FOREWORD

Welcome readers to our spring 2023 issue of Firecall. There has been a lot going on within DFBSSC lately, not least of which is the formation of a new Committee for the coming year, and I’m confident that they will continue to provide excellent support to all members over the next 12 months.

St Patrick’s Day was once again a brilliant event, with the days before and after filled with a huge amount of activities for both DFB members and our visiting guests from around the world. Huge thanks must go to all who helped to make it so memorable.

I must also express my thanks to one of those visitors, Captain James Smith, of Montgomery County, Maryland, Fire Service, for making himself available for our international station profile. It was a pleasure to meet him, and the feature is well worth the read.

Las Fallon has been a regular contributor of excellent features for many years and I must thank him for his work. Thanks also to John McNally and Tony McCann for their regular contributions,, and to Paul McCann for recapping the most recent Retired Members Party, which was a great night for everyone in attendance.

This issue features some very worthwhile endeavours by DFB members, and congratulations must go to Alan Sexton for his epic climb on Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for a very worthwhile cause, while Darren Donovan’s project to collect, archive and digitalise photos for DFB records and exhibitions is a major work that deserves a huge amount of both support and applause.

I urge any member who may have photos from their time in DFB that they think might be of interest, or who have information about photos Darren needs context for, to get in touch with him. Ours is a shared history, so let us help gather and tell it together.

The partnership between DFB and RCSI is now 20 years strong, and it is very interesting to hear from both D/O EMS Training Paul Lambert and the RCSI’s Patricia Fitzpatrick about each organisation’s views on the relationship and how it has gone from strength to strength.

Before I sign o , I would like to wish Ger Ryan the best of luck as he takes over the Consultant Editor role. I would like to thank Adam Hyland for his continued hard work in producing a great magazine, and all his help to me over the years.

I would also like to thank CFO Dennis Keeley and ACFO Greg O’Dwyer for their continued support throughout my tenure. Thanks to Declan Rice and Simon Finglas, it’s been a challenging and enjoyable time working on the Executive Committee with you both.

And lastly, the role of Secretary of the DFBSSC requires a lot of commitment, and is only possible with a strong support network around you, from the Committee to the Station you’re in, and most importantly at home. Thanks to Maria and the kids for their patience and understanding that provided me with the time to fulfil my obligations under the role.

Thanks to all who contributed, or who took the time to be interviewed. Enjoy the read.