tip-top shape. He has the experience to do so – having been based at Nutgrove since 2014, after serving first as a Sub Officer in Donnybrook and a floating Station Officer in Bravo District, which covers Dolphins Barn and Tallaght.

As S/O at Nutgrove, he must take into consideration a wide variety of risks that can occur within the station’s territory, ensuring that his crew stays sharp. “We have the M50 that runs through the area,” he says.

“We also have a number of shopping centres – Dundrum, Rathfarnham – and a large number of nursing homes

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STATION PROFILE in the area. We have the Mount Carmel Community Hospital, which is a transitional hospital for elderly people, where they’ve had operations in the main hospital but they’ve transferred here to recuperate. They would be the large risks that we have.”

Marlay Park also falls within Nutgrove’s jurisdiction, and the summer concerts that are held there pose a particular risk. In July, for example, with a combination of the warm weather and one of the biggest pop stars in the world in Bruno Mars performing in the area, the crew at Nutgrove knew they would have to be prepared.

“Before these things, we would inspect the site, check it out, make sure we have good access, rendezvous points – that we’re prepared and ready,” explains S/O Monaghan.

“These concerts might have a lot of anti-social behaviour, with alcohol, drugs, et cetera. There would be a spike in those sorts of incidents.

But in general, between the Guards and ourselves, we curtail it as best as we can.”

ALWAYS LEARNING In order to keep on top and alert to the risks at play within their area, the A watch crew at Nutgrove frequently conduct drills and tests. “Throughout the year we would have a number of different exercises that we do – we would have a hazardous material exercise, we could do a breathing apparatus exercise – which we have recently completed – we’ve been doing a road traffic collision exercise.

All different aspects of the job that we try to focus on every couple of months. We also do the Luas, where we call over to the track and the experts in the Luas show us how to access the vehicles in the event of a crash, outlining how to make it safe.

All different aspects of the job. We keep honing our skills, practising our skills, putting them into practice.”

To illustrate his point, S/O Monaghan gives the example of a road traffic collision exercise: “We’d get a couple of cars outside in the

yard, we’d simulate a crash, put a couple of dummies into them and practice extraction. The idea with a road traffic collision is to remove as much of the environment away from the patient to allow for extraction.

So for example, crumpled doors, broken glass, all those things, must be reduced.”

Exercises such as this are extremely important for firefighters, particularly given the range of duties that they might be faced with on a given day.

“Everyday we would be having drills,” continues S/O Monaghan.

“Essentially, because of the varied roles we have – we have fire and EMS – we tend to focus on the fire appliance for daily training, and we also do lectures and what’s called a CPD (Continuous Professional Development) on the EMS side.”

Upstairs in the station is a lecture room, where the crew receives lessons.

However, as well as the in-house lessons taught to crew members, DFB is also very supportive of education beyond the brigade itself. “A good few are doing courses that are funded by the brigade,” says S/O Monaghan.

“That’s a positive side to the brigade – the support it gives for education for staff members.” Nutgrove A watch firefighter Paul O’Riordan, for example, is completing a masters, which he says is supported by the brigade. “They’re very good,” he says, in reference to the brigade’s support.

“They’re very accommodating, in

terms of hours and time for tests.”

There are also a number of members of A watch doing their advanced paramedic training.

“Liam Rooney has just qualified as an advanced paramedic,” says S/O Monaghan. “Mark O’Byrne is ready to go in September, so we’ll hopefully have two soon in the station.”

Nutgrove Fire Station was opened in the early eighties, and there are small improvements occurring to help modernise the place, bit by bit.

“There’s been small improvements,” says S/O Monaghan. “We’ve recently replaced all lights with LEDs. We’re waiting for a revamp.”

While the station itself is over three decades old, the crew at Nutgrove has recently gotten its hands on brand new Personal Protection Equipment, as well as the newest appliances in the brigade, with a 181-registered ambulance and a 171 fire appliance.

“The appliances attached to the station are the newest available,” beams S/O Monaghan. “[That last one was] an 03, so we’ve jumped a couple of years. That has been a great addition to the station.”

Aside from everything else though, there is a visceral sense of camaraderie at Nutgrove, with lots of jokes and banter sounding out through the station. S/O Monaghan and his crew were extremely accommodating, happy to talk and show me around, and even breaking out the nice tin of biscuits. Fair play!

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THE EMERALD SOCIETY

A SALUTE TO BILL KELLY The Emerald Society Firefighters of Washington, D.C. is a firefighter-based fraternal and family organisation for members of Irish heritage. The following extract is a tribute to Emerald Society member and friend of Dublin Fire Brigade, Bill Kelly, who recently passed away.

W

illiam J. “Bill” Kelly has been a fixture in our Emerald Society family for as long as anyone can remember. Born on March 22, 1940, he missed his first St Patrick’s Day by a few hours, but he sure made up for it in the years to come.

He grew up in the Petworth area of Washington, D.C. and maintained a lifelong connection to his friends from St Gabriel’s Church. He proudly served his country in the US Navy and then worked in construction for a number of years. Bill was appointed to DCFD [District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department] on March 24, 1968, assigned to Engine 18 and rose through the ranks to retire as the Captain of Engine 29 on September 30, 1994.

Along the way, Bill was instrumental in the organisation of the Emerald Society as a way to honour his Irish heritage and the fire service. He was the second person elected President of our organisation, serving from 1982 to 1983 and helping to get us off on the right path. Bill was also the first member honoured by his peers as the Gaelic Man of the Year in 1981,

Bill was one of the original instigators of our ongoing friendship with the members of the Dublin Fire Brigade and engaged in a number of visits back and forth to Ireland. which demonstrates the high regard in which he was held.

Bill was one of the original instigators of our ongoing friendship with the members of the Dublin Fire Brigade and engaged in a number of visits back and forth to Ireland, both with and without the Emerald Society. In fact, Bill has been to Ireland 34 times, which must be some kind of record.

Family was a very important and central part of Bill’s life. He and his wife Sue had four children - Patrick, Christine, Michael and Laura and ten grandchildren. Bill was proud that he served in the DCFD alongside two of his brothers, John and Jim, and later with his son Pat. Each of his brothers also has a son on the job, Tim and Joe Kelly.

Bill loved to march in the St Patrick’s Day parade and, even in retirement, it was a rare year that

didn’t see him lined up with our younger guys to show off his pride in his Irish background and the DC Fire Department. It seemed that whenever there was an Emerald Society event, Bill would be there surrounded by his family. Whether it was the old “Bill Kelly Bus” to the ski trips at Seven Springs, a table at the St Patrick’s Day party or a bench full of Kellys devouring crabs at the crab feast, Bill was always there with his family alongside of him.

Tragically, Bill was stricken with prostate cancer – an occupational hazard of a firefighting career – several years ago. His treatments were successful until the disease made a sudden resurgence and he passed away on January 22nd. His loss will leave an empty place in the Emerald Society for a long time to come. Rest in peace Bill, we miss you.

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Firecall and the Dublin Fire Brigade Sports and Social Club are extending their reach this year with the launch of www.firecall.ie, a new and comprehensive website featuring news, photos and features from around Dublin Fire Brigade. Building on the material covered in the quarterly Firecall magazine, firecall.ie will cover the activities of Dublin Fire Brigade personnel at all levels, including sporting achievements, training programmes, and charitable endeavours. firecall.ie will also keep Sports and Social Club members upto-date with the work of their club, highlighting the various activities organised throughout the year. Additionally, our detailed features focusing on individual stations, retired members, recruit training and much more will provide a unique insight into life in Dublin Fire Brigade and beyond. Offering enhanced digital access for readers of Ireland’s only official firefighting magazine, firecall.ie represents an excellent opportunity to showcase your products and services to a global audience within a highly influential and well-regarded sector.

Firecall and the Dublin Fire Brigade Sports and Social Club are extending their reach this year...

www.firecall.ie

To advertise on www.firecall.ie contact Diarmaid Lennon on 01-432 2200 or via email: diarmaid.lennon@ashvillemediagroup.com

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TAILORING

MADE TO MEASURE Eddie Mangan, the tailor who has provided DFB’s dress uniform for over 30 years, has retired. We caught up with Eddie to learn more about the business of making uniforms and his relationship with DFB.

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started out in tailoring when I was 16,” says Eddie Mangan, reflecting on a long and fruitful career in the garment business.

“I worked for a couple of places, and then I went out on my own in 1979 and I moved to Capel Street then in 1981.”

He has been there ever since – over three decades of service from his shopfront at 65 Capel Street.

Three decades is a long time in any industry, and in that time Eddie has seen the tailoring business transform. While off-the-rack or ready-to-wear clothing is today the norm, it was not always so.

The change in emphasis towards off-the-rack garments as opposed to specifically tailored pieces has seen pressure put upon tailors such as Eddie. “It’s all down to price,” he says. “You go into an individual store now and you can get a suit for maybe less than half the price that you’d get for one made for you.”

It’s clear to see that this change in attitude and habit can be considered

That's the good part of the job. Seeing the finished garment and making sure they're satisfied.”

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a challenge for tailoring business owners like Eddie, but it was not for this reason that he recently decided to head into retirement. Rather, it was because he simply felt that the time was right.

Now in a position to look back over his time in business, Eddie discusses the main aspects of his work, which, of course, leads into a conversation about his tailoring of Dublin Fire Brigade’s uniforms, which he had been designing and manufacturing for a large part of his career.

“Generally, the likes of [Dublin Fire Brigade] will get a made-tomeasure uniform,” Eddie explains.

“It’s not off-the-peg, so they come in and they get measured. It’s the same with the recruits down at the training centre – you’ve got to go out there [to the O’Brien Institute] and you’ve got to measure them, you’ve got to get them to try on the uniforms, and before they pass out [of the centre], you’ve got to make sure that everything is okay.”

Clearly, the quality of Eddie’s uniforms is extremely high, and the process could be meticulous and very time-consuming. It was important then that Eddie prepare well in advance, carefully ensuring that his uniforms would be ready in good time before the date that they were required. He mentions, by way of example, the uniforms that he has manufactured for new recruits to the brigade that are undergoing training at the O’Brien Institute (OBI).

“Generally, when I go out [to the OBI] and I measure [the recruits] up – they’ll be out there for maybe 12 weeks – so I have that time to

work on the uniforms,” he says.

“You’d usually have them ready about a week beforehand.”

A JOB WELL DONE Maintaining such a high-quality product – and doing so on schedule – must bring with it its fair share of stresses, but ultimately Eddie believes it is worth it.

“It’s satisfying when you go out to the training centre and you fit all the uniforms, and then you see them when they pass out on the day, when they’re marching up and down,” he says. “That is satisfying. That’s the good part of the job. Seeing the finished garment and making sure they’re satisfied.”

Not only can the job lead to sense of fulfilment upon seeing the finished product in action, it can also stir up some interesting challenges.

In 2016, for example, Eddie was asked to design and manufacture uniforms which replicated those worn by members of St John’s Ambulance during the days of 1916.

“That was tough,” he remembers. “We had to work off a photograph – we didn’t have a sample!

There were six of them – that was challenging now.

But as I said, when they’re finished, they’re brilliant.

When you see them.

It’s good to see them finished.”

Of course, now Eddie can look

forward to retirement, with many accomplishments in his field to reflect upon. He has overcome some interesting challenges in his work, and has played his part in creating garments for some wonderful institutions. Indeed, recalling his time manufacturing DFB’s uniforms and the people he met, he says: “They’re great, not a bother. They made it easy for me – they’re a great bunch.”

Now though is time for a simpler life in retirement, and after three decades in business, it will be a simpler life well-deserved. “I’d been thinking about it for the last few years,” Eddie concludes. “I did me bit – now it’s time to let someone else do it!”

They're great, not a bother. They made it easy for me – they're a great bunch.

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Do you have an interesting story or topic to share, or would you like to submit an article for consideration for our next issue?

We love to hear from Dublin Fire Brigade personnel both serving and retired – stories and memories from your career, interesting events, technology and training, questions, comments and much more besides.

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26/09/2018 09:35

RETIRED MEMBERS

RETIRED MEMBER PROFILE John Whelan Tiernan Cannon catches up with retired District Officer John Whelan, who first joined the brigade in 1969.

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always wanted to be in the brigade, it was an ambition,” remembers retired Dublin Fire Brigade District Officer John Whelan, reflecting on his early years before the brigade. “I was a mechanic, working on Grand Canal Street, but I always wanted to be in the fire brigade. I had no relations in the job, but it was always something that appealed to me, even as a kid.”

On July 7, 1969, John followed his dream, joining Dublin Fire Brigade at the age of 24. He would go on to have a long and varied career, working all across the city and eventually ending his career as a District Officer of Donnybrook’s D Watch, before he retired in 2005. Since then, he has been enjoying his retirement with the company of his wife, four children and nine grandchildren, and has aspirations to travel. “I always wanted to go back to the States,” he says, when asked if he had anywhere particular in mind. “We went to Las Vegas for our 40th wedding anniversary, and I have to say – though it’s the ultimate in capitalism – it’s an absolutely fantastic place. I would have liked to have spent longer there.”

Retirement, of course, is the perfect time to pursue such adventures, but as John reflects on his time with Dublin Fire Brigade, the joy of the job he left behind cannot be denied. “I have to say, I enjoyed every single day of it,” he says. “It’s one of those jobs where it’s different everyday, where you’re meeting different people. It’s the sort of job you look forward to going into everyday – you just don’t know what you’re going to be doing!”

With the days not following a set pattern, John was always kept on his toes, always interested in the work at hand. Of course, the nature of the job also leads to a certain togetherness between colleagues that is quite unique. “It’s a different sort of job to others,” he suggests. “You’re sleeping in the same room as other people, so in this job you build up a relationship and sense of camaraderie. You get to know people quite well and the stories always get better.”

CHANGING TIMES John witnessed many changes within the brigade over the years, particularly in relation to training. He recalls that when he first joined, the new recruits were trained for only around four or five weeks, compared to the mandatory threemonth training period today. The changes in the job from then to now are, as John describes in his own words, “unbelievable”.

“When I first went in, you were trained as a fireman, and you did

an ambulance course up in Ratra House, which is behind Áras an Uachtaráin. I think we spent two or three weeks there,” he recalls.

“Basically, it was an advanced first aid course. Nowadays, [members of the brigade] are paramedics and even advanced paramedics. It’s great to see that they’re so well trained.

When they come to your door, you know you’re going to get the best.”

The importance of appropriate training cannot be understated, and the fact that Dublin Fire Brigade members are highly-trained allows for the stresses of the job to be dealt with. John claims that after a long day’s work, he was able to leave “everything in his locker” before he went home, allowing him to get on with the task at hand the following day. There was, however, one day in particular that had an impact.

On May 17, 1974, a series of coordinated bombings in Dublin and Monaghan occurred, in what would turn out to be the deadliest attack of the Troubles. “I was stationed at Dorset Street, and I was on the ambulance that day, myself and Charlie Fahy,” recalls John. “We knocked off at 6 o’clock and we were getting ready to go home, and the next thing we heard the bang [from Parnell Street]. Then there was another one down on Talbot Street and the corner of Gardiner Street.

And there was another one at South Leinster Street, where the railings are at Trinity. We knew. We went down on the ambulance – that day

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RETIRED MEMBERS

Retired District Officer John Whelan.

was the only thing that really effected me.”

Working for the fire brigade can be a stressful experience, and there are incidents such as the bombings which undoubtedly have a profound impact upon those called upon to help. Yet, as John stresses, such situations offer up an opportunity to learn. Experience is a valuable thing, and when he became a station officer, he learned how to reflect upon particularly trying days with his colleagues. “If you came back from, say, a very bad crash, you’d sit down and you’d have a cup of tea

and you’d talk about it. What did we do? Could we have done any better?

You’re learning all the time,” he says.

“You’re dealing with some of the nasty things of life, but [it’s gratifying] when you save someone.

That was the great part!”

It is this over-arching sense of gratification that comes with saving lives and having a positive effect upon a community that John worked for. Indeed, it is this feeling that means John would today encourage a young person to consider making a career within Dublin Fire Brigade.

“I’d recommend it to anyone, no

doubt about it,” he asserts. “It has everything. But you have to have the right idea, you’re going in to do a bit of work as well.”

John believes that if members of the brigade are prepared to work and learn on the job, then they will be rewarded with a long and fruitful career – and it doesn’t stop there. “I’m a member of the Retired Members Club,” he says. “I think it’s very important to keep in touch with fellas that you were working with over the years. I loved the job.

You meet people and they’d be your friend for the rest of your life.”

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FIRE SAFTEY

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FOLLOWING PROCEDURE Dublin City Council has been forced to develop a more robust reporting procedure to deal with overcrowding throughout the city.

ver the last year or so, Dublin City Council has noticed a growing number of incidences in which overcrowded and unsafe buildings have had to be shut down. Throughout Dublin, there are a number unscrupulous landlords involved in overcrowding, taking advantage of a housing crisis throughout the city – particularly with regard to the young and vulnerable foreign nationals coming to the country to study or work.

The regulations covering building standards were updated in 2017, however the actual legislation covering overcrowding dates all the way back to 1966.

The council is dependent on tenants and the general public to report situations of overcrowding. However, it is very unlikely that tenants themselves will make any complaint or report about their accommodation, regardless of its condition. Such a complaint or report runs the risk of making that tenant homeless, and so they would be eager to avoid such a scenario.

The council, then, is reliant on the general public or neighbours to report information, or even suspicions.

In light of the increasing incidences of overcrowding, council officials have been working on developing a greater coordinated approach to the problem, with a swifter response to complaints, while acting fully within the legislative framework. The council’s powers and authority under current planning and environmental health legislation are not robust or swift enough to deal with the dangerous situations brought about by overcrowding. Given this fact, much of the focus has been on fire safety, a critically important consideration.

Dublin Fire Brigade has dealt effectively with a number of overcrowding cases by shutting down offending buildings, but ultimately this is not sustainable going forward, as the brigade cannot afford to dedicate so much of its resources and time to overcrowding situations in residential dwellings.

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and storage and laundry facilities, ventilation, lighting, fire safety, refuse facilities, gas, oil and electrical installations, and general information.

INSPECTIONS Dublin City Council’s Environmental Health Officers have both a proactive and re-active inspection programme.

Their proactive inspection programme includes inspection under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and the Housing Assistance Payments Scheme (HAP), along with identifying properties for inspection more likely not to be in compliance with the legislation. Reactive inspections are generally in response to complaints from tenants and full contact details of the landlord are required in all cases where enforcement action is being taken.

An Environmental Health Officer will then contact the complainant and arrange to inspect the letting at the convenience of the tenant. Subsequent to the inspection, the officer will then take appropriate enforcement action.

Where the rented property is found to be non-compliant, there is no authority under current housing standards legislation to require the landlord to terminate a tenancy or to vacate a property. There is no provision under the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2017 that regulates

overcrowding in private rented dwellings.

When Dublin Fire Brigade receives a referral or complaint, an inspection is carried out by an authorised Fire Brigade Officer. If there are any fire safety deficiencies found, and depending on the findings, there are a range of actions that can be taken – for example, they might issue a warning letter, fire safety notice, fire risk assessment, closure notice, or high court order which may lead to the evacuation of the premises.

Where a Fire Safety Notice has been issued, this information is passed on through the chain of command to operational fire fighters to ensure that they are aware of the premises and the fire safety deficiencies.

REPORTING

The council considers that the current legislation around overcrowding – the 1966 Housing Act – needs to be updated and strengthened.

Rather than overly focusing on inspections and enforcement of current regulations that are quite cumbersome, the council is of the opinion that there needs to be an emphasis on much greater penalties, including large court fines, disbarment from being a landlord, reporting to Revenue Commissioners, and injunction powers for the Local Authority.

Such a framework would be a greater disincentive to such overcrowding activities. While the council can close a premises down, as it has done, it does result in homelessness for the tenants.

The primary responsibility for private rented dwellings complying with all legislation requirements rests with landlords. Landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that all properties that are let or available for letting comply with all applicable legislation.

The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2017 are applicable to all private rented dwellings. These regulations require landlords of rented dwellings to ensure such properties meet certain minimum standards. The regulations came into effect on the 1 July 2017 and relate to a dwelling’s structural condition, sanitary and heating facilities, food preparation

Where a tenant or member of the public has concerns about their rented accommodation, they can contact Dublin City Council on 01 222 2222 or customerservice@ dublincity.ie and give details of their complaint to the customer services agent. The Fire Prevention Section of Dublin Fire Brigade can be contacted directly at 01 673 4000 and fire@dublincity.ie.

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TRAINING

HARMONISING EUROPEAN RELIEF EFFORTS

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D/O Derek Cheevers, Dublin Fire Brigade HQ.

We speak with District Officer at Dublin Fire Brigade HQ, Derek Cheevers, to find out more about the European Civil Protection Mechanism course offered in the OBI.

n the aftermath of a natural or man-made disaster, a country may find that its response capacity has been overwhelmed.

It might require help from beyond its borders, and so other countries may come in to provide assistance. This emergency relief can take the form of in-kind assistance, deployment of speciallyequipped teams, or assessment and coordination by experts sent to the field. Given the vital role of this relief, it is essential that a wellcoordinated response be organised and implemented, ensuring that multiple countries don’t end up duplicating one another’s relief efforts. It is for this reason that in 2001, the EU established its Civil Protection Mechanism.

The EU Civil Protection Mechanism fosters cooperation among national civil protection authorities across Europe, enabling a more rapid and effective response to emergencies by coordinating the delivery of civil protection teams and assets to a disaster-affected country and population. Any country in the world can call on the Mechanism for help, and since its launch, it has received around 300 requests for assistance. It has intervened in some of the most devastating disasters the world has faced, such as the Ebola outbreak, the conflict in Ukraine and the refugee crisis in Europe. The Mechanism currently includes all 28 EU member states, in addition to Iceland, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey.

Any country in the world can request assistance in a disaster.

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Through the Mechanism, the European Commission supports and complements the prevention and preparedness efforts of participating states, focusing on areas where a joint European approach is more effective than separate national actions. These include improving the quality of and accessibility to disaster information, encouraging research to promote disaster resilience, and reinforcing early warning tools. In addition, the Mechanism provides training and exercise programmes for experts and teams from the participating countries.

TRAINING AT THE OBI Since 2013, the O’Brien Training Institute (OBI) in Marino has been used for the Operational Management Course (OPM), which is seen as the cornerstone of the Civil Protection training programme. Derek Cheevers, a District Officer assigned to A Watch at Dublin Fire Brigade HQ, was among those to undertake the first course at the OBI. “Participants receive instruction on a wide range of topics, including safety and security, cultural awareness, planning and collaboration with relevant stakeholders, as well as preparing field coordination meetings,” D/O Cheevers explains.

“The exercise element of the course begins on Monday evening and concludes Thursday afternoon. It sees the participants establish an On Site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC) in a disasteraffected country, where they work with the Local Emergency Management Authority (LEMA) coordinating assistance that is arriving from Europe. There are a number of role-players involved in the exercise element, all of which the participants have to engage with on various levels.”

The OPM course lasts for one week at the OBI, and attempts to replicate the field conditions of a

disaster-stricken area as accurately as possible, with participants sleeping on field beds and eating military 24-hour ration packs.

A certificate is awarded at the end of the training course and the participant’s national pointof-contact is informed of the performance of their candidate.

Successful graduates are considered deployable under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and may be mobilised as Coordination Experts for future emergencies.

Ireland has, in the past, mobilised individuals as part of the Mechanism to assist in disaster response.

“Delivering the OPM training course is challenging from a logistics perspective,” says D/O Cheevers. “Typically it involves 21 students, with as many support staff, management, trainers, assistant trainers and TAST (Technical Assistance Support Team) members. With over 40 people arriving from all over Europe at different times, the support of Dublin Civil Defence in providing transport has been invaluable. All in all, the success of the course is down to it being a team effort.”

PRESTIGIOUS WORK The OPM is an extremely prestigious course for Dublin Fire

Brigade to host, says D/O Cheevers, with the brigade being a part of a consortium of five organisations delivering this training. The other organisations are THW (German Federal Agency for Disaster Relief), the Italian National Civil Protection department, DEMA (Danish Emergency Management Agency) and the Icelandic Police Service.

There are eight OPM courses in a training cycle, with Dublin delivering two per year and the others taking place in Italy and Germany.

The operational hub of the European Civil Protection Mechanism is the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) in Brussels, which monitors emergencies around the globe 24/7 and coordinates the response of participating countries in the event of a crisis. Through a direct link with the national civil protection authorities of the Mechanism’s participating states, the ERCC ensures rapid deployment of civil protection assets. Additionally, the ERCC provides emergency communications and monitoring tools through the Common Emergency Communication and Information System (CECIS), a web-based alert and notification application enabling real-time exchange of information.

The reasons behind the Mechanism are clear with regard to disaster-stricken countries, but there are also advantages for those countries that mobilise their own people to help as a part of it, as D/O Cheevers concludes. “Ireland has, in the past, mobilised individuals as part of the Mechanism to assist in disaster response,” he says.

“Training in this area also enhances our domestic preparedness and gives us the ability to embed national experts into incoming teams as Host Nation Support Liaison Officers (HNLO), should Ireland be affected by a catastrophic event and require assistance from Europe.”

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FIXED FIREFIGHTING SYSETMS

FIRE DRILLS AT THE PORT In late April, Dublin Fire Bridge paid a visit to Dublin Port to check out Circle K’s newly installed fire protection system.

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n late spring this year, Circle K (formerly Topaz) completed a major safety project with the installation of a brand new fixed firefighting system at its fuel terminal, located at Dublin Port. Upon completion of this newly installed fire protection system at its tank farm number two facility, Circle K invited Dublin Fire Brigade – a regular visitor to Dublin Port – to attend the very first foam deployment exercise to get an overview of how the new system is operated. DFB is regularly invited to participate in fire drill rehearsals at Dublin Port and to see the different protection systems in operation.

Flora McKnight is a Terminal Supervisor at one of the two Circle K oil terminals. As part of her duties, McKnight supervises normal daily operations at the fuel farm to ensure that all activities undertaken in the terminal are controlled in accordance with the company’s standards. “Part of my role is to carry out fire exercises on a regular basis in order to familiarise ourselves with the emergency procedures to follow in the case of a major incident,” she explains.

McKnight was also a part of Circle K’s efforts to update the company’s firefighting systems.

“The new firefighting system was a major project for us,” she says.

“The objective of the project was to comply with the requirements of the authorities – Dublin Port and Dublin Fire Brigade – for firefighting

facilities in tank farm number 2 to mitigate the impact of a major accident hazard.”

Setting up this new system involved the phased decommissioning of the existing system, while maintaining cover at all times, which includes tank drenching systems for all seven tanks onsite and foam injection into the four Class I tanks. McKnight says that the new system, which members of DFB got to see in action on the day they visited, improves Circle K’s firefighting capability and emergency response times when dealing with potential fires or large spills in its tank farm, with its very large bund, which, in simple terms, is a containment around an area where hazardous liquids are handled, processed or stored.

“Approximately 20,000 man hours were carried out both on and offsite [on the project] to switch to the new system, and we saw zero incidents.” says McKnight. “Circle K project engineer Michael Casey was the brains behind the outfit. He has since retired, leaving us with a state-ofthe-art firefighting system.”

FOAM UP Duty supervisors are expected to activate the system under instruction from DFB personnel who have the

expertise in this area. The foam for the firefighting system is stored in the foam tank beside the fire protection control shelter. It has a capacity of 56,000 litres and the foam

The new firefighting system was a major project for us.

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We look forward to many more fire drill rehearsals with DFB.

in use is Solberg 3% re-healing AFFF AR, which is an alcoholresistant foam, and is therefore suitable for ethanol.

The source of water for the new system is from the Dublin Port fire main, which was recently constructed and installed by the Dublin Port Authority. Circle K utilises this fire main (50,000 litres/ min) to supply water for tank

drenching of all the storage tanks and foam injection for Class I tanks. There are also 31 brand new foam pourers installed in the bund.

According to McKnight, the Dublin Port ring mains is sufficiently pressurised to provide all the company’s water requirements at the appropriate pressure, and is set to activate automatically on demand by opening the main feed supply valve.

Circle K Terminal 2 is an Upper Tier Seveso Site as defined in the

European Communities Regulations SI 74 of 2006 COMAH Regulations (Control of Major Accident Hazards Involving Dangerous Substances).

It receives hydrocarbon oil products Class I, Class II and Class III through shipping lines from the jetties in Dublin Port. The oil is then stored onsite in 16 different tanks with a capacity of approximately 38,000 tonnes. The product is loaded onto trucks at the loading gantries for distribution.

The main truck loading terminal is on Promenade Road, Dublin 3, and Circle K have two tank farms feeding the product loading arms. Tank farm number one is on Alexandra Road, Dublin 3, with storage capacity for approx. 15,000 tonnes of Class II & III products.

Tank farm number two is on Tolka Quay road, Dublin 3, where the company has storage capacity for almost 23,000 tonnes of Class I and III hydrocarbons, the most hazardous of that would be 5,000 tonnes of ethanol. The newly installed firefighting system facilitates tank farm number two.

McKnight says that Circle K is grateful to the contractors that worked on the project, and also looks ahead to further cooperation with the brigade, concluding: “We look forward to many more fire drill rehearsals with DFB.”

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CFOA CONFERENCE

HEARING FROM THE CHIEFS Each year, the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) holds its annual conference, with this year’s event taking place in Westport, Co Mayo.

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ver two days at the beginning of May this year, the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) Annual Conference took place in the picturesque town of Westport, Co Mayo.

2018 marked the 61st year of the conference – the fourth year that it has taken place in Co Mayo. The event was held in the Knockranny House Hotel & Spa on the edge of the town, and was based around a theme entitled, “Fire Service Delivery – Prepare for the Future”. There were between 150 to 200 people in attendance at the conference over the two days that it took place.

The conference was held in support of the CFOA, which expresses the professional opinion of Chief Fire Officers in Ireland on matters related to fire service operations, fire safety and major emergency management.

The association’s primary objective is to improve the safety of all people and places – thereby protecting life and property throughout the country. The Chief Fire Officers Association is a member of the Federation of European Union Fire Officer Associations (FEU), which has 22 members in Europe. Its chair is Dave Carroll, CFO Tipperary, a chartered civil engineer with 23 years of experience in the fire services,

who was appointed CFO in North Tipperary in 2001, and subsequently appointed CFO in all of Tipperary in June 2014, after the amalgamation of both North and South Tipperary County Councils.

CFO Carroll delivered a speech on the first day of the conference, wherein he highlighted the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London and discussed its implications for fire services here in Ireland. He commended the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Mr Eoghan Murphy TD, who moved immediately after the incident to establish a Fire Safety Task Force to examine the immediate priority issues around the Grenfell tragedy from an

Irish perspective. “I look forward to the publication of the final report of this group and feel confident that it will contain recommendations which will lead to an enhanced level of fire safety for all of our citizens,” CFO Carroll said in his speech to the conference.

Carroll’s speech touched upon a number of different themes, but given the year that was in it, there was no way to avoid a mention to the dramatic weather conditions that Ireland has been subjected to over recent times. “The past twelve months have brought forward unprecedented challenges for everyone in this country in the form of the severe weather events Storm Ophelia and Storm Emma,” he told the conference. “Fire services across the country found themselves at the eye of these particular storms, along with the flooding events on the Innishowen Penninsula in Donegal and Mountmellick in Co Laois. While we await the final national review and report on these events, I want to highlight the key role played by fire service personnel throughout the severe weather.”

BE PREPARED Throughout his speech, CFO Carroll paid tribute to the direct actions of the fire services around the country,

The past twelve months have brought forward unprecedented challenges for everyone in this country in the form of the severe weather events Storm Ophelia and Storm Emma.

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CFOA CONFERENCE

Peter Hynes, Chief Executive, Mayo County Council; Robert Duval, Speaker, NFPA; Alasdair Hay, Speaker, Scotland; Richard Finn, Cathaoirleach, Mayo County Council; Dave Carroll, Chairman, Chief Fire Officers’ Association; Ivana Kruijff-Korbayová, Speaker, Germany; Vladimir Vlcek, Speaker, Czech Republic; Sean Hogan, Speaker, National Directorate; Markus Ebner, Speaker, Austria; Paul Walker, Speaker, U.K.; Seamus Murphy, Chief Fire Officer & Conference Secretary.

but also warned that they would have to be prepared for a higher frequency of adverse weather conditions such as these storms in the future. “As unpredictable as weather forecasting is, I can say with some certainty that we will see more and more of these events into the future,” he said. “In line with the theme of the conference, we need to prepare for that future, and as part of that, we need to ensure that the Fire Service is again placed at the centre of major emergency management at both local, regional and, indeed, national level.”

Later reflecting to Firecall on the conference and how he felt the two days had gone, CFO Carroll said, “[I’m] very happy with how the conference went – [there was an] excellent attendance and an excellent

range of speakers, both local and international.”

Indeed, other speakers over the two days included Robert F. Duval and Vladimir Vlcek. Robert is the Senior Fire Investigator for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which is based in Quincy, Massachusetts.

He is responsible for conducting investigations of technically significant incidents, ultimately with the aim of gathering lessons from each incident in order to apply them to improving NFPA codes and standards. Vladimir Vlcek, on the other hand, is currently the Chief Fire Officer of the Fire and Rescue Brigade of the MoravianSilesian Region in the Czech Republic.

Both speakers, among the many others in attendance, contributed to the international perspective of the

conference which went a long way towards making it an overall success.

With such a strong array of speakers at this year’s event, and with as strong a location for the event as Westport, it is natural to look ahead to 2019.

“Next year’s conference will take place in Monaghan, with CFO Dermot Brannigan as conference secretary,” CFO Carroll told Firecall. “[Neither the] theme or speakers have been confirmed yet.”

Even so, with over six decades of previous conferences and a high quality list of speakers in attendance at the 2018 event, it is all but assured that the 2019 CFOA Conference will contribute towards the organisation’s aim of providing expert professional and technical advice and leadership where needed.

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WATER RESCUE

NAVIGABLE WATERS

Dublin Fire Brigade’s water rescue unit plays an important role in supporting its colleagues in the coastguard and Dublin Port.

I

n the year 2000, a water rescue unit was added to Dublin Fire Brigade. Today, the unit has two boats which sit upon a man-made floating pontoon in the River Liffey, just beside the Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship. The two boats each serve a different purpose, depending on tidal conditions – one

is for going upriver, east of O’Connell Bridge. It is a smaller boat without a propeller that can pass under bridges in high tide, but also operate in shallow waters as the tide goes out. The other boat is a twin-engine vessel which operates from O’Connell Bridge out towards the shipping area of Dublin Port.

The boats sit upon the floating pontoon in the Liffey – which was put in around eight years ago – as this ensures that they are kept in good condition. As boats sit in water, seaweed and barnacles can build up on the hull, which threatens the integrity of the vessel. Moreover, the Liffey tends to contain a lot of debris, and so keeping the boats out of the water for as long as possible is preferable. The boats sit on rollers, which mean they can slip from the pontoon into the water with ease.

The pontoon also serves another purpose, as it is also a stable base upon which to get a casualty from the water onto land. If a casualty is on a stretcher, for example, it is much easier to get the boat onto the pontoon to get the casualty to an ambulance, rather than trying to get them off an unstable boat on the water. It is also practical in the event of a low tide, which would mean a boat would be far lower than the

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land. The pontoon also allows for more dignity and privacy for a person extracted from the water.

Both boats support the work of SRTs – that is, Swift Water Rescue Technicians – that operate out of Tara Street, Dolphin’s Barn and Phibsborough fire stations. If there is an incident in the river, it is from these three stations that a crew will be dispatched. DFB’s water rescue operations are conducted under the direction of the coast guard, and it has a good relationship with Dublin Port as well. In fact, the brigade has signed a memorandum of understanding with the coast guard, which commits DFB to supporting the coast guard in the event of a major incident on the water.

HIGHLY TRAINED The brigade is self-sufficient in terms of its water rescue training. It initially offers basic training, which consists of a five-day course, which includes marine VHF training. Understanding how to effectively communicate effectively using a marine VHF radio transceiver is a vital aspect to work

on the waters. Following these first five days, there are four more days of initial training, which allows trainees to use the boat in daylight hours.

Following a period of time in which the trainees get some experience, they will then come back to do another course which allows them to operate the boats in nighttime hours.

Both of the DFB boats were manufactured in Ireland and possess the most up-to-date navigation equipment and communications systems, allowing their crews to communicate directly with the coastguard, the control room and the on-scene commander of an incident.

The bigger boat, because it’s going out to sea, has an automatic identification system (AIS), an automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS). This means that the boat can be visible to other boats on the chartplotter – a device which displays the position, heading and speed of a boat – and that the crew

on the boat itself can see other boats operating in the area in times of poor visibility, such as in fog.

The boats also have an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, or EPIRB, which is used to alert search and rescue services in the event of an emergency. It does this by transmitting a coded message via satellite and earth stations to the nearest rescue co-ordination centre.

In the event of a boat capsizing, the beacon would float off the boat, without any input from the crew. This is essential in a case where the crew would be incapacitated. Each crew member would also wear a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), so they can each be tracked, if necessary.

Dublin Fire Brigade’s water rescue crew do some vital work. In recent years, there has been a notable increase in cruise liner traffic in Dublin Port, which means the work of the crew is more important than ever.

DFB’s crew is on hand to support the coast guard and to coordinate with Dublin Port, ensuring that the waters of the city are as safe as possible and to act in the event of an incident.

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MAJOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

PREPARED FOR A MAJOR EMERGENCY In the event of a major emergency, Dublin Fire Brigade can deploy a number of shelters and pods in order to specifically deal with the situation.

A

t the site of a major emergency, the priority of rescue workers is, of course, to save lives and prevent further injuries. They must rescue those who are trapped or in danger, triage casualties, provide them with appropriate treatment, and transport them to hospital where necessary. Naturally, however, emergency situations can spring up without warning, leaving the emergency services with little time within which to act, and so their response must be swift.

The Major Emergency Management response is an agreed framework approved by Government which enables An Garda Siochána, the Health Service Executive and Local Authorities to prepare for and make a co-ordinated response to major emergencies resulting from events such as fires, transport accidents, hazardous substances incidents and severe weather. Under this framework, there are a number of pods containing specialised equipment and various inter-connectable blow-up shelters or tents which can be deployed in the event of an emergency situation.

Each of these pods has a different core function, as Greg O’Dwyer, Acting Assistant Chief Fire Officer, explains.

“There’s a mass casualty tent shelter, there’s a mass fatality one, and there’s also a hazmat – hazardous materials – decontamination one,” he says. “They’re all linked to Major Emergency Management.”

These units are all housed in pods or containers which are transported by a prime mover vehicle, which is a roll-on/roll-off system of delivery. This essentially eliminates the need for a fleet of vehicles with which to transport the pods, which would be a waste of resources, given the infrequency of their use. Rather, the one prime mover vehicle and a spare can pick up the required pod and deliver it to the scene and crew who will manage its deployment.

“Physically, the shelters will come on a pod – these big prime mover trucks that can drop what looks like a container onto the ground,” explains ACFO O’Dwyer. “It has a big hook, and it rolls it off the back like a big roll-on/ roll-off skip. They can be dropped anywhere, so rather than having all these different trucks, which have to be serviced and kept driven and all the rest of it, we have one truck and a spare and all of these different types of pods for various types of incidents. And on the pods you have these big, huge inflatable shelters.”

All of these pod units are based out of different station locations, giving ownership and expert familiarisation with the systems to the operational crews who will be responsible for their deployment at an incident. The units involved in the Major Emergency

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Preparedness Process are the Major Emergency Unit, On-Site Coordination Centre, Hazardous Materials Unit Phase 1, Hazardous Materials Decontamination Unit Phase 2, Mass Casualty Unit, and Mass Fatality Unit.

DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS The three types of pod and shelters – the mass casualty, mass fatality and hazmat shelters – are deployed specifically based upon the nature of the emergency at hand. For example, in the event of a hazardous material emergency, it is necessary to protect members of the public threatened by the event by moving them temporarily to a safe area and decontaminating them if necessary.

Where emergency decontamination of the public is required, the fire service may use its fire-fighter decontamination facilities, or improvised equipment may be used prior to the arrival of dedicated equipment.

“The mass decontamination pod does various things,” explains ACFO

O’Dwyer. “There are three or four different tents associated with that for bringing people out of a dirty area, for taking off their clothes and hosing them all down, getting them dry and getting them into boiler suits and getting them out the other side to the hospital. This is before we bring somebody to hospital.”

The mass casualty pod allows for the assessment and treatment of patients until they can either be discharged or transported to a hospital. Permanent buildings are naturally preferred to tents and shelters, as they provide power, and running water, but these mobile shelters can be deployed anywhere and can be set up quickly using the personnel and resources on-hand.

The mass fatality shelter is available in the event of mass fatalities overwhelming public mortuaries.

Refrigeration is required to facilitate the storage of remains, as post-mortem examination, identification and the gathering of forensic evidence can take some time. It would be used before

transferring fatalities to a permanent morgue, or when the deceased must be removed to access injured victims, or to keep the deceased out of public sight in order to prevent heightening distress or panic in an already emotionallycharged scene.

“The mass fatality pod is essentially a mobile morgue, and there’s a refrigeration unit on there,” explains ACFO O’Dwyer. “That would be set up on the instruction of a coroner.

Thankfully, it’ something that rarely happens. It hasn’t been used yet – only in exercises.”

Major emergencies are naturally rare events, but they can occur with little or no warning, and so Dublin Fire Brigade and all of the emergency services must be prepared to act. The level of mobilisation is dependent on the nature of the incident, and its scale and duration, but the emergency pods are a necessary aspect to a response which, ultimately, aims to protect as many people as possible.

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HERITAGE

FIRE BRIGADES UNION CENTENARY Dublin Fire Brigade historian and retired FF/P Las Fallon reflects on a recent weekend of commemoration in Belfast.

F

or the last two years, May 4th has been designated as Firefighters Memorial Day in a number of countries. This year I was invited by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) to attend the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service ceremonies in NIFRS HQ in Lisburn

on May 4th and a series of other events over that and the following day to mark Firefighters’ Memorial Day, the FBU’s 100th anniversary year, and May Day. Friday May 4th was a beautiful day on the drive up from Dublin and I was soon in the lovely city of Lisburn to meet friends and comrades from the FBU. On arriving

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at the NIFRS headquarters I was very impressed by the magnificent statue of a firefighter in full gear which stands outside the building and which would be the focal point for the morning’s ceremony. I was introduced to retired firefighter Errol Bird, the man behind the statue, and he explained the story of how he had raised funds from his fellow firefighters to see this project come to pass.

The ceremony itself consisted of a number of parts including the reading of the roll of honour and the laying of wreaths at memorial stones for the last three members to lose their lives while on duty. The wreaths were laid in turn by the head of the NI Fire Board, by NIFRS Chief Officer Gary Thompson, and by DFB Chief Officer Pat Fleming who was an honoured guest at the proceedings.

Matt Wrack, General Secretary of the FBU, laid a wreath at the memorial statue in memory of all firefighters from Northern Ireland who have lost their lives.

The most moving part of the ceremony was to follow with the presentation of medals from the Firefighters Memorial Trust to the children of the last two firefighters to lose their lives. This was

followed by a minute’s silence and a general salute.

Events moved from Lisburn to Belfast where we had lunch at the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) followed by the screening of a film on the history of the FBU and the fire service over the last 100 years. The film had a large amount of input from former members of the fire service in the north, including men who had served in Belfast and elsewhere in the 1970s during the height of the Troubles and whose stories were both amazing and thought-provoking. After the screening there was an FBU event which included the presentation to Matt Wrack of a restored Belfast Fire Brigade helmet from the 1970s to become part of the FBU’s collection at their head office. I had restored the helmet on behalf of Region 2 FBU and was given the honour by Jim Quinn, FBU chair in Northern Ireland, of presenting it to Matt on behalf of Region 2.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny as crowds gathered for the annual Belfast May Day parade. At 10.30am a new plaque to remember all Northern Ireland firefighters who have died in the line of duty was unveiled at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) offices in Belfast.

Again, the event was attended by both chief officers – Gary Thompson and Pat Fleming – and among the many local FBU members we also had the DFB Pipe Band who had been invited to lead the FBU contingent in the parade. Following a speech by Matt Wrack, the plaque was unveiled and a minute’s silence observed, followed by a beautiful lament on the bagpipes played by our own Mark Toner of the DFB Pipes and Drums. It

is intended that over time individual plaques will be placed at the sites where members lost their lives. The wall where the plaque was placed features a mural depicting trade union history in Belfast and the plaque is an important addition to that history.

The May Day parade in Belfast is a huge event when members of many unions come together to celebrate the international workers’ holiday. Prior to the parade there were a series of speeches including some powerful words from Matt Wrack of the FBU on the threats facing public service workers in today’s environment, which was equally relevant on both sides of the border.

The parade itself was led by the DFB Pipes Band and the FBU and was a goodhumoured walk in pleasant sunshine along with colleagues from all parts of Northern Ireland, serving and retired. I think all present enjoyed the day which was followed by food and drinks and good companionship in a local hostelry – as all the best events are.

For myself, the weekend was a great experience, witnessing some memorable ceremonies and events and taking part in a parade through Belfast with comrades and friends old and new. The FBU has a series of events planned throughout the year to mark their 100th anniversary but I was proud to see them also remember the brigade which had the first firefighters’ union in the world in their events. As members and former members of the fire service, we stand on the shoulders of giants. In Dublin Fire Brigade we should always remember that band of men who set up the Dublin Fire Brigademens’ Union in 1892 – another proud part of our heritage.

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HISTORY

DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADEMEN’S UNION – A WORLD FIRST

A crew in Buckingham Street, circa 1900.

Las Fallon examines the foundation and development of the Dublin Fire Brigademen’s Union.

L

ast year marked the 125th anniversary of an historic event in both Irish fire service and trade union history – the establishment of the world’s first firefighters union, the Dublin Fire Brigademen’s Union (DFBU), in 1892. Unfortunately, none of our trade unions chose to mark the event in any way, which was a pity, but it should be remembered by all who have an interest in our history and heritage as a seminal event on a number of fronts.

If the name seems odd to modern eyes it should be remembered that in the 1890s a ‘fireman’ was a specific trade, totally unrelated to firefighting – a stoker who fed coal to engines on trains or ships.

Those who fought fires were usually

referred to in official documents such as census returns as a ‘firebrigademan’ or just ‘fire brigademan’ with the ‘brigademan’ always noted as a single word. So when our forefathers gathered to seek improved conditions of pay and service and the right to negotiate on those conditions with their employers, they used the language of the time, and hence the Dublin Fire Brigademen’s Union was born.

The year 1892 is one that resonates in Dublin Fire Brigade history for a number of reasons. When writing my first book on DFB history titled Dublin Fire Brigade and the Irish Revolution in 2012, I subtitled it The story of trade unionism and republicanism within a section of Dublin’s municipal workforce 1892-1923.

The year 1892 was chosen for two reasons; the foundation of the DFBU and the arrival of a new chief officer who would change the face of the DFB for ever, Captain Thomas Purcell.

While the story of both Purcell and the new union is intertwined, you must go back further to find the roots of trade unionism within DFB. Founded as a municipal service in 1862 (but with clear roots back to 1711), DFB was a highly-disciplined organisation with harsh working and living conditions for those who were employed there. The loss of many important documents over the years and especially following the arrival of Major Comerford as Chief Officer in 1938, when a major cull of old records was carried out on his instructions, has impeded research on the very early years of the fire brigade. Like all who study the history of DFB, I am indebted to Tom Geraghty for the work he did in compiling his book Dublin Fire Brigade: A History of the Brigade, the Fires & the Emergencies (Dublin, 2004). From it, we learn of the living and working conditions of the firefighters and the controversies surrounding the deaths at fires of Fireman John Kite in 1884 and Inspector Christopher Doherty and Fireman Peter Burke in 1891. The recent deaths of Burke and Doherty, the arrival of a new chief, and the results of a report on DFB that was compiled following a tour of inspection by Dublin Corporation officers of fire brigades in England and Scotland and which proposed new rules and regulations, seem to have provided the impetus for the establishment of a trade union for firefighters. This was a previously unheard of step at a time when firefighters, if represented at all, were lumped in with a variety of other municipal workers and with no specific voice for their needs.

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HISTORY

The 1985 passout parade.

Greg Matthews RIP is at the left of the front row carrying a flag.

Dublin recruited its firefighters from a variety of backgrounds. Traditionally, sailors were considered to make ideal firefighters, as they were used to harsh working conditions in all weathers, to instantly obeying orders, and to working at heights on the sailing ships of the day.

Other recruits came from a military background, including men who had seen hard service with the British Army in the Crimean War of the mid-1850s, but also some who had served in Italy in the Papal Forces during the Italian Wars of Liberation. One of those men, Thomas Baines, is a figure of huge interest to me and is someone I have been researching with the idea of publishing his story.

On his return to Ireland from Italy he joined DFB. He was an active member of the Fenian Brotherhood and was involved in recruiting Irishmen serving in the British Army into the Fenians when he was betrayed to the G (political) Division of the Dublin Metropolitan Police by an informer. His trial, sentence to transportation to Australia, and subsequent life are something I intend to return to in future writings, but it illustrates one aspect of the men who joined the DFB in those years. A number of them were employed in the Dublin building trade and belonged to unions based around their trade as carpenters, bricklayers, stonemasons et cetera. Within those unions there was a strong Fenian influence. The men in the trade unions who took to the fire brigade as a source of reliable work with a small pension at the end did so to escape the vagaries of the building trade, but brought with them

their understanding and belief in a system of organised labour where each trade negotiated its rates and conditions with the employers. In fact, many kept their original trade union subscriptions up-todate in case they left the fire brigade and had to return to the building trade.

A report from 1892 gives the total staff of DFB as one chief officer, three officers, two engineers (each one in charge of one of the brigade’s horsedrawn steam fire engines), three drivers for the vehicles and 38 firefighters. Single men were attached to the brigade headquarters at Clarendon Row and lived on station, while married men and their families were attached to the second station at Whitehorse Yard and lived in tenements in Cook Street and Winetavern Street.

On June 5th 1892, the DFBU was formed with a membership of 42 men and affiliated with the Dublin Trades Council. In August 1892 a ‘memorial’ was submitted by the DFBU through the Trades Council to the Waterworks Committee of Dublin Corporation, outlining the life and working conditions of a Dublin firefighter and seeking improvements. The memorial spoke of long hours on continuous duty without leave, harsh discipline, low pay and poor living conditions. A man could be on duty for 21 or 22 hours out of 24. Living conditions were so poor and cramped that it was not unusual for an entire family to have just one bed. The lack of protective clothing of any kind and other issues around pay and discipline were also raised, as was the prospect of extending the

guaranteed leave for a DFB member to seven days per year. The response of the Waterworks Committee to this new method of dealing with employees was to reject most of the demands while making concessions on starting pay and the length of service needed for full pay. The idea of seven days off per year was also taken under consideration.

In the early days, the DFBU operated under the banner of the Dublin Trades Council but in December 1912 it registered as a stand alone union and made its claims in it own right. The secretary of the union was the trade union official called P.T. Daly (a former member of the Supreme Council of the Irish Republican Brotherhood) and the treasurer was Fireman Joseph Lynch.

The DFBU, as a public service body, was not involved in the 1913 Lockout but organised collections for locked out workers. They were under the surveillance of the DMP’s G Division and Dublin firemen were considered to be, in the words of one constable, “on the radical side and always surly to the [police] force”.

The DFBU carried the fight for improvements in pay and conditions on through the years of the revolution and counter revolution but fell foul of the new Free State administration in 1923 when, following pay cuts imposed by the government, they took the first strike action in the history of the brigade.

The story of the DFBU is one which deserves to be told in more detail and I hope to return to the subject, looking at the years from 1923 to the winding up of the union in the early 1940s when the work of many small localised unions were also brought to a close. I highly recommend Tom Geraghty’s history of Dublin Fire Brigade as a top-class source on the history and development of the DFBU, written by not only an excellent historian, but a man who dedicated his life to the advancement of trade unionism within DFB and the improvement of pay and conditions for his fellow workers. The story of the DFBU marks a proud tradition within Dublin Fire Brigade and one which should not be so easily forgotten.

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KIDNEY DONORS

4th generation fireman and kidney donor Ger Dolan and his kidney recipient brother Jimmy.

HIS BROTHER’S F KEEPER The Irish Kidney Association (IKA) fills us in on the story of firefighting brothers, Ger and Jimmy Dolan, who shared their successful transplant story in support of the Irish Kidney Association’s Organ Donor Awareness Week 2018, which took place from March 31st to April 7th.

or firefighters, helping strangers and saving lives – while sometimes risking their own lives – comes in the line of duty. However, a fourth-generation firefighter from Galway opted to take it one step further, by volunteering to go under the knife to donate one of his kidneys to his ailing older brother.

In 2013, Jimmy Dolan caught a form of vasculitis, a virus which left him fighting for his life as his organs began to shut down. In his reckoning, it was an astute doctor named Lynn Redahan that noted the likely diagnosis after he was presented in University Hospital Galway.

“It was thought that I wouldn’t survive, but with the help of a great team of doctors and nurses and, no doubt, an untold amount of prayers by my family, I came through. However, my kidneys were irreparably damaged, and I would now require dialysis

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KIDNEY DONORS

4th generation fireman and kidney donor Ger Dolan and his kidney recipient brother Jimmy.

HIS BROTHER’S F KEEPER The Irish Kidney Association (IKA) fills us in on the story of firefighting brothers, Ger and Jimmy Dolan, who shared their successful transplant story in support of the Irish Kidney Association’s Organ Donor Awareness Week 2018, which took place from March 31st to April 7th.

or firefighters, helping strangers and saving lives – while sometimes risking their own lives – comes in the line of duty. However, a fourth-generation firefighter from Galway opted to take it one step further, by volunteering to go under the knife to donate one of his kidneys to his ailing older brother.

In 2013, Jimmy Dolan caught a form of vasculitis, a virus which left him fighting for his life as his organs began to shut down. In his reckoning, it was an astute doctor named Lynn Redahan that noted the likely diagnosis after he was presented in University Hospital Galway.

“It was thought that I wouldn’t survive, but with the help of a great team of doctors and nurses and, no doubt, an untold amount of prayers by my family, I came through. However, my kidneys were irreparably damaged, and I would now require dialysis

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KIDNEY DONORS to donate a kidney, I was overcome with emotion, including fear.

Although my fear was unfounded, as I wasn’t familiar with living donation, I was concerned that my two sons might die while going for serious operations at the same time,” says Frankie. “It’s wonderful that Jimmy is doing so well since his transplant, as a few years ago I was told in the hospital that he might not live. Ger has bounced back quickly after his donation and he even took a trip to Poland and then Dubai within days of being discharged from Beaumont hospital.”

TRAGIC NEWS

Ger Dolan at passing out parade in Cork in 2014 before kidney donation to brother Jimmy with parents Marie & Frankie.

treatment to keep me alive,” Jimmy explains. “After a one-month hospital stay, I could go home, but to return three days a week to Galway’s Merlin Park Hospital for three to four-hour dialysis sessions. This continued for a year and a half. [I was] frustrated that I couldn’t secure suitable employment, because the hours of haemodialysis treatment clashed with normal working day office hours. I then tried out a form of home dialysis, called Peritoneal, which unfortunately I had to stop after eight months due to an infection which returned me to hospital haemodialysis.”

By October 2016, without telling his family or colleagues, Jimmy’s younger brother Ger was secretly contacting Beaumont Hospital to begin the process to see if he was a suitable match for his ailing sibling.

On St. Stephen’s Day in 2016, Ger announced his decision to donate his kidney to Jimmy to his unsuspecting family, as they had gathered for breakfast. By the following January, the men were undergoing rigorous physical and psychological tests, and within weeks they had received the happy news that Ger was a perfect match. In mid-March 2017,

the two men underwent the transplant operation.

IN THE FAMILY The Dolan brothers come from a well-known Galway family who were raised in the aptly-named old village of Claddagh, where the symbolic Claddagh Ring, rich in traditional meaning and history, represents love, friendship and loyalty. The sons’ parents, Frankie and Marie, now live in Knocknacarra with their middle son Jonathan.

The Dolan family has been saving lives in their line of duty for four generations. The brother’s father, Frankie, is Station Officer with Galway Fire Service, where he continues to work after 41 years.

His father, Jim, was also a Galway firefighter and his father before him, Frank, was one of the founding members of the Galway Fire Service when it was established in 1928 and located in Bowling Green – the family lived beside this station. Being born in the fire station undoubtedly helped seal Frankie’s fate in following in the footsteps of his forefathers.

“When Ger announced on Stephen’s Day in 2016 that he wanted

However, in spite of the success of the brother’s transplant, the family has been forced to come to terms with its own tragedy, as Frankie explains. “Sadly, last June our family received the tragic news that my niece, who was only 18, had been in a traffic collision which left her on life support. One of the reasons why her family were moved to donate her organs was because of the awareness of how Jimmy’s life had been saved.

Orla’s organs saved the lives of five people as her heart, one lung, her liver and two kidneys were donated.

This gives her parents and our extended family huge consolation in the knowledge that other people’s lives have been saved.”

The Dolans have seen firsthand the power of organ donations and the lifesaving good they can do for people – from both ends of the spectrum. Such are its benefits, that Ger believes it to be an obvious decision to be a donor.

“Sure, why wouldn’t I donate?” he asks rhetorically. “I saw my brother was struggling and he might have been waiting for many more years for a donor to come along while on the transplant waiting list. It was an easy decision for me and I did it without reservation or any persuasion. A year later, we are both back to work full time enjoying what we do and living life to the full. I would do it all over again if needed but as I only have one kidney now I might end up in trouble myself then!”

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KIDNEY DONORS to donate a kidney, I was overcome with emotion, including fear.

Although my fear was unfounded, as I wasn’t familiar with living donation, I was concerned that my two sons might die while going for serious operations at the same time,” says Frankie. “It’s wonderful that Jimmy is doing so well since his transplant, as a few years ago I was told in the hospital that he might not live. Ger has bounced back quickly after his donation and he even took a trip to Poland and then Dubai within days of being discharged from Beaumont hospital.”

TRAGIC NEWS

Ger Dolan at passing out parade in Cork in 2014 before kidney donation to brother Jimmy with parents Marie & Frankie.

treatment to keep me alive,” Jimmy explains. “After a one-month hospital stay, I could go home, but to return three days a week to Galway’s Merlin Park Hospital for three to four-hour dialysis sessions. This continued for a year and a half. [I was] frustrated that I couldn’t secure suitable employment, because the hours of haemodialysis treatment clashed with normal working day office hours. I then tried out a form of home dialysis, called Peritoneal, which unfortunately I had to stop after eight months due to an infection which returned me to hospital haemodialysis.”

By October 2016, without telling his family or colleagues, Jimmy’s younger brother Ger was secretly contacting Beaumont Hospital to begin the process to see if he was a suitable match for his ailing sibling.

On St. Stephen’s Day in 2016, Ger announced his decision to donate his kidney to Jimmy to his unsuspecting family, as they had gathered for breakfast. By the following January, the men were undergoing rigorous physical and psychological tests, and within weeks they had received the happy news that Ger was a perfect match. In mid-March 2017,

the two men underwent the transplant operation.

IN THE FAMILY The Dolan brothers come from a well-known Galway family who were raised in the aptly-named old village of Claddagh, where the symbolic Claddagh Ring, rich in traditional meaning and history, represents love, friendship and loyalty. The sons’ parents, Frankie and Marie, now live in Knocknacarra with their middle son Jonathan.

The Dolan family has been saving lives in their line of duty for four generations. The brother’s father, Frankie, is Station Officer with Galway Fire Service, where he continues to work after 41 years.

His father, Jim, was also a Galway firefighter and his father before him, Frank, was one of the founding members of the Galway Fire Service when it was established in 1928 and located in Bowling Green – the family lived beside this station. Being born in the fire station undoubtedly helped seal Frankie’s fate in following in the footsteps of his forefathers.

“When Ger announced on Stephen’s Day in 2016 that he wanted

However, in spite of the success of the brother’s transplant, the family has been forced to come to terms with its own tragedy, as Frankie explains. “Sadly, last June our family received the tragic news that my niece, who was only 18, had been in a traffic collision which left her on life support. One of the reasons why her family were moved to donate her organs was because of the awareness of how Jimmy’s life had been saved.

Orla’s organs saved the lives of five people as her heart, one lung, her liver and two kidneys were donated.

This gives her parents and our extended family huge consolation in the knowledge that other people’s lives have been saved.”

The Dolans have seen firsthand the power of organ donations and the lifesaving good they can do for people – from both ends of the spectrum. Such are its benefits, that Ger believes it to be an obvious decision to be a donor.

“Sure, why wouldn’t I donate?” he asks rhetorically. “I saw my brother was struggling and he might have been waiting for many more years for a donor to come along while on the transplant waiting list. It was an easy decision for me and I did it without reservation or any persuasion. A year later, we are both back to work full time enjoying what we do and living life to the full. I would do it all over again if needed but as I only have one kidney now I might end up in trouble myself then!”

FIRECALL SUMMER

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS Emergency Services News From Around the Globe.

CHINA:

THAILAND:

TRAPPED BOYS FREED IN CAVE RESCUE On July 10, emergency services in Thailand successfully concluded a rescue operation of twelve young footballers and their coach who had spent more than two weeks trapped in an underground cave. The “Wild Boars” soccer team had been trapped since June 23, after exploring a cave complex in the northern Thai province of Chiang Rai. A rainy season downpour had flooded the tunnels, trapping the boys. The dangers of the situation had been highlighted after a former Thai navy SEAL died while replenishing oxygen canisters laid at regular intervals along the rescue route, less than a week before the last boys were rescued out of the cave.

For the rescue operation, each boy wore a full-face scuba mask, a wetsuit, boots and a helmet. They were then accompanied one by one through the flooded tunnels by two navy divers, with the lead diver carrying the boy’s air tank. The boys were guided through the cave by an 8mm static rope, and each boy was tethered to the lead navy diver. The news of the rescue was greeted with global jubilation and the rescue workers have been lauded by world leaders.

DRONE TO HELP FIREFIGHTERS EXPECTED BY END OF YEAR

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A drone is currently being developed in China in the hopes that it will be able to help firefighters rescue trapped victims in high-rise buildings. China Daily has reported that the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology is designing the drone that will be able to quickly fly into a burning building through windows and doors to locate trapped victims and figure out a rescue route before firefighters arrive. The drone will be able to draw a threedimensional map to help locate obstacles in order to plan a rescue route free of barriers.

Cameras will be placed on the drone so that it can transmit photos back to firefighters in realtime. It is expected to be put into use by the end of the year.

JAPAN:

AUSTRALIA:

FEMALE FIREFIGHTER STARTS MENTORING SERVICE

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A female firefighter in Queensland is working to create a mentoring network to encourage more women to join the ranks and to create bonds between women already in the service. Quinn Cramer became the first permanent female firefighter in Rockhampton, Queensland, five years ago. Since then, the 33-year-old has worked her way up to the rank of senior firefighter, and now wants to pave the way for other women to do the same. At the time of writing, there are about 1,500 permanent firefighters in Queensland, with a mere 89 of these being women.

FIREFIGHTING SNAKE-LIKE ROBOT IN DEVELOPMENT Researchers in Japan have developed a snake-like robot that can fly and fight fires using highpressure water jets. Using advanced electronics, water power and thrust-vectoring, the robot can navigate tough situations where a traditional bucket-mounted water cannon may fall short.

Japanese researchers from the Tohoku University and National Institute of Technology, Hachinohe College unveiled the snake at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Brisbane, Australia in May. FIRECALL SUMMER

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UKRAINE:

ENGLAND:

LARGE-SCALE FIREFIGHTING AID EFFORT PLANNED

NEW FIRE STANDARDS BOARD SET UP A new Fire Standards Board (FSB) is to oversee and commission professional standards for fire and rescue services across England. While some professional standards currently exist throughout the country, they are inconsistently applied and the Government believes they can be expanded.

A new FSB will be created

to ensure standards are nationally coordinated to a high level across the sector. The announcement of the new Fire Standards Board reflects one of the changes in a revised Fire and Rescue National Framework for England, which embeds the Government’s fire reform agenda, alongside provisions in the Policing and Crime Act 2017.

FRANCE:

HERO REWARDED WITH FIREFIGHTING JOB An African immigrant in Paris who scaled the outside of a building to rescue a 4-yearold boy hanging from a balcony by his fingertips has been rewarded with French citizenship and a job as a firefighter. French officials dubbed Mamoudou Gassama “Spiderman” after he quickly sprang into action when he saw the child dangling outside

an apartment building four stories above the ground. A viral video shared on social media showed the 22-year-old Mali native reaching the child and whisking him to safety to the cheers of an anxious crowd. French President Emmanuel Macron praised the quick-thinking hero, rewarding him with the firefighting job and citizenship.

TURKEY:

FIREFIGHTERS RESCUE DOG STUCK DOWN A WELL Fire crews from the Fire Department of Istanbul Metropolitan (IMM) have rescued a dog which was stuck in a narrow well, 61 metres deep. It marked a happy ending to the incident, after the dog fell into the well in the Beykoz District of Istanbul. The creature

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was stuck in the narrow space for about ten days, but was ultimately rescued by crews from IMM Fire Department. The crews of the fire department had obtained instant views of the trapped dog with a subaqua camera and a sub-rubble viewing device.

A non-profit group which provides humanitarian aid to fire and EMS first responders in developing countries has met with Ukrainian officials to plan a largescale firefighter aid effort. The International Fire Relief Mission spent a week in Ukraine in May, visiting several cities and laying the groundwork for a humanitarian effort that will outfit more than 200 firefighters with tools and gear. The preliminary visit included a meeting with government officials and fire service leaders, touring fire stations, inspecting existing equipment and assessing response capabilities.

GLOBAL:

STANDARDS FOR FIRE SAFETY IN BUILDINGS LAUNCHED More than 30 organisations from around the world have united in a single group to develop landmark industry standards to globally address fire safety in buildings.

Launched at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, the International Fire Safety Standards (IFSS) Coalition consists of local and international professional bodies and standard-setting organisations committed to developing and supporting a shared set of standards for fire safety in buildings. The standards aim to set and reinforce the minimum requirements professionals should adhere to to ensure building safety in the event of a fire.

SUMMER 68 FIRECALL

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