AID WORK
GOING GLOBAL Former DFB member Paul Rock talks to Adam Hyland about coordinating a huge humanitarian aid project to India, Nepal and Brazil.
M
any will be aware of the outstanding humanitarian work done by DFB members past and present, and the number of ways in which they have made a positive impact in the world. One recent endeavour, however, brought the idea of “DFB Global” to a whole new level. Former DFB firefighter and SubOfficer Paul Rock is now an Assistant National Fire Adviser in the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, part of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and a member of the National Emergency Coordination Group, a European Civil Protection Mechanism Expert, and Disaster Assessment and Coordination Specialist with the United Nations. His expertise led to his recently coordinating humanitarian aid to India, Nepal and Brazil, countries badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given his experience in such roles, Paul knew what to expect from such a complex international endeavour. Over a 12-week period, he and a colleague coordinated with all
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Government departments including Taoisigh, the Emergent Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) in Brussels, DG Echo, transport companies, airlines, and airport authorities, while also dealing directly with the Irish ambassadors in both India and Brazil. The aid shipments they sent included oxygen ventilators, oxygen generators and PPE donated by HSE Global. In total, four large shipments were donated, utilising Antanov and 747 aircraft. As a result, many lives were saved and Paul and his colleagues have now been nominated for a Global Civil Service award, with the ceremony taking place in November. For Paul, his work with DFB and the qualifications he acquired during his time there have stood him in good stead for this type of work. “It shows you the grounding you can have, the training that comes with DFB, it gives you the ability and confidence to do a lot of jobs,” he says. “After 18 years in DFB you come across all scenarios and eventualities, so the grounding for what I do now was there in DFB. It gives me a unique perspective in my current role because I am a civil servant, but with a different outlook and background that another civil servant may not have because they have never been operational. I feel uniquely placed in terms of how I can see the world.”
STARTING OUT Paul’s DFB career began in 2001 in the Tara Street Control Room, before he
moved to B Watch in Finglas where he gained valuable experience. “I had great times there,” he says. “It was a very busy station, going out to Ballymun and the Airport, but it was great because we had fires every night, which was good from a learning perspective.” He moved to Phibsboro for a few years before returning to Tara Street as a Sub-officer on A Watch, but during his firefighting career he was
