SECRETARY’S FOREWORD

Honorary Secretary’s FOREWORD

Welcome readers to our summer 2021 issue of Firecall.

We have not yet returned to normality, but we are getting there, and while we continue to praise all DFB members for their ongoing commitment to serving the city, we have also been able to see some events take place to offer muchneeded social outlets.

The Summer Nights Out have been a great success, and thanks must go to Ger Ryan for the huge amount of work he and Paul McCann have put into their organisation. Helped by some incredibly good weather, there was a lot of interest in these outdoor functions that helped bring people together again for a night of fun and socialising, and we hope to have more outings like it in the near future.

It is also great to see some of our sports and social clubs starting to organise and hold events again. Congratulations must go to the Golf Society, who this year mark their 50th anniversary with several outings and competitions scheduled, and decked in new kit, the rugby team are ready to take on all comers again soon.

We all know a huge amount of work went into the planning, procurement and rollout of new vehicles in the last year, with the added job of migrating all frontline vehicles to the new TETRA system, so it is great to see detailed here just what was involved from the Services Support Unit in Stanley Street.

It’s also interesting to read about the very impressive work done by former DFB member Paul Rock in coordinating enormous humanitarian aid shipments to India, Nepal and Brazil when they were in urgent need following surges in COVID-19 numbers. His story is testament to the grounding a DFB career can provide, and the skills that can be put to use not just in our city, but on a global scale.

Our feature on press photographer Damien Storan is also very interesting. Anybody who has seen him at a call out will know about his professional manner, and here he describes the ethics and outlook he employs to take captivating images. If you see him at future incidents, you can be assured he will always portray DFB in the best possible light.

Fire Captain Andrea Hall went from small-town Georgia to representing half a million firefighters when she gave the Pledge of Allegiance at the inauguration of US President Joe Biden in January, and we thank her for taking time to tell her story, while the profiles of D Watch in Kilbarrack and retired member Martin Williams, the original ROMEO, are entertaining reads.

Remember that this is your magazine, so if you have an interesting DFBrelated story to tell (or even just an idea for one), or if you want to highlight an event past, present or future involving your club, society, Watch or station, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the editor, whose email address can be found in the sidebar.

The last year and a half have been especially difficult, but hopefully we will soon see the world return to a sense of normality, and the Sports and Social Club are working hard to make sure there are plenty of outlets and opportunities for people to relax, have fun, and socialise together again in the coming months. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading this issue, and my thanks to all who contributed to it..

Dan Fynes

DAN FYNES

If you haven’t already done so, please order your new ID card by emailing idcards@dfbssc.ie with an attached headshot (on a neutral background), your name, pay number, station, watch and location. We are trying very hard to make sure that all DFBSSC members receive their copy of Firecall. Anybody who is not receiving theirs should email the editor Adam Hyland with their address: adam.hyland@ashvillemediagroup.com