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SPRING 2017

FIRECALL

If you smell gas at home...

FIRECALL OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF DUBLIN FIRE, AMBULANCE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

Surf Rescue

SAVING LIVES OFFSHORE

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

VOLUME NINETEEN ISSUE ONE

1850 20 50 50

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

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Special Report:

EMERGENCY EDUCATION

FIREFIGHTING ON HIGH

DUBLIN’S HIGH RISE PLAN

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

IRELAND’S FIREFIGHTING FUTURE 16/06/2017 12:27

Run the New York City Marathon (25th anniversary) in support of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin

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Call Rachel now on 01 709 1700 to sign up www.facebook.com/dubfirebrigade @DubFireBrigade

www.cmrf.org

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CONTENTS

EDITOR’S LETTER

17 07

SUMMITING EVEREST IN CORK

Firefighters from Cork city and county turned out last September to take part in a marathon ladder climb for charity, raising vital funds for a children’s charity in Cork.

FOREWORD

DFB IN BRIEF 10 MAHOGANY STANDPIPE In the first of a new series, Mark Toner provides some tips on increasing your Irish vocabulary.

MARATHON EFFORT Swords FF/P Paul McGurrell has added the three RAWULTRA ultramarathons to his list of achievements.

28 SURF RESCUE

The Irish Tow Surf Rescue Club is saving lives in the water and on the beaches along Ireland’s west coast.

THE 18 EXPECTING UNEXPECTED The annual Chief Fire Officers’ Association conference was held in Croke Park in 2017, organised by Dublin Fire Brigade.

THE 22 DRIVING BUMBLEANCE

Tony Heffernan speaks to Tiernan Cannon about one of the Saoirse Foundation’s main projects, the BUMBLEance.

HIGH CALIBRE 30 RECRUITS Dublin Fire Brigade has welcomed the latest batch of emergency service controllers, who graduated from the O’Brien Institute last December.

ROWING 13 FOR LAURALYNN Dublin Fire Brigade’s Sarah Good and her friend Sarah Doyle have set and smashed a world record for tandem rowing this year.

24 HEART OF THE COMMUNITY

Nutgrove’s annual open day was a huge success.

CHAIN OF SURVIVAL

DFB is a vital link in the chain of survival in Dublin city.

TRANSFORMING LIVES

We caught up with S/O Dave Connolly to learn more about Dublin Fire Brigade’s involvement in RTÉ’s Operation Transformation.

CONTENTS FIRECALL SPRING

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CONTENTS

77 LEARNING FROM THE BEST

Adrian O’Grady, Dublin Fire Brigade’s critical incident stress management team coordinator, recently attended the 2017 International Critical Incident Stress Federation World Congress.

39 TAKING THE NEXT STEP

Fifty new sub officers have completed the junior officer course.

42 SHADES OF GREEN AND BLUE

Following another successful St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 17th, Third Officer and Pipe Band member John Keogh looks back on a memorable day.

On PARADE

Recruit Class 1/2017 has successfully completed the recruit training programme.

MOTORING Conor Forrest reviews the new Alfa Romeo Giulia and Skoda’s fiery Superb SportLine.

46 STATION PROFILE

We caught up with the crew of C watch No 5.

50 LEARNING WITH A TWIST

Lives

LAID DOWN

Sixteen firefighters lost their lives when Tehran’s Plasco Building caught on fire and collapsed earlier this year.

The fourth annual Emergency Gathering took place in Kinsale in early May.

52 RETIRED MEMBER PROFILE

Conor Forrest paid a visit to retired District Officer Noel Hayden, who spent the best part of his career fighting fires on Dublin’s southside.

SPECIAL REPORT:

PRE-HOSPITAL EMERGENCY CARE EDUCATION We examine the various higher education programmes and courses available for those who wish to join or advance within the emergency services sector.

FIGHTING FIRES ON HIGH

A team from Dublin Fire Brigade has been working hard on updating and developing the brigade’s high rise firefighting plan.

BOOKSHELF

In August 2007, two FDNY firefighters lost their lives inside the Deutsche Bank Building. Now, a new book examines the story of what really caused the fire.

INTERNATIONAL 95

NEWS

Emergency services news from around the globe.

CONTENTS SPRING 02 FIRECALL

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INSURING

IRELAND

At IPB Insurance, we are proud to be Ireland’s only indigenous mutual insurer, owned by, and managed on behalf of our Local Authority and ETB Members. From the Cliffs of Moher to the Spire in Dublin, we have been protecting our Members and their communities nationwide for over 90 years.

working to make a difference | www.ipb.ie IPB Insurance CLG, trading as IPB Insurance, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

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07/06/2017 14/03/2017 17:14 06/10/2016 10:29 17:24

EDITOR’S LETTER Editor: Conor Forrest Consulting Editors: Dan Fynes & Bevin Herbert Contributors: Mark Toner, Tiernan Cannon

letter from the

EDITOR

Editorial and Production Manager: Mary Connaughton Creative Director: Jane Matthews Cover credit: Conor Forrest Photography: Dublin Fire Brigade, Trevor Hunt, Ray McMonagle, Sarah Good, Larry Cummins/ Irish Examiner, BUMBLEance, Conor McCabe Photography, Derek Riordan, Paul McGurrell, Peter Conroy, Clem McInerney, RTÉ, EMS Gathering/Kieran Henry, John Chubb, Adrian O’Grady, Joseph Graffagnino, Alfa Romeo, Skoda, Pooyan Tabatabaei/NVP, Kombizz Kashani, Dabiri-e VAZIRI/Wikimedia Commons, Ninara/Flickr 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 Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7 Tel: (01) 432 2200 Fax: (01) 676 6043 Publisher’s Statement: The information in Firecall is carefully researched and believed to be accurate and authoritative, but neither the Dublin Fire Brigade Sports & Social Club nor the publisher can accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. Statements and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the publisher. Copyright ©2017 Firecall Magazine No part of this may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher.

ear readers, Welcome to our first issue of 2017, packed full of news and features from within Dublin Fire Brigade and around the world, from DFB’s role in Paddy’s Day last March to a firefighter who saves lives off the west coast of Ireland on his days off. In our first station profile of the year, I travelled to meet the crew of C watch Finglas, headed by S/O Derek McGuinness, to learn more about life in the busy district station, and the various challenges they face on a daily basis. I also caught up with Station Officer Dave Connolly, who spoke about Dublin Fire Brigade’s participation in Operation Transformation for the third year in a row, and how the format changed somewhat for 2017. Education is important in all walks of life, and Dublin Fire Brigade is no different. As part of a comprehensive education supplement we take a look at the various upskilling and educational opportunities available for DFB personnel around the country, learning more about these programmes and how they can help to further progress your career. Elsewhere, the annual Chief Fire Officers’ Association conference took place in May this year, held in Croke Park and organised by Dublin Fire Brigade. An informative and engaging two-day event, the conference tackled the theme of ‘Expect the Unexpected’ – among the highlights was a highly interesting talk by Brigadier General Philippe Boutinaud on the role of the Paris Fire Brigade in the terrorist attacks of November 2015. And, keeping with the international trend, we take a look back at the tragic events of January 19th in Tehran, Iran during which 16 firefighters and four civilians lost their lives when the iconic Plasco Building caught fire and collapsed early that morning. We’ve also got a look back at some of the most popular and interesting social media posts from Dublin Fire Brigade in the first few months of the year, a photo feature from the latest class of emergency service controllers to passout from the OBI, and a round-up of the latest technology developed for use by global emergency services. As always, I hope you enjoy the read,

C on or F or r est

EDITOR’S PICKS

MAHOGANY STANDPIPE

In a new series, Mark Toner provides some Irish vocabulary tips.

84 FIGHTING FIRES ON HIGH

John Chubb outlines DFB’s new high rise fire plan. We are updating our mailing list. If your contact details are out of date, please email: conor.forrest@ ashvillemediagroup.com.

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COMMERCIAL FEATURE

SAFE AT HOME

Home Instead Senior Care is warning people to be aware of unknown callers, and to make use of the bogus caller check card available from Home Instead and An Garda Síochána.

total of 300,000 bogus caller cards are available from An Garda Síochána and Home Instead Senior Care. The bogus caller check cards are advised by An Garda Síochána to be used in the following manner if nervous about an unknown caller: • Look out the window. • Have a viewer fitted on your door. • Have a door chain fitted and keep the chain on. • Make sure your back door is locked before you go to the front door. • Ask for ID – a genuine caller won’t mind. • Don’t be embarrassed to tell the caller to write down their details and make an appointment. • The basic rule is: if you don’t know the person at your door, you shouldn’t let them in. • If anxious contact your local Garda station. “If an unknown person calls to the door, it is advised to give them a bogus caller check card to fill out their details.

L-R: Pat McDonald, Community Sergeant; Bernie Ruddock, Home Instead Senior Care, Community Education; and Superintendent John Hand outside Blackrock Garda Station.

A genuine person will typically cooperate and not have a problem filling out the card and the older person will have peace of mind answering the door,” says Sergeant Pat McDonald of An Garda Síochána. Many people in the local community routinely employ door-to-door traders and repair people/contractors. Some of these people carry out very little work and charge exorbitant amounts of money for their services. This is criminal behaviour and if you suspect bogus callers are in your area or are working in a vulnerable

neighbour’s home, never hesitate to contact the Gardaí immediately. “We encourage older people and anyone else concerned about bogus callers to use a bogus caller card. Everyone, no matter what age, deserves to live safely in their own home,” says Ed Murphy, CEO of Home Instead Senior Care, Ireland’s largest home care provider.

For more information, contact Home Instead Senior Care on 1890 930 847, or visit www.homeinstead.ie. FIRECALL SPRING

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FOREWORD

Honorary Secretary’s

FOREWORD elcome readers to the spring issue of Firecall, looking back on a busy few months for both Dublin Fire Brigade and your Sports and Social Club. We’ve got interviews with Paul McGurrell, who has added the RAWULTRA grand slam to his impressive list of achievements, and Sarah Good, who recently set and smashed a world record for tandem rowing with her friend and rower Sarah Doyle, and examine how important a strong and effective chain of survival is in Dublin city and county. In this issue’s retired member profile, we spoke with retired District Officer Noel Hayden, who spent the best part of his career fighting fires on Dublin’s southside and talks about his experience across a variety of stations and the standout memories from his years in the job. We also take a look back at the recent open day in Nutgrove fire station, which raised vital funds for children with autism and their families. Last year witnessed a swell of national pride as Ireland commemorated the 1916 Rising, with people around the country taking a keener interest in Ireland’s history and culture, including our native language. To that end we’ve got the first of a brand new series from firefighter, Pipe Major and gaeilgeoir Mark Toner, who will be providing us with tips on improving our Irish vocabulary in every issue. We also profile the latest cohort of sub officers to complete the junior officer course in the O’Brien Training Institute, catch up with the organisers of the EMS Gathering 2017 in Kinsale, and bring you the latest fire and emergency services news from around the world. Finally, I’d like to thank our departing chairperson Ray Murray (Ruby) for his 26 years of service on the executive committee, and all of his hard work, time and commitment to the club during those years. Declan Rice will hold the post of interim chairperson in the meantime, and I would like to wish them both the best of luck in all of their endeavours.

DAN FYNES

Our annual kids’ summer party will take place on Sunday August 27th in the OBI.

SPRING 2017

FIRECALL OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF DUBLIN FIRE, AMBULANCE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

Surf Rescue

SAVING LIVES OFFSHORE

Special Report:

EMERGENCY EDUCATION

FIREFIGHTING ON HIGH

DUBLIN’S HIGH RISE PLAN

Enjoy the read,

Dan Fynes

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

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DFB IN BRIEF

DFB

A recap of Dublin Fire Brigade news and events over the past few weeks and months. Recruit class 1/2017 on week two of their ‘Specials’ training.

We took part in Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, and were honoured to have members of the Coast Guard join us.

Congrats to our air support unit who completed the Fly Ryte Drones IAA flight exam.

As a mark of respect to the crew of Rescue 116, we lowered our flag to half mast, attended by our Chief and Coast Guard officers. Our fire engine from Kilbarrack station providing fire cover for Rescue 118 during a transfer to Beaumont hospital with Howth Coast Guard.

The guys from Snowflakes autism support were in with C watch Rathfarnham collecting a cheque of the proceeds of our DFB open day.

SPRING 08 FIRECALL

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Happy 10th birthday to Swords Fire Station, aka Number 13. Swords went live as a full-time station 10 years ago. It was previously a retained station housing one class B fire engine, Delta 211. The station was purpose built to house a full-time station in the future.

DFB IN BRIEF

Donnybrook and HQ keeping up their SRT and flood awareness skills, and enjoying the sun on the Grand Canal.

Sub Officer Donal Reynolds has read out his last slate. Donal has retired from C watch North Strand. The annual CFOA conference, organised by Dublin Fire Brigade in 2017, was a resounding success.

We assisted Louth and Meath County Council Fire Service at a gorse fire in Laytown. Different hose, different services, same job. #Teamwork

Congratulations to our 50 Sub Officers who finished their officer development course in the training centre.

Congratulations to Swords FF/P Paul McGurrell on being the first person to complete all three RAWULTRA 100-mile races!

C watch on duty in our busy control centre. Now 10 years accredited as a centre of excellence with the IAED. One person was taken from the River Liffey, our firefighter/ paramedics and rescue swimmers worked together, person regained consciousness at the quayside.

Thanks to Jonny Kirwan for kindly donating these replica models to our heritage collection in Dolphin’s Barn fire station. In 2016, individual station flags were commissioned by the DFB Sports and Social Club for the Ireland 2016 celebrations.

ROSC achieved on a 35-year old in Dublin 6 by a combined fire/ EMS response. CPR instructions given by our ERCC emergency call centre.

Facebook “f ” Logo

CMYK / .eps

Facebook “f ” Logo

@DubFireBrigade Best of luck to the advanced paramedic students who started their internship phase. Six DFB students plus NAS and Defence Forces.

FIRECALL SPRING

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CÚPLA FOCAL

Mahogany

STANDPIPE

In the first of a new series, Mark Toner provides some tips on increasing your Irish vocabulary.

Plenty of us have Irish, and you probably have more than you realise. Perhaps you are not so confident in using your cúpla focal, but would like to use even your small amount of Irish more often. So, I thought that it might be a good idea to provide a way for people to practice their Gaeilge more often. Whether you would like to increase your vocabulary, work on your grammar or maybe you would like to be able to help the kids with their homework, the main thing is that you are using it. Gaeilge is a living language – do your best no matter how few words you think you have. You might surprise yourself! The chances of the entire country becoming fluent speakers overnight are slim, I know, but there are plenty of free resources out there to help you improve, whatever your current level. Social media and news pages, online courses, online free dictionaries, books for adults and children alike and apps like Duolingo make learning or improving your language easier than ever before. This is the first time that Gaeilge has been seen within the brigade since earlier generations flirted with the language in the early 1920s. As you might notice on some of the newer ambulances, the livery has been made bilingual, a positive step I think. And if you are a more advanced speaker or are willing to converse as Gaeilge or show your support for the language, Brigade Orders even allow you to wear the ‘fáinne’ on your dress uniform! It doesn’t have to be boring or feared as it possibly was for many people during their school years. We’re all learning together! And if you would like any particular subject covered, to perhaps improve your vocabulary in that area, drop us a line and we will include it in the next issue.

ea daoibh, an chéad cholún Gaeilge romhaibh i Firecall. Le gairid, bhí mé ag caint le daoine áirithe ar fud na Briogáide agus thug mé faoi deara go bhfuil Gaeilge ag a lán daoine, cibé chomh beag is atá an méid Gaeilge sin. Thug mé faoi deara, fosta, go raibh eagla orthu an teanga a úsáid ar chúis amháin nó cúis eile. Ní úsáideann na daoine seo a gcuid teanga go ginearálta ach tá fonn orthu é a úsáid níos mó. De réir sin, cheap mé gur smaoineamh maith é chun seans a thabhairt do dhaoine chun ár dteanga a úsáid níos mó. B'fhéidir ba mhaith leat do stór focal is do ghramadach a mhéadú, nó b'fhéidir ba mhaith leatsa tuilleadh eolais a fhoghlaim faoin teanga, nó b'fhéidir go bhfuil leanbh agat ag freastal ar Ghaelscoil agus ba mhaith leat cuidiú a thabhairt don leanbh óg sin lena obair bhaile. Is é an phríomhaidhm ná chun an teanga a chur chun cinn agus é a fheabhsú. Teanga bheo atá inti, agus mar a deirtear – “Tír

gan teanga. Tír gan anam!” Déan do dhícheall chun an teanga a úsáid níos mó, fiú amháin go bhfuil cúpla focail nó frasaí beaga agat. Beidh lúcháir ort nuair a fhaigheann tú freagairt dearfach ó dhuine eile a bhfuil suim acu sa teanga fosta. De réir a chéile a thógtar na caisleáin, áfach, agus tá fhios agam nach mbeidh daoine ó cheann ceann na tíre ag labhairt Gaeilge go líofa ar maidin. Ach tá neart acmhainní ann le cuidiú leat ar do thuras. Tá méid mór suíomhanna idirlín agus leathanaigh Facebook ann cosúil le Gaelchultúr. ie, Foclóir.ie, Teanglann.ie, Tuairisc, Seachtain Na Gaeilge agus Conradh na Gaeilge. Is féidir leat tuilleadh eolais is tacaíocht a fháil, go háirithe, eolas faoi chúrsaí Gaeilge atá le fáil agus altanna ar ábhair éagsúil a bhaineann leis an teanga agus pobail na Gaeilge. Má tá App ag teastáil uait, is app den scoth é Duolingo atá le fáil do ghléas móibíleach ar IOS agus Android chomh maith. Is App saor in aisce é agus is féidir leat cleachtadh ag am nó áit ar bith, ar do luas féin. Má tá tú ag iarraidh píosa beag léitheoireachta ag am codlata, is féidir leat siúl anuas chuig An Siopa Leabhar, 6 Sráid Fhearchair (Harcourt St), agus gheobhaidh tú gach saghas leabhar do pháistí beaga is foghlaimeoirí fásta chomh maith. Mar a dúirt mé níos luaithe, is é seo an chéad cholún Gaeilge romhaibh atá foilsithe I Firecall. D'úsáid siad an teanga ar feadh tréimhse gairid blianta fada ó shin I mbriogáid Dóiteáin Átha Cliath. I rith na 1920idí

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CÚPLA FOCAL COLÚN = column LE GAIRID = lately AN TEANGA = the language STÓR FOCAL = vocabulary GRAMADACH = grammar AG FREASTAL = attending CUIDIÚ = help/ assistance PRÍOMHAIDHM = main aim TÍR GAN TEANGA, TÍR GAN ANAM = A country without a language is a country without a soul. DÉAN DO DHÍCHEALL = Do your best LÚCHÁIR = gladness/joy DEARFACH = positive DE RÉIR A CHEILE A THÓGTAR NA CAISLEÁIN = Rome wasn’t built in a day. ÁFACH = however GO LÍOFA = fluently ACMHAINNÍ = resources SUÍOMHANNA IDIRLÍN = websites TACAÍOCHT = support GLÉAS MÓIBÍLEACH = mobile devices SAOR IN AISCE = free of charge

rinne siad iarracht chun an Gaeilge a úsáid nuair a thosaigh na hoifigigh na hainmneacha agus na foirmeacha a líonadh i nGaeilge. Níor éirigh leis na hiarrachtaí sin áfach. Le déanaí, tugtar faoi deara go bhfuil comharthaí Gaeilge le feiceáil ar thaobh ár n-otharcharr. Rud dearfach, is dóigh liom. Freisin, is féidir leat do suim is do fhonn labhairt a thaispeáint go oifigiúil, mar tá sé scríofa sna hOird Briogáid Dóiteáin gur féidir leat “an fáinne” a chaitheamh ar na héidí ghléasta. Ní caithfidh sé a bheith leadránach nuair a bhíonn tú ag foghlaim na teanga. Agus geallaim, ní dhéanfaidh mé trácht ar bith ar an bhean áirithe

sin ó Chiarraí, a chuir faitíos ar na céadta páistí scoile Éireannacha. Bainigí sult as ár dteanga is do aistear féin. Níl mé líofa sa Ghaeilge agus caithfidh sibh maithúinas a thabhairt dom má fhaighim é mícheart ó am go ham. Táimse ag foghlaim fosta. Más maith leat ábhar éigin a phlé don chéad cholún eile nó má tál cúidiú ag teastáil uait, cuir ríomhphoist chugaim ag marktoner@eircom.net, agus déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall chun do cheisteanna a fhreagairt. Ná déan dearmaid – Ár dTeanga, Do Rogha!

FOCLÓIRÍN (GLOSSARY)

CLEACHTADH = practice IARRACHTAÍ = efforts COMHARTHAÍ = signage OTHARCHAIRR = ambulances ÉIDÍ GHLÉASTA = uniform LEADRÁNACH = boring TRÁCHT = mention FAITÍOS = fear BAINIGÍ SULT as = enjoy AISTEAR = journey MAITHIÚNAS = forgiveness A PHLÉ = discuss RÍOMHPHOIST = email ÁR DTEANGA, DO ROGHA = Our language, your choice.

Slán go fóill

FIRECALL SPRING

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RECORD ROW

ABOVE and BELOW LEFT LauraLynn’s facilities. Photos: Noel Hillis/LauraLynn

Sarah Doyle and Sarah Good in Cork

n St. Patrick’s Day 2017, while most of the country was celebrating our national holiday with a pint and a parade, one of Dublin Fire Brigade’s personnel was down in Passage West Rowing Club, Co Cork. Taking turns over the course of the day, Sarah Good (a nine-year veteran working on A watch No 8) and Sarah Doyle (a friend of Sarah’s from outside the world of DFB) managed to set and break an Irish and world record respectively for the 100km tandem row, finishing in an impressive time of 7 hours 29 minutes and 22 seconds. “Another in a long string of ridiculous ideas!” Sarah Good explains with a laugh. Though it’s quite the achievement, the two Sarahs’ record-breaking effort wasn’t simply a matter of personal pride. As

RECORD ROW

Dublin Fire Brigade’s Sarah Good and rower Sarah Doyle have set and smashed a world record for tandem rowing this year.

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RECORD ROW firefighters tend to do, they were raising funds for a very worthy cause (which undoubtedly provided some motivation) – children’s hospice and palliative care provider LauraLynn. As Sarah explains, her fiancé Doug’s nephew passed away several years ago, having received a lot of love and care from the team at LauraLynn. “Obviously the family feel very strongly about the organisation and try to give back as much as possible,” she says. “I try to row in when I can, try and do a bit of fundraising whenever I can. It’s an unbelievable organisation

As firefighters tend to do, they were raising funds for a very worthy cause (which undoubtedly provided some motivation) – children’s hospice and palliative care provider LauraLynn. – it’s one of those charities that you don’t have to work very hard fundraising for, because people want to give to it. It’s just extraordinary.”

TRAINING DAY

CARE & SUPPORT

The team’s progress was officially tracked throughout the day, recording a final time of 7 hours 29 minutes 22 seconds.

LauraLynn provides palliative care and support for children with life-limiting conditions and their families, allowing parents to act as parents rather than full-time carers. Supporting children from birth to age 18 for free, LauraLynn is also piloting a home care programme in Dublin North-East and Dublin Mid Leinster, providing hospice care for children in the comfort of their own homes. To learn more about LauraLynn or to donate/ fundraise, phone 01 289 3151, email info@ lauralynn.ie or visit lauralynn.ie

Although Sarah is no stranger to rowing machines, her friend Sarah Doyle is the rower, and regularly competes in events around the country. However, despite completing a number of half marathons and marathons, she had never competed in a 100km distance event before. Given that Sarah Good was in the same age group and weight class – and willing to give it a go – team LauraLynn was formed. “There was about four months of prep,” says Sarah. “I do a lot of other training for other disciplines and sports, and with that your fitness and strength stands to you. It was just about incorporating rowing into my training programme. We have a rower in the station thank God, so I was able to get miles in while I was at work.” Facing a 100km row might seem like a daunting task (and there’s no doubt that it is), but the key to overcoming the hurdle is by breaking it into small chunks. Both rowers worked in 2km intervals, swapping over roughly every eight minutes while trying not to lose any momentum. “The structure of the event was different than anything I had done before, because we were working as a tandem team. She was going, then I was going – it was a

really long event where half of it you were active, and half recovering. It was unusual. The transitions were a bit chaotic, but it was great,” says Sarah. “We had in our head [to finish in] eight hours. I knew fairly soon into it that we would be able to get seven and a half hours, and we really just got that in our head then.” The team’s efforts paid off – as the odometer clicked past 100km they had set an Irish and world record in their category, raising almost 1,000 for LauraLynn. “We named the team for the day LauraLynn, so the record will go into LauraLynn’s name – something nice for them to hang on the wall. It was brilliant, really cool,” Sarah explains, while noting they weren’t alone down in Cork. Both of their respective other halves provided support from start to finish. “They were there for the entire time – Doug drove me down, drove me back up from Cork to go to work straight after it, gave us physio on the day and more. The two of them were just brilliant, they were great. It really is a team of four for a two-person event,” Sarah adds. Now that she’s had a taste of success with oars in hand, does Sarah see herself taking up rowing on top of her other sporting interests? “I would have an interest in doing the odd thing for sure,” she says. “It would be something you’d tip in and out of, try another event, especially as Sarah is involved in it and likes to compete in events as well. It’s something different, it’s good.”

SPRING 14 FIRECALL

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FUNDRAISING CORK

The cheque presentation earlier this year. Photo courtesy Larry Cummins/Irish Examiner

here seems to be something within an emergency responder’s DNA that makes them more willing to spend their free time and energy improving lives – perhaps the reason why they choose a career that sees them helping people at some of the worst times of their lives. Take firefighters from Cork’s city and county fire brigades, who climbed the equivalent height of Mount Everest (three times) on ladders throughout the county last September. The brainchild of the brigade’s sports and social club, which organises a large-scale fundraising event for charity every few years, the three-day marathon ladder climb was a cross-service endeavour. Partnering with Cork County Fire Service, An Garda Síochána and members of the National Ambulance Service also leant their support. The Cork City Hospitals Children’s Club (CCHCC) was chosen as the beneficiary, a charitable organisation that brings sick children from Cork University Hospital, Mercy Hospital, St. Gabriel’s and the Cork Deaf Association on numerous trips throughout the year, including an annual adventure to Disneyland

SUMMITING EVEREST IN CORK Firefighters from Cork city and county turned out last September to take part in a marathon ladder climb for charity, raising vital funds for a children’s charity in Cork. in Paris. Since its foundation in 1992, the charity has sent 1,600 people to Disneyland Paris, and 3,900 to Fota House in Cork. “It all stemmed from the fact that we wanted to give back to the kids’ club,” explains Third Officer Gerard Ryan, a member of the Cork city sports and social club committee. “We’re forever associated with grief, so we decided that it would be lovely to give firefighters the chance to raise money for something good.” The event was a huge success, capturing the hearts of people across the county who turned out and donated in their droves, buying specially made tie pins and filling the brigade’s fundraising buckets. Over the three days (covering 737km across city and county) the

firefighters climbed over 26,544m – three times the height of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. The fundraising grand total was revealed earlier this year – despite expecting to generate somewhere in the region of 50,000, their efforts across the county raised a staggering 148,864.39 for the CCHCC, which was presented to the organisation in January. The impact this will have on the charity and its fluctuating budget will be far-reaching. “They normally work from year to year; when they’re booking flights etc. they don’t know if they can pay for it up until the day they’re flying,” Third Officer Ryan says. “Now we’ve given them enough money that they can forward plan for two to three years.”

FIRECALL SPRING

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17 12/06/2017 11:10

CFOA CONFERENCE

The CFOA conference includes a comprehensive exhibition across the two days, showcasing the latest innovations and developments from providers across the sector.

EXPECTING THE L UNEXPECTED The annual Chief Fire Officers’ Association conference was held in Croke Park in 2017, organised by Dublin Fire Brigade. Conor Forrest was there on the day.

ast May, Croke Park was the location for the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) annual conference, an interesting and varied two-day event organised by Dublin Fire Brigade and which tackled the topic of expecting the unexpected. Drawing from fire services far and near, the comprehensive CFOA 2017 conference featured speakers on a broad range of topics from fire safety to media management. Washington DC Fire and EMS Chief Gregory Dean reflected on the systems in use in

SPRING 18 FIRECALL

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CFOA CONFERENCE

TOP RIGHT: CFO Pat Fleming, Brigadier General Philippe Boutinaud, Commander of the Paris Fire Brigade and Dublin City Council Lord Mayor Brendan Carr. CENTRE LEFT & RIGHT: Minister of State Damien English with CFO Fleming; Gregory Dean, Fire and EMS Chief, Washington DC. ABOVE: Simon Hunter, CEO, Hunters Apparel Solutions Limited, gave the first tech talk of the conference

Seattle and Washington DC; Dublin City Council Senior Systems Officer John Lynch explained how business intelligence can be put to good use in the fire service; and Peter Holland, Chief Fire and Rescue advisor at the Home Officer provided an overview of the local and national structure of the UK’s fire services. An opportunity to listen and learn from colleagues, not just in Ireland but around the world, and to discover best practice and innovation for the years ahead, the conference also looked to the future of fire services,

with topics such as innovation, investment and funding on the agenda. “As Minister with responsibility for policy oversight for fire safety and the provision of fire services by local authorities, my primary focus is on ensuring that local authority services are effective in achieving their objectives and meeting their statutory obligations in respect of the provision of fire services and fire safety. Key to that is to make sure that local authorities do all they can to do your great work and to give you the resources you need to be able

to provide the service you provide,” said Minister for State Damien English, who opened the conference alongside Lord Mayor Cllr Brendan Carr, and reiterated his department’s commitment to fire services. “My job as your minister in this area is to work with my department and all local authorities to make sure that you get your fair share of resources to help you do what you do... If we can prove that you are spending the resources that you get in the best way, in the most effective way and stretching every Euro of that, that helps us with our business case to get more money for the service, to build on that.” It was a theme that CFOA Chairperson and Dublin Fire Brigade Chief Fire Officer Pat Fleming picked up on later in the morning. “Funding is always an interesting one,” he said with a laugh. “In 2015, 20 new fire appliances for 16 counties were announced. Many of these are now only appearing in fire stations. Fire and rescue services are not discretionary items. Properly funded services are vital in defining a modern society and in supporting economic development and foreign direct investment.” The issue of fire-based EMS has been in the public eye of late, with calls in some quarters to remove DFB’s ambulance call and dispatch function and to instead merge it with the National Ambulance Service (NAS). Alongside the importance of a collaborative approach to community fire safety, Minister for State Damien English touched on the topic of fire-based EMS services during his speech, noting the possibility of retained fire services assisting the National Ambulance Service in meeting the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) response targets, particularly in rural areas. “I welcome the Minister’s comments on this today. It’s something that I’ve advocated on previous occasions, the positive benefits of providing life-saving medical intervention in support to hard pressed colleagues in the NAS operating in rural Ireland,” said CFO Fleming. “I’m pleased

FIRECALL SPRING

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CFOA CONFERENCE

BROAD SCOPE

LEFT: Exhibiting companies attended from Ireland and further afield. Among the Irish cohort was Vanguard Fire & Rescue Ltd, based in Rathfarnham, which supplies specialist equipment to emergency services including fire brigades, Civil Defence, Airport, military and industrial teams.

Alongside the need for the Tetra radio system and progress in relation to the Keeping Communities Safe national policy document, CFO Fleming also updated the gathered crowd on the continued work of the CFOA, which covers a wide variety of topics and strands. In recent years the CFOA has supported the National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management in developing national policy, leading development of a new and updated fire safety in the home booklet, a fire safety video for traveller communities, and is supporting PHECC in creating a CISM video and development of a suicide awareness information packet for fire service personnel. The CFOA also actively works with other statutory and non-statutory organisations such as HIQA and the HSE, contributing the professional views and expertise of fire and rescue services in support of public safety. “I would like to thank my colleagues on the CFOA executive for their support and advice during my term of office,” said CFO Fleming. “They have freely given their time and expertise in furthering the aims of the association in the interests of public safety, and supporting me as chairperson.”

that a comprehensive draft paper has been prepared under the aegis of the Keeping Communities Safe process, and I look forward to the further progressions and discussion of the feasibility of delivering this service in the interests of patient safety. Inter-agency cooperation in the public interest is not about individual agency status, but rather about delivering the best possible patient centric service.”

PREPARATION The main theme of the conference was ‘Expect the unexpected’, with a conference programme reflecting this particular topic. One of the most interesting and well-received talks was given by Brigadier General Philippe Boutinaud, Commander of the Paris Fire Brigade, the largest fire service in Europe. Brigadier General Boutinaud was in command on the night of Friday November 13th 2015, when a series of coordinated terrorist attacks killed 130 people and injured a further 368, the deadliest incident in France since World War II. Later claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the attacks began when three suicide bombers detonated outside the Stade de France during an international friendly between France and Germany, followed shortly after by shootings and bombings at several cafés and restaurants, and then a mass shooting at the Bataclan theatre during an Eagles of Death Metal concert. Having taken

hostages within the theatre, none of the attackers survived following a police raid on the building. During a discussion on the planning, preparation and response of Paris Fire Brigade, alongside lessons learned from the events, a complete silence blanketed the room as a harrowing video shot on the night of the attacks was shown, depicting the panic stricken calls received by the emergency service controllers, the firefighters who responded on the ground, and the confusion of the injured who wandered the scenes. “My ambition this morning is to share with you, I’m not here to deliver a speech or deliver a lesson to you,” said Brigadier General Philippe. It’s just a question of... sharing my experience with you in case the unexpected happens in your country. Obviously I hope that will not be the case.” Though a terrorist attack of similar proportions on Irish soil is unlikely, there’s no doubt that our emergency services need to be prepared for whatever may come. “Whatever Oscar Wilde thought about that theme, all of us who provide and manage frontline operational emergency response services are very clear as to its meaning. Our primary role is to have the necessary resources in place to protect public safety and render humanitarian aid, which sounds simple enough,” said CFO Fleming. “However, the preparation required for the expected, and the nature and complexity of the unexpected, poses major challenges for us all. The nature of the potential scenarios we now have to prepare for has moved far from a single agency response to a fire or medical incident. Indeed, the complexities of these potential scenarios test all emergency services to the limit both individually and collectively.”

SPRING 20 FIRECALL

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THE BUMBLEANCE CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: Tony Heffernan, BUMBLEance, and Bill Maher, Bon Secours; BUMBLEance treats are given to every sick child who travels on board the ambulance; BUMBLEance 3 is showcased at events around the country. BOTTOM: King Bee and regular BUMBLEance VIP Jack Beattie. Photos: Conor McCabe Photography

I DRIVING THE BUMBLEANCE Tony Heffernan speaks to Tiernan Cannon about one of the Saoirse Foundation’s main projects, the BUMBLEance children’s ambulance service.

t is difficult to imagine a pain more harrowing than a parent accompanying their criticallyill child on what they know to be their last journey home. It is a pain that Tony and Mary Heffernan know only too well; both their children were diagnosed with the extremely rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder, Batten disease. Their daughter Saoirse passed away in 2011, their son Liam in 2014. Both children were aged five at the times of their deaths. In the wake of these terrible tragedies, the Heffernans set up the Saoirse Foundation. The foundation’s first project, Bees for Battens, provides parents, families, and all those affected by Batten disease in Ireland with a support network and a credible source of information regarding the disease. The foundation’s second project was the BUMBLEance.

CHANGING LIVES Launched in 2013, BUMBLEance offers professional medical transportation services for long-term sick and seriously disabled children that require ambulance transportation to and from their homes and their

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NEW SPONSOR

THE BUMBLEANCE

In November 2016, BUMBLEance announced its new corporate sponsor, the Bon Secours Health System. At the launch of the charity partnership, Bill Maher, CEO of Bon Secours Health System, presented BUMBLEance with a cheque worth 10,000 and praised their work. “I think this is an excellent initiative that meets the needs of vulnerable patients at their time of need,” Maher stated. “I wish to commend Tony Heffernan and his team for all their hard work in this regard.”

principal centres of care. It also offers another very important service, which it refers to as ‘angel trips’. An angel trip is when parents travel in the back of the BUMBLEance with their child as they undertake their final journey on earth. Angel trips provide a compassionate and caring journey that allows families to concentrate entirely on the short time they have left together. The first ever angel trip transported the Heffernans’ son Liam on his final journey home, so it’s an experience that the founders are familiar with. The BUMBLEance service is based on a core principle of positivity, removing the inherent stresses associated with an ambulance trip for both the child and their family, and to make the trip as fun as possible for the child. “Our aim is to distract, comfort and entertain Ireland’s youngest patients as they travel to and from treatment centres nationwide, and to ensure the smoothest and safest journey possible, for both carer and patient, from home to destination,” says Tony Heffernan,

CEO of the Saoirse Foundation. The BUMBLEance’s unique interior is kitted out with a DVD player, iPad, games console and a fridge for food, drinks and medicine. The vehicle has on-board Wi-Fi and games consoles, as well as sensory lighting and music to soothe and pacify its young patrons, and reading and colouring books. Currently, there are three BUMBLEance vehicles on the road. BUMBLEance 1 is used for interhospital transfers, with BUMBLEance 2 being used for seriously and critically ill children who need transportation to and from hospitals and care centres. BUMBLEance 3 is used as a back-up vehicle for trips, and as a PR vehicle. The PR element to BUMBLEance 3 has proven to be immensely successful, with the vehicle generating income and awareness at festivals, events and corporate showcases nationwide. Since its launch in September 2013, BUMBLEance 1 has transported 622 children, travelling over 200,000 km to every county in Ireland. It has facilitated 64 angel trips in that time. The people behind the project, however, hope to expand their services even further. “Our plans for future expansion include the roll out of a back up BUMBLEance 4 service, which will be Dublinbased and operated by Dublin Fire Brigade staff on a voluntary basis,” Heffernan explains. Further expansion includes a brand new regional BUMBLEette service – what is essentially a smaller version of the BUMBLEance. “The BUMBLEette service [facilitates] young patients who do not require full ambulance support with a paramedic on board,

but who nonetheless are seriously ill and will require transportation to and from paediatric hospitals, respite care centres and hospices throughout Ireland,” Heffernan adds. The BUMBLEette service is due to be rolled out nationwide over the coming years, with the first service – which will serve the North West region – having launched in the first quarter of 2017. By the close of 2018, the regional BUMBLEette services are estimated to make over 2,000 trips per year across the whole country. “Our fleet will grow to nine vehicles in the next two years, and each vehicle will then be available for operating 250-plus days each year, helping children across rural and urban areas, getting them to where they need to be in safe, reliable and modern vehicles,” says Heffernan. The BUMBLEette vehicles themselves will enable the transportation of a driver and two children in wheelchairs with one caregiver or parent each, or a driver plus a fully operational stretcher and four seated passengers. They will be kitted out with the same child-friendly toys and gizmos that make the existing BUMBLEance vehicles what they are, ensuring that their young clients are as comfortable and happy as possible. The BUMBLEance project was created by parents who understand the struggle of caring for a sick child, and Tony Heffernan and his team work tirelessly to ensure the smoothest and most enjoyable journey for everyone on board – parents and children alike. “We understand how stressful it is to transport a sick child, which is why we will be with you every step of the way,” he says.

Our aim is to distract, comfort and entertain Ireland’s youngest patients as they travel to and from treatment centres nationwide. FIRECALL SPRING

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23 16/06/2017 10:47

OPEN DAY

BELOW: Derek Riordan, CFO Pat Fleming, Lord Mayor Brendan Carr and ACFO Dennis Keeley.

ABOVE: The beneficiary of Nutgrove’s open day was Snowflake children’s autism charity.

LEFT: A cheque for d4,312 was presented to Snowflake in early May.

AT THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY Nutgrove’s annual open day was a huge success, raising vital funds for children with autism and their families.

ack once more for the third year in a row, Nutgrove fire station’s annual open day proved a big success. Showcasing Dublin Fire Brigade and a number of other emergency response organisations, providing entertainment for kids of all ages, and displaying several vintage (and a few modern) emergency services vehicles, proceedings from the day were in aid of Snowflake, a children’s charity that provides support for kids with autism, as well as their

parents and siblings, organising social events, support meetings, workshops and other supports. Turnout on the day was huge, with the station yard and engine bay thronged from early on. Attended by An Cathaoirleach Cormac Devlin from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Dublin City Council Lord Mayor Brendan Car and Chief Fire Officer Pat Fleming, the open day also played host to a number of emergency services organisations. “It went really well, we had a few new attendees such as Dublin Airport Fire Service, the Defence

Forces and the Coast Guard. The Green Goddess vintage appliance also made a welcome return after a break last year, alongside the RSA, BUMBLEance, the Order of Malta, 501st Legion Garrison, Heroes Unite Ireland, two fire tenders owned by Liam Moore, and an ex-Dublin Civil Defence truck owned by Jerry from Dublin Mountain Rescue,” explains Derek Riordan, a firefighter on C watch who has been instrumental in organising the annual open day. “It goes without saying that having CFO Fleming, and three of the Assistant Chief Fire Officers, there was fantastic, a major highlight. It was nice for the senior officers to come and see the fruits of our labour. Dublin’s Lord Mayor and An Cathaoirleach Cormac Devlin attending on the day was another major achievement for us. The day couldn’t have gone better.” Also there was Blood Bikes East (BBE), which has been in operation since 2012, using a fleet of five bikes and a car donated by Annseley Williams

SPRING 24 FIRECALL

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OPEN DAY

ABOVE and BELOW: Vintage vehicles on display. LEFT: Spiderman, Iron Man and Stormtroopers all made an appearance on the day.

and Skoda Ireland for the year to transport blood and other emergency items out of hours. “We’re full on, full service emergency service out of hours transport. From 7pm Monday to Friday we’ll go from the lock up and around, we’ll get calls from the different hospitals around the city. We’ll use the Pan European bike to go to the country, link ups with other blood bike groups. And then on the weekend it’s 24 hours a day for Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays,” says Denver Breslin, BBE committee member. As BBE isn’t State-funded, they have to turn to the public to keep their doors open and their engines on. They set up their stall at No 8’s open day to show their support, and also to raise awareness about what they do. “It’s all about visibility and getting the publicity from it. We’re not here collecting today but it’s about getting the name out there and getting the public’s perception of us, because a lot of people don’t actually realise that we’re not HSE-funded or we’re not Government-funded,”

Breslin adds. “Anybody that we speak to is surprised that we’re all volunteers, we do it out of our own time, we don’t take a wage. A lot of people are surprised by that.”

COMMUNITY SUPPORT Derek is quick to point out that Nutgrove’s open day is by no means a one-man show. Support in organising the day came from all quarters – the crew of C watch, Dublin Fire Brigade administration, colleagues in the voluntary emergency response groups as well as the local and wider community. An Garda Síochána assisted with the traffic plan to ensure

a steady flow on the day; shops like Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, SuperValu in Templeogue and Churchtown and even Dunnes Stores in Citywest pitched in with teas and coffees; DFB itself provided funding for the DJ and face painters. Local woman Alison Behan again lent her culinary skills, providing around 250 muffins for hungry attendees, again refusing to take any compensation for her time and expenses. In addition, Starbucks in the nearby Nutgrove Shopping Centre sent across two of their employees to help dispense drinks throughout the afternoon, accompanied by shortbread biscuits, cakes, and their own brand of coffee. Any of the money that came in was 100 per cent profit,” says Derek. “I’d like to say a big thank you to Felicity Gill from Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council, she played a major part. The lads on the watch were absolutely fantastic, nobody said no to anything. All of the watches were great, they all contributed in some way, shape or form which was brilliant. We also had a lot of donations from DFB family and friends.” The result of these efforts, and the weeks and months of planning, was a cheque for 4,312 that was presented to Snowflake in early May and which will undoubtedly be put to good work. “It’s a fantastic cause,” Derek explains. “One of the lads on the watch, his cousin’s son has autism and he was involved in setting up this children’s autism support group. Anything relating to autism, whether it be young or old, is a worthy cause.”

Derek is quick to point out that Nutgrove’s open day is by no means a one-man show. Support in organising the day came from all quarters. FIRECALL SPRING

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25 16/06/2017 15:58

SPORT ULTRAMARATHON

LEFT: Race director Don Hannon presenting Paul with the grand slam champion trophy. ABOVE: Paul at the 90-mile mark in the Western Way race

MARATHON EFFORT

Swords FF/P Paul McGurrell has added the three RAWULTRA ultramarathons to his list of achievements.

f you’re searching for a figure to inspire a new fitness regime, Paul McGurrell is your man. The last time we spoke was in the summer of 2014, after he had completed the gruelling Marathon de Sable (MdS) – a 254km ultramarathon in the inhospitable environs of the Sahara desert. Three years later, Paul shows no sign of easing the pace. This time he’s finished the series of three RAWULTRA ultramarathons across Ireland – Varty Lakes 100, Western Way 100 and Wicklow

Way 100 – in a calendar year, the first person to complete the grand slam. These are by no means simple events – apart from the fact that each covers 100 miles, the terrain is usually difficult, and as the races begin during the cooler night-time hours, you can easily lose your bearings. “I was the only one to complete all three. You have a combination of people getting injured, they just couldn’t physically complete [the races], or they have other commitments. It took up the year to a certain extent – you’re

just recovering from one and you’re getting ready for the next,” Paul explains. “The first one in Vartry was in April, then the Western Way was July, and the final one – the Wicklow Way – was in December. It was a fair commitment from a training point of view.” Ultramarathons are nothing new for Paul, and so his training regime for the three Irish races was no different than other similar events. Fitness is obviously important, keeping the body fit and strong, and Paul begins winding down the running two weeks before a race, trying to regain weight that will be lost on the day. But a lot of the preparation is psychological – you need to be in the right mindset to get through a tough 100 mile race. “You’re training your body for so much, but after a certain amount of time in these races your body just reaches [a point], you’re sore. It’s just where your head is at. You just have to suck it up and keep going, battling the fatigue

SPRING 26 FIRECALL

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SPORT ULTRAMARATHON PUSHING LIMITS

and tiredness and lack of sleep,” Paul says. “The stomach becomes a big issue as well – it’s doubtless that you’ll be vomiting at some stage. You need to keep getting food going in, that’s key. If you don’t keep eating, you’re not going to make it and, as you can imagine, you end up getting sick after a while. It’s about keeping your mind in a good place, staying focused, and keeping the food going in as best as you can.” So how do the Irish ultramarathons compare to the endurance race in the Sahara? The Marathon de Sable, as Paul explains, is a different beast. The heat and terrain are the key aspects in the MdS, but hydration may be the most important facet. Fail to properly rehydrate or keep your salt levels up and your race will be over before you know it. “In terms of the distance, the 100-milers are tougher,” says Paul. “Psychologically, you have to push through the fatigue. Your mind starts playing tricks on you, it’s a lot more draining. There’s a lot more taken out of you doing the 100s,

especially through the mountains. You’re doing a lot of climbing, you’re trying to concentrate on your navigation, you’re running through the night. And obviously the Irish weather is not always nice to us.” Still, when the weather conditions are just right, you’re cocooned in a bubble surrounded by some truly spectacular surroundings. Paul describes the Western Way 100 as “spectacular”, recalling running through the mountains at 4am with a clear sky and a blanket of stars overhead. “From an aesthetic point of view, it was fantastic,” he explains.

As a sporting endeavour, Paul explains that although the time commitment is considerable, ultramarathons are becoming increasingly popular in Ireland – a few of his colleagues in Swords are among those who have since taken up the challenge. Increasing numbers are also taking part in the annual Dublin City Marathon – last year’s event was the first year an organised group from DFB took part in the race. Paul is no stranger to the Dublin Marathon, and ran it twice in the one day before taking part in the Marathon de Sable. I ask Paul about his motivation – what keeps him inspired to continually push his body and mind to the limits? He considers the answer for a moment. “It’s just to push yourself. It’s about when your body is completely exhausted and you’re absolutely shattered, and every bit of you just wants to sit down and stop and you just don’t – if you push through that, it’s amazing what you can feel like after it,” he explains. “It’s amazing what you can do with your body if you just have a good attitude towards it and you keep pushing on. It’s the challenges, and it’s [also] the people you meet. There are some great characters who do these races, because they’re all a bit nuts. The bottom line is I love running. It’s my hobby, it’s like my medicine. I’ve got a lot of friends into it, and it’s a nice social thing.”

As a sporting endeavour, Paul explains that although the time commitment is considerable, ultramarathons are becoming increasingly popular in Ireland. FIRECALL SPRING

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SURF RESCUE Team members in the sea at the Cliffs of Moher, where some of the most dangerous rescues are carried out. Photo: Clem McInerney

on the sport. As the years went by he began tackling larger and larger waves, surfing both in summer and winter, and five years ago he was nominated for one of the top five biggest barrels (the hollow part of the wave when it is breaking) surfed in the world, representing Ireland at the XXL awards in LA. “It was the Oscars of surfing, featuring the best in the business,” Peter explains. “I had pictures on my wall of people who were over there, and I was in the same category as them!”

TOW RESCUE

SURF RESCUE

The Irish Tow Surf Rescue Club is saving lives in the water and on the beaches along Ireland’s west coast. We speak with co-founder Peter Conroy to discover more.

urfing isn’t just a sport for warm weather water, it’s a global passion. In fact, Ireland’s reputation as a surfing hotspot continues to grow, despite weather that is somewhat different to Australia or California – places like Lahinch, Bundoran and Tramore are all ports of call for surfers from Ireland and beyond. Though undoubtedly exhilarating, surfing can be also a dangerous sport. There’s a very real chance of drowning, of being overcome by waves that are stronger than they appear, of being caught in riptides or washing up on the rocks. However, if you get into difficulty on the west coast of

Ireland, chances are you could be rescued by a Dublin Fire Brigade firefighter or one of his colleagues from the Irish Tow Surf Rescue Club. The club was co-founded by Peter Conroy, a firefighter based in No 3, who joined the brigade in 2004 after completing a Master’s in International Disasters Engineering & Management from Coventry University. Water was always in his blood, growing up as a competitive swimmer and discovering the world of surfing while lifeguarding on the beaches of Clare. During his down-time, Peter would take a board and hit the waves around the Cliffs of Moher, quickly becoming hooked

The Irish Tow Surf Rescue Club was born out of his love of surfing, founded in 2006 after Peter began tow-in surfing – surfers are towed into a breaking wave by a partner on a jet ski in order to catch higher and faster moving swells. Surfing one day beneath the Cliffs of Moher, Peter was trapped and was forced to swim through 20-foot waves to safety as the jet skis were unable to reach him. Relaxing in a pub afterwards, he and his friends realised that they should be able to rescue themselves, and others. A trainer from England was brought in to demonstrate the uses of the jet ski beyond its towing capabilities, and the group realised that the skis could be used for rescue purposes. “With my degree and my work in the fire brigade, I started to implement more procedures that would allow us to be much safer out there on the water,” he says. “I broke my back a few years ago – we had a ski out there and the sled on the back could be used as a spinal board, so it’s very handy that way.” From there the club’s reach began to expand, rescuing surfers in distress along the west coast and putting rescue boxes in place at the bottom of cliffs containing medical supplies, a VHF radio, survival suits and other useful items, ensuring that the team could access medical supplies

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SURF RESCUE in places unreachable by the skis. The group also began installing defibrillators in local hotels, which benefits both surfers or others in distress in the water or on the beaches, as well as the local community. They also coordinate with other voluntary emergency services like the Coast Guard, working where they cannot go or assisting rescues when required. Regular training exercises are carried out with the Coast Guard in Shannon, though the Club tries to involve the Coast Guard as little as possible, dealing with minor incidents on their own. “We mainly concentrate on whitewater work, anything from the beach to 300 metres out, that’s our speciality. The Coast Guard isn’t allowed in there any more – in the summertime there are lifeguards on the beach from 11am to 7am to deal with that area, but once you reach rocks and similar terrain there’s nobody really to cover it,” says Peter. “We’re trying

to promote the Club in such a way that the Coast Guard can call on us as a speciality operator to implement rescues. They know we can do it, because they’ve called on us on occasion in the past.”

DEVELOPMENTS Looking ahead, Peter hopes that the club will continue to grow, welcoming new members alongside vital financial support to fund their operations, equipment and training. The club is now certifying people in Rescue Jetski Operations, a three-day course on Friday evening, Saturday and Sundays that trains competent rescue jet ski operators and swimmers. “We’re pushing that more, and we’re also doing more with different organisations, like the Coast Guard helicopter,” says Peter. “We were down at the EMS Gathering in Kinsale [this year], working with them to demonstrate that the jet ski and the rescue sled on the back are the only thing that a water rescue

From there the club’s reach began to expand, rescuing surfers in distress along the west coast and putting rescue boxes in place at the bottom of cliffs. needs, because it’s the only thing you can transport a spinal case on without compromising C spine. There is no way of putting a person with a spine injury onto a boat without comprising C spine, and if the helicopter comes they’ll winch with a broken back. We have a sled we can transport them on and bring them back to a harbour while keeping them secure.” For more information on the rescue club or how to join, search for Irish Tow Surf Rescue Club on Facebook.

CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: Peter Conroy on duty at Mullaghmore Head in Sligo (Photo: Clem McInerney); Club members with Coast Guard Rescue 115; A training session with the Danish Lifeguard Federation on jet ski familiarisation (latter courtesy Peter Conroy)

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EMERGENCY CONTROLLERS

HIGH CALIBRE Dublin Fire Brigade has welcomed the latest batch of emergency service controllers, who graduated from the O’Brien Institute last December.

ast December, a fresh batch of emergency service controllers finished their ten weeks of training in the O’Brien Institute, graduating in front of senior officers, training instructors, friends and family. The day began with the recruits undertaking their final exams, followed by a gathering in the chapel – a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) information session where CISM team member Adrian O’Grady spoke to the new controllers and their families, providing an outline of what CISM is and what the team provides – a response to any call within 20 minutes from a team of volunteers across the job. O’Grady also outlined the role of the controller, the need to get a clear picture of the scene, the ability to calm callers down and empower them to help others, to mobilise resources within seconds, and liaise with crews on scene. “Call takers save seconds, seconds save lives,” he noted. In addition, he touched on the need for resilience and their ability to bounce back – some of the calls received by emergency service controllers can take their toll, and care and support from their loved ones at home is very important to cope with trauma. During their training, the recruits were exposed to increasingly severe calls, and are being mentored by experienced colleagues in their early days in the job. The CISM team has recently introduced a support whereby emergency service controllers can press a button and speak to a member of the CISM team. But family support is paramount to reducing the impact of the highly stressful workplace, and is important for maintaining a good work/life balance.

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EMERGENCY CONTROLLERS “CISM is not an illness or a disease. From next week, your nearest and dearest will be exposed to very stressful and complicated situations. We have trained them for it insofar as we can. However, stress can manifest itself in different ways,” explained Brigade Training Officer Gerry Stanley.

PASSING OUT

During their training, the recruits were exposed to increasingly severe calls, and are being mentored by experienced colleagues in their early days in the job.

The CISM talk was followed by a drill at the front of the chapel, an inspection of the graduating controllers by Brigade Training Officer Gerry Stanley and Assistant Chief Fire Officer Dennis Keeley, ending with an official presentation of certificates inside the chapel. A popular topic was the standard of training, the quality of the recruits, and how

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EMERGENCY CONTROLLERS

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EMERGENCY CONTROLLERS

this is just the first step in their new careers. “It was difficult to start with, it took a bit of getting used to, coming from the private sector, not being used to being so disciplined. But after the first week or so I was settled in. It was all very interesting, very rewarding too,” said David Doran, one of the new emergency service controllers who hopes to one day undertake the firefighter and paramedic training. “Like most young people, I’ve always admired the fire service, I’ve always wanted to be a part of it. I’ve been in the Civil Defence, and I applied for the last number of recruitment opportunities. Lucky enough, this time I got in!”

Speaking at the ceremony, ACFO Keeley was full of praise for the graduating recruits. “The role that you take on is an extremely important one – you are the face of Dublin Fire Brigade when a person makes a call for help, whether it’s for the fire service, ambulance or rescue,” he said. “It can be at times a very stressful job, but I would hope that the training you have been equipped with, your colleagues, the further training that you will undergo, and the family ethos in the brigade will get you through the types of incidents that you will face. I wish this class the absolute best for their future careers. For us, the future looks good when we have people of your calibre coming into the job.”

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CHAIN OF SURVIVAL

LINKS IN THE CHAIN OF SURVIVAL We spoke with Martin O’Reilly, EMS Support Officer, Dublin Fire Brigade, to discover more about the chain of survival in Dublin city and county, and how the fire-based EMS service model ensures the effectiveness of this chain.

ccording to the HSE, surviving a cardiac arrest at any age is “directly related to time to resuscitation and particularly defibrillation”. These are two links in what is known as the ‘chain of survival’ for out of hospital cardiac arrest: early recognition, immediate and effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation, rapid defibrillation, pre-hospital advance life support, and postresuscitation care and aftercare. Take early and effective CPR, which can keep the brain and vital organs oxygenated, and can also buy time for effective defibrillation to take place – either

by members of the public or the emergency services. Time is key, and CPR should commence as soon as possible following a cardiac arrest to provide the best chance for a positive outcome. “We know that after a patient suffers a cardiac arrest, if nothing is done then the patient’s chance of survival diminishes by between 7 and 10 per cent with every minute that passes. Providing bystander CPR gives the patient the best chance possible towards a successful outcome,” explains Martin O’Reilly, EMS Support Officer with Dublin Fire Brigade. In Dublin and the surrounding area, Dublin Fire Brigade is a key part of this chain, and regularly

responds to such instances across the capital. DFB recently attended an adult male patient, whose cardiac arrest had been witnessed by a member of the public. The emergency service controller (ESC) provided CPR instruction to the caller over the phone, enabling bystander CPR to take place on scene prior to DFB’s arrival, and simultaneously dispatched the required resources to the scene. “We had paramedics quickly on scene on the fire appliance and an advanced paramedic providing advanced life support as part of the ambulance crew,” says O’Reilly. “The crew achieved a return of spontaneous circulation on scene and

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CHAIN OF SURVIVAL

commenced post-resuscitation care. The patient was then transported to the nearest emergency department to continue this care. This patient benefited from all of the links in the chain of survival, which greatly increased his chances of survival and is an excellent example of an EMS system working at its best.”

TWO-PRONGED APPROACH The citizens of Dublin city and county benefit from DFB’s firebased EMS service, in which firefighters are also trained paramedics. The system is in operation in a number of jurisdictions around the world, particularly in large urban

centres, including fire departments across the USA, France and several in Germany, and plays an important role in ensuring a functioning chain of survival. As O’Reilly outlines, the fire-based EMS system in Dublin ensures the use of a structured approach when responding to cardiac arrests. The nearest fire appliance and ambulance are dispatched to a call, ensuring a sufficient number of paramedics to effectively manage a cardiac arrest. Alongside its clinical abilities, the fire appliance with paramedics onboard also facilitates a rapid response to immediately life-threatening calls – in 68 per cent of cardiac arrests the fire appliance will arrive in advance of the ambulance due to its strategic location and availability. “Many 112/999 calls are of a medical and traumatic nature, involving single or multiple patients, and have a requirement for additional clinical resources and personnel to perform physical rescue, extrication etc. Firefighter/paramedics provide rescue/extrication skillsets as well as an additional response where needed. These additional resources also improve patient, bystander and practitioner safety on scene,” says O’Reilly. The combined firefighting and paramedic training all DFB recruits receive proves highly useful within situations that require medical and rescue response – one response

vehicle can provide both skillsets. DFB personnel are educated and trained to perform multiple functions, including hazardous materials response, road traffic collision extrication, highline rescue, swiftwater rescue, and pre-hospital emergency care. “Firefighter/paramedics uniquely can provide patient treatment and rescue immediately on arrival. These highly trained professionals are a valuable resource and a huge benefit to the patient and the community,” O’Reilly explains. “Another important benefit of having multi-skilled FF/P within a fire-based EMS service is seen when a major incident occurs with many casualties involved. A fire-based EMS service can deploy large numbers of equipped paramedics to the scene from its fire service vehicles immediately. They can commence triage, treatment and stabilise patients on arrival at the scene.” The ability of Dublin Fire Brigade’s fire-based EMS system to simultaneously dispatch fire and EMS resources is vital and saves precious minutes, particularly in life-threatening situations where every second counts, often making the difference between life and death in cases like cardiac arrests. This approach also reduces on scene time and helps get patients to hospital and definitive care much sooner – important links in a patient’s survival.

The emergency service controller (ESC) provided CPR instruction to the caller over the phone, enabling bystander CPR to take place on scene prior to DFB’s arrival, and simultaneously dispatched the required resources to the scene. FIRECALL SPRING

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OPERATION TRANSFORMATION

CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: DFB’s Dave Connolly and Stephen Howard, who took part in the show this year; The leaders begin a challenge on the OBI’s training ground. Photos courtesy RTÉ.

C TRANSFORMING LIVES RTÉ’s Operation Transformation celebrated its tenth anniversary this year, setting another five leaders on the path to a healthier lifestyle. Conor Forrest caught up with S/O Dave Connolly to learn more about Dublin Fire Brigade’s involvement in the show.

elebrating its tenth anniversary this year, RTÉ’s Operation Transformation returned to our screens last January and February, with five new leaders put through their paces through an intensive eightweek programme in a bid to radically change their exercise and eating habits. For the third year running, Dublin Fire Brigade partnered with the show to set the leaders a series of physical and psychological challenges, this time with two firefighters in the form of S/O Dave Connolly and FF/P Stephen Howard, pushing them to their limits each week. For Dublin Fire Brigade, the show represents an opportunity to showcase the depth of experience within the brigade, alongside the types of incidents they regularly respond to. The bar was set high (literally and figuratively) at the end of the first week: the leaders assembled at La Touche House in Dublin’s docklands, an imposing 100-foot building. Here they had to undertake a psychological challenge, climbing the 100-foot turntable ladder to the roof, followed by a leap of faith – stepping into thin air while suspended

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OPERATION TRANSFORMATION never doubt his effort. Chris, an amputee, he moved better than some of the other leaders, and his attitude and mindset was right,” he says.

LOOKING BACK

CELEBRATIONS

The Operation Transformation leaders. Series 10 of Operation Transformation aired on RTÉ One during January and February. Photo: RTÉ

Celebrating its tenth anniversary, OT hosted the show’s biggest every exercise party in February – 10@10 – with thousands of primary school children across the country doing 10 minutes of exercise at 10am on February 10th. The show also teamed up once more with Flahavan’s to give away 200,000 packets of oats on January 28th, while the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) provided free blood pressure screening across the country for a week at the end of January.

in a harness. Other challenges tested the leaders’ willpower and encouraged them to work as a team – ziplining from Tower A to Tower B in the OBI, or dealing with the fallout from a simulated traffic collision while simultaneously fighting a number of fires. “We were trying to highlight different aspects of what DFB does – we included road traffic collisions, highline rescue work and swiftwater rescue on the beaches,” explains S/O Connolly. At one point the pressure proved too much for Seán Daly, a leader in his twenties, who clashed with S/O Connolly on the drill yard and was (temporarily) given his marching orders. “The exercises were designed to put them under pressure. The logic was, when they left us, the next time they’re put under pressure they can use their [newly developed] coping mechanisms,” he added. However, S/O Connolly admired the enthusiasm and effort displayed by Seán and the other leaders, who were being pushed to their limits and beyond. “Seán – you could

Devising, organising and implementing these challenges is a tough process, one that begins several months before the show begins. However, despite long days of planning and preparation, long hours to produce just a few minutes of TV time, S/O Connolly thoroughly enjoyed the experience. “It’s been fantastic – I get to push boundaries. I’m very passionate about DFB, and to be able to highlight it on a national stage is brilliant. It’s all very challenging, but I love it,” he tells me. “This year I was working with Stephen Howard, a firefighter from D watch Kilbarrack. He’s a qualified physical therapist – that was great when we were warming up the leaders, making sure nobody got injured. He was an absolutely brilliant asset.” Clearly their hard work was a success – a combination of a healthy eating plan and new-found willpower meant that the leaders collectively lost almost 10 stone during the two months. “By embracing a healthier way of life they have inspired thousands of people around Ireland to transform their lives. Already the leaders have lost a serious amount of weight, but more important is what they’ve gained – a love for exercise and a healthier relationship with food. It would be hard to find five more inspirational people to be the

leaders for the tenth series of OT,” said proud host Kathryn Thomas. The leaders also performed admirably in a final race in the OBI against a team of All-Star leaders from previous series. The head-tohead competition was a tough test featuring an amalgamation of the challenges this series – ziplining from a raised platform; loading from an equipment dump to a DFB jeep; pulling the jeep from one end of the training yard to another; and racing to unload a tender to extinguish a fire. Though the race was close, the current leaders won the day. “This year’s five leaders were working together as a team for a period of weeks at this stage – they had gelled together and were working very well as a team,” S/O Connolly explains. “But the All-Stars, when you brought them together they were five individuals, and they just hadn’t got that time together to perform at the same level. And the proof was in the pudding.”

The leaders prepare for another Dublin Fire Brigade challenge in the OBI. Photo: RTÉ

Clearly their hard work was a success – a combination of a healthy eating plan and their new-found willpower meant that the leaders collectively lost almost 10 stone during the two months. FIRECALL SPRING

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SUB-OFFICER TRAINING

Pictured are the 50 sub officers who graduated in May, along with the team of instructors led by D/O Robert Tierney

ublin Fire Brigade’s training centre in Marino is a whirlwind of activity these days, as recruit classes undergo their introduction to the world of firefighting, serving personnel pass through for continuous professional development, and external organisations take part in courses like occupational first aid. Among those passing through the training institute earlier this year was a group of newly promoted sub officers, completing the junior officer course in advance of deployment in their new roles. A total of 48 full-time and two retained sub officers took part in the intensive two-week course, following a rigorous and robust selection process. Covering a variety of knowledge and expertise required of a sub officer, the overarching theme is the structure and management plan of Dublin Fire Brigade, and the position of the sub officer in the chain of command. “The areas we cover are methods

THE NEXT STEP

Among the latest graduates from the O’Brien Training Institute are 50 new sub officers, who have completed the junior officer course. of instruction – they have a paramount role within the organisation in the stations, delivering lectures, delivering and supervising training. So it’s important they have an understanding of the health and safety of firefighters and the ability to deliver training. We teach them how to do that,” explains course director D/O Rob Tierney. “It’s the biggest junior officer course ever done in Dublin Fire Brigade. Logistically it was quite demanding, but I had a great team around me, especially

the officers that I had asked to be here on the course. But also the support staff in the OBI, considering that they also had 50 recruits training here. At some stages there were 200 people here during the day, but I’m pleased to say that it went very well. It’s great to see so many people progress through the ranks in one group. Historically you have smaller groups, perhaps of 20-30 people, but to see 50 new officers in a room is fantastic progress for Dublin Fire Brigade and Dublin City Council.”

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SUB-OFFICER TRAINING COURSEWORK A number of instructors were seconded to the OBI for the purposes of this course, some from operational duty and others working in the training centre. Alpha district D/O Willie Maher was one of the former, chosen for his experience with DFB’s hazmat response capabilities. Though hazmat incidents are perhaps less frequent than others, sub officers play an important role in these and other events, dealing with smaller incidents as the incident commander, filling the role of sector commander at larger scenes, managing resources or provide reports along the chain of command. “Equally they would have to look after their own crews, wearing of correct PPC, identifying that it’s a hazmat incident, making use of the information resources that we would have at a scene. They’ve been given a general overview of all the different skills they might be called upon to manage at a hazmat incident, big or small,” D/O Maher says. “I think the students themselves have stepped up to the plate as regards their professionalism, their punctuality, their dress, and it has been noticed by the other courses. These people are taking on this challenge and they are progressing, they’re fully engaged with the process. The questions they have asked in the lessons are very appropriate, very apt, and there was good engagement with

The team of course instructors. FRONT (L-R): D/O W. Maher, D/O R. Tierney, D/O P Hendricken. BACK (L-R): S/O R. Currie, S/O S. Dillon, S/O P. Sherlock, S/O M/ Cooke

A total of 48 full-time and two retained sub officers took part in the intensive two week course, which covered a variety of knowledge and expertise required of a sub officer. the students on the course. There was a definite desire for learning.”

CHANGING ROLES The motivation behind the students’ move from firefighter to sub officer is varied, from a desire to have more responsibility to a chance to experience other facets of the job. Others are seeking a change in their careers, looking for new challenges. “I’m in my twentieth year in the job – Tallaght for 13 years and Tara Street for seven. It’s time for a career change, I’ve done firefighting for 20 years now, I want to move onto the next step,” says Sub Officer Tom Gallagher. “I’m apprehensive but looking forward to it! I was in the acting position a good bit in the last year in my own station, so I have an idea of what is expected of me. I’m looking forward to it – a new station again.” For Sub Officer Niall Grant, a 20-year veteran of the brigade, it’s a chance to maintain his interest in the job. Having worked at a

number of stations throughout the past two decades, absorbing as much as he could, progressing to junior management is a logical progression. “As a firefighter you can go to different stations on transfer, you can absorb as much as you can either on the ambulance or within a role as a senior firefighter,” he says. “But at a certain stage of your career, it’s going to come to an end... I would have gone from station to station to always keep fresh, I’ve done an awful lot within that window of 20 years as a firefighter. And now this is just another station to refresh in the job and take it to another level.” The new sub officers are beginning life in their new stations, in new roles that require new and more advanced responsibilities. The course might be finished, but their education is ongoing. “This development course has been full on, we’ve received over 40 lectures on a wide variety of topics,” explains Caroline Gunning, who has been with the brigade for the past 17 years. “There’s a lot to take in. We’ve had really good instruction so we’re taking away a big toolkit, and we’ll learn as we go on.” Instructor Stephen Dillon, a Station Officer in Foxtrot District, is proud of the class and believes they will prove valuable to the brigade in the years ahead. “I’ve worked with many of these guys – I’ve worked with them through different watches through my career,” he explains. “A great asset to Dublin Fire Brigade, one and all.”

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ON PARADE

SHADES OF GREEN AND BLUE

Following another successful St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 17th, Third Officer and Pipe Band member John Keogh looks back on a memorable day.

arch 17th is an important day in Ireland’s calendar, a day that celebrates the best of what we have to offer to the world. Among those who have become a staple of the annual parade through Dublin city’s streets is Dublin Fire Brigade, which provides a cohort of uniformed firefighters each year, wowing the crowd with their synchronised marching skills perfected on the drill ground, as well as spotless uniforms and polished medals, and accompanied by the uplifting tunes of the DFB Pipe Band. “It’s a very important day for the fire brigade, it always has been. I’m a member of the DFB Pipe Band as well, and since the foundation of the band in 1985 it was always the view that St. Patrick’s Day would be our biggest event every year,” says Third Officer John Keogh, among those who took to the streets in March. Alongside a colour party, marchers, and several international firefighters who joined their colleagues in Dublin

for the day, the 2017 parade also featured the very first party of recruits from the O’Brien Training Institute, plucked from their training to showcase their newly learned marching skills on a national stage. “We got them in uniform, and Brigade Training Officer Gerry Stanley marched in front of them with the flag of the DFB training centre, with the recruit instructors leading them off. That was a great event for them, and it got them more involved with life in Dublin Fire Brigade,” says Third Officer Keogh. “Unfortunately they couldn’t participate in the fun afterwards – mixing recruits with trained firefighters at that stage of their training isn’t a good idea. However, the DFB Sports and Social Club arranged a venue for them and they had their own celebrations afterwards. We’ve encouraged them to take part in the parade next year and in parades going forward.” DFB staff and guests from around the world joined the Pipe Band in Diceys on Harcourt Street. The Band

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ON PARADE

LEFT: Members of the Coast Guard at the ceremony in Phibsborough, during which the crew of Rescue 116 were remembered. ABOVE: The Pipe Band were among the DFB marchers along the parade route on St. Patrick’s Day. Photos: Trevor Hunt

ABOVE: Dublin Fire Brigade personnel, including the Pipe Band, stand to attention, flanked by members of the Coast Guard from Howth. Photo: Trevor Hunt

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ON PARADE wound up providing entertainment to everyone who arrived at the venue, which was recorded and quickly went viral around the globe. “It was a real party atmosphere that was great to be involved in,” Third Officer Keogh says with a smile.

STRUCTURE For the past 15 years or so, the annual parade has begun at Parnell Square, marching down along O’Connell Street towards St. Stephen’s Green. As the closest station to the start point is Phibsborough, it quickly became a meeting point for those taking part from DFB, with support on the day provided by the station’s crew, particularly those on C watch. A more formalised structure to the hours before the parade kicks off has also emerged, with an event held that morning in memory of deceased members of the brigade. Beginning with a reading of the names of those who have passed away, a piper from the band plays a lament, followed by a minute’s silence and a flag raising ceremony where the national flag is raised and lowered to half mast. Each year the names are read aloud by the grand marshal selected to lead the DFB contingent along the parade route, usually a person of note within the brigade who has recently retired. For 2017 DFB historian Las Fallon was chosen, with an additional tribute paid to the crew of Rescue 116 – though three former members of DFB who now work with the Coast Guard were unable to attend as they were working at the site of the rescue

efforts, representatives from the station in Howth were in attendance. “We recognise that they’ve gone through a hard time in the past year. We have a great association with them, whether it’s the crews on the helicopters or the shore crews, in Howth or any of the other stations around Dublin,” Third Officer Keogh says. This year the marchers were joined, as always, by colleagues from further afield, with firefighters from Westchester Fire Service in New York, Berkeley in California and Dunkirk in France taking to the streets. That diverse make-up is the result of deep friendships developed over the years with organisations including the NY Emerald Society and the Washington DC Emerald Society, and close links with brigades such as Leduc Fire Brigade in Edmonton, Canada. “We keep in contact with them, and very good friendships have developed as a result,” Third Officer Keogh explains. “It can be relaxed and dignified at the same time. Nearly every single year our guests are photographed in the national papers. It’s great for the guys who are participating to pick up the paper the next day and see a picture of our friends from Leduc Fire Brigade or New York Fire Department front and centre.”

STANDING ON CEREMONY In the early years, DFB marched solely as part of the main body of the parade, however of late its participation has grown to incorporate a ceremonial role at the beginning with the Lord Mayor of Dublin city. As part of the tradition, the Lord Mayor leads the

This year the marchers were joined, as always, by colleagues from further afield, with firefighters from Westchester Fire Service in NY, Berkeley in California and Dunkirk in France taking to the streets.

parade from the start point in the mayoral coach, accompanied by a representative of An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces (carrying the national flag) and Dublin Fire Brigade. “It’s a unique opportunity and we’re honoured to represent Dublin in that way. DFB has been here for 150 years, so we’re the lifeblood of the city,” says Third Officer Keogh. “We’re a real integral part of what Dublin city is all about. The people working in DFB go beyond the normal routine as regards working for the citizens of Dublin. And I think that’s recognised when we’re on parade – the cheers that DFB get are continuous, right along the whole route.” Going forward the plan is to grow DFB’s involvement in events like St. Patrick’s Day, taking inspiration from the State parade in 2016 that commemorated the centenary of the Easter Rising, and which saw 150 DFB personnel take part; and the annual FESSEF parade that marches through the city with representation from all full-time and voluntary emergency services. Last year the Sports and Social Club funded the purchase of flags for each station across the city, bearing their name and date of foundation, and Third Officer Keogh envisions future parades in which DFB marchers carry anywhere between 14 and 20 flags, providing a more spectacular and colourful vista along the parade route. Plans are also in place to ensure the entire day is an event for all the family, and Third Officer Keogh encourages families to head to Phibsborough fire station before the parade begins, to enjoy the family-friendly party atmosphere in the station and the tunes played by the Pipe Band as they prepare. “The St. Patrick’s Day parade is the biggest day in the Pipe Band’s year, every year. And it always has been,” he explains. “It doesn’t matter whether we’re here or abroad, it’s always the biggest day. There’s no bar on who marches with us. If somebody turns up in Phibsborough fire station and they’re in full uniform, that’s all we ask. It’s a tremendous event for DFB and it’s going to get bigger and bigger.”

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STATION PROFILE

STATION PROFILE FINGLAS C WATCH

The crew of C watch No 5. Missing on the day was Mick Ennis and new recruit Dave Brennan.

WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE CREW OF C WATCH NO 5, LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE SCOPE OF THEIR WORK ON THE NORTHSIDE, AND WHAT MAKES THE JOB SO SPECIAL.

inglas fire station was somewhat quiet when I arrived on a sunny morning last April. The ambulance was out on a call, the fourth or fifth in just two hours, while the appliance was taking a break in-between responses. C watch were on duty that morning, helmed by Station Officer Derek McGuinness who is on his second stint in Finglas. Starting out as a retained firefighter in Swords, he moved to a full-time role in 1990 and spent a year in Phibsborough followed by three years in HQ. From there he moved to North Strand until his promotion to sub officer on

D watch HQ. Following a further promotion to station officer he spent three years in Finglas on C watch, before moving to Donnybrook and then to the Equipment Maintenance Department. However, No 5 beckoned once more, and he’s been overseeing C watch here once again for the past year. “I’m in my 27th year full-time. AFS before that, Civil Defence, a bit of work with the Red Cross. I’ve always had an interest. My father was a fire officer in Squibbs in Swords – it was in the blood,” he explains. “I’m back to the old crew now. I had a choice – I can really only work in two pump stations as I’m a senior station officer, but

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STATION PROFILE despite having one pump, Finglas is classified as a district station because we have the two retained stations and Swords. It’s a little busier here, but I’d rather be busier than not.” Given the breadth of Finglas’ area of responsibility, it’s no surprise that it’s a busy station. No 5 covers to the borders of Phibsborough’s area in Glasnevin, and from there right up to the border with Louth. They also 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. Training obviously plays a key role, with regular training exercises arranged to keep the crew up-todate in the event of an incident. “The main one, of course, is the Airport, that’s our main priority. We would liaise very closely with the officers in the Airport – if they have a manning shortage on a night shift they would inform us that they don’t have a domestic appliance available. In that situation we would increase our turnout response to three pumps instead of two for any alarm,” S/O McGuinness explains.

EMERGENCY MEDICINE The paramedic aspect of the job is something that has always interested S/O McGuinness. He was one of six pioneers of DFB’s advanced paramedic programme, travelling to the US in 1991 to complete a 12-month paramedic course. The six took part in an internship with New York Fire Department and undertook a number of clinical placements, in partnership with Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. What they learned over the course of those 12 months was hugely significant for the development of DFB’s paramedic capabilities, having been exposed to a

District Officer Joe Keena

wide variety of situations they would never have encountered back home. On his return, S/O McGuinness was seconded to the OBI Training Institute for several months at a time to train other paramedics, a far cry from the basic first aid course he completed as a recruit in St. Mary’s Hospital in the Phoenix Park. Today, DFB’s dual role firefighter/ paramedic system is serving the city well – with stations strategically located north and south of the Liffey calls are responded to with little or no delay. As with most stations around Dublin, medical cases far outweigh calls to attend fires, and the crew on C watch have had a number of saves in the area over the past few months, including several successful resuscitations following cardiac arrest. S/O McGuinness notes the positives of being able to dispatch a fire tender to the scene of a medical incident with trained paramedics on board. “It’s an excellent resource to have pulling up at your door, with five

or six paramedics jumping out,” he says. “Some of the APs are riding out on the tenders as well.” One of those paramedics is Mick Ennis, who joined the brigade in 2001 and has been stationed in Finglas since April 2002. “It’s a great job, a great career, it’s a great thing to be a part of,” he says. As you might imagine he’s seen quite a few changes in the intervening years – officers and recruits coming and going, changes in the way they tackle incidents and how they can treat the patients they encounter. For example, in his early days Mick would often respond to a local man with diabetes who would go into a diabetic seizure from time to time due to low blood sugar. Initially his sister would keep Lucozade tablets or jam on hand for the paramedics to ‘administer’, but as time passed and DFB’s medical resources expanded, the ambulance’s supplies included glucose, glucagon injections and much more besides. “The level of professionalism

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STATION PROFILE and the advent of the Port Tunnel. “When I started there was no tunnel,” he explains. “That doesn’t affect us hugely because it’s very safe and well organised so we wouldn’t be down there every hand’s turn.” I ask Mick about any cases that stand out in his mind, and he smiles. “I remember one case that stands out,” he says. That particular case took place in the vicinity of the station; a call came in advising that a stabbing had taken place. Though another ambulance had been dispatched, Mick and his partner John O’Riordan reached the patient first. The individual was lying on the ground, miraculously still alive, a knife protruding from their chest. Though the crew initially secured the patient in the ambulance, the patient managed to remove the knife

Today, DFB’s dual role firefighter/paramedic system is serving the city well – with stations strategically located north and south of the Liffey calls are responded to with little or no delay. is so vast now. For people with breathing problems... when I started there was oxygen and that was it. Now we can give salbutamol, ipratropium bromide. And you can physically see the people in front of you change, from where they couldn’t breathe and they’re frightened to where they’re back talking to you and thanking you. There’s a huge change in the level that we operate at.” Mick also pinpoints geographical changes within Finglas’ area of responsibility, including the changed landscape of Ballymun

and became quite aggressive. In the end garda reinforcements were called, the patient was restrained on the ambulance stretcher, and was taken to hospital. The impact and experience of senior personnel like this is invaluable, particularly for those who are new to the job, like recruit Dave Brennan, currently completing his paramedic training. Three years ago F/F Gary Wilson was in that position, having joined the brigade internally from Dublin City Council, starting out in Finglas in 2009. “Every call is different, when the

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STATION PROFILE bells go off you don’t know what’s going to happen, you don’t know what it is. Starting off it’s a new language for you, it’s completely different,” he explains. “You do it in training, but when you get hands on with the practical side of the job it’s a whole different ballgame. You need the senior lads to take you under their wing – they teach you a lot. We have a recruit here at the moment, so we’re helping him. We all started off the same way.”

One thing I’ve noticed from each of the stations I’ve visited is that the crew are often involved in charitable endeavours, raising funds or awareness for a wide variety of worthy causes. Finglas is no different – S/O McGuinness has travelled to Zinder, a city in Niger, to provide his experience and expertise to the city’s fledgling fire department. Working with Fire and Ambulance Development in Africa (FADA), he was one of six people who travelled to the West African country two years ago, bringing with them several fire tenders and old cutting equipment that had been donated by brigades around the country. The team spent two weeks in Niger; a five-day drive through the Sahara desert, followed by a training programme to teach Zinder’s firefighters how to operate their newfound equipment. It’s an expensive process – the biggest expense is shipping, costing roughly d5,000 per appliance to ship from Ireland to Africa. “That’s an ongoing project. Kildare Fire Brigade got in touch with me when I was in Logistics, and donated two fire appliances. There’s a crew that refurbishes appliances in their spare time, and any old equipment that brigades around the country can donate will be gladly taken,” says S/O McGuinness, who hopes to make a collection of the old DFB uniforms once the new versions enter service this year. “A couple of medical supplies went out

this year, but we’ll probably go out teaching again next year. They’re basically starting from scratch.” Although outfitting the city’s fire service with modern technology is the main goal, there have been some unexpected but positive side effects. Some of the fire tenders are also being used to ferry water from wells to villages, which allows young girls to receive an education – usually they’re kept at home to carry water throughout the day, but now their time is freed up to continue their studies. Getting involved in causes like these, alongside work that is different each and every day, makes for a career that is never dull, one in which you can give back to not just your local community, but those further afield. “I started here when I was 30. I had seen a bit of life, I had worked in different places, but this is like no other,” says Mick Ennis. “My son is 21 and has just got on the panel to come in. We’re really proud because I think it’s a fine, honourable job to be in. There’s stuff that happens along the way that knocks you, but generally it’s the best job in the world.”

RENOVATION COMPLETE

AID IN AFRICA

The last time I was in No 5, their renovation programme was almost complete, with a few bits to be finished here and then. Two-and-a-half years later they’re well settled into their new digs, and are very much enjoying the fruits of that labour, including 24/7 hot water and a generator that kicks in when the main power grid fails. “The station is fantastic, the facilities that we have here now – compared to what we had, compared to every other station in the job – are second to none,” says Simon Finglas, who is currently studying to become an advanced paramedic. “It definitely makes a difference when you’re coming into work in a nice working environment.”

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

LEARNING WITH LEISURE

The fourth annual Emergency Gathering took place in Kinsale in May. Conor Forrest spoke with organiser Kieran Henry to discover more about this engaging and diverse two-day event.

n early May, a large group of emergency services personnel from Ireland and around the world gathered in the picturesque town of Kinsale. They were there as part of the annual EMS Gathering, a two-day event organised by a team of people including National Ambulance Service advanced paramedic Kieran Henry. It was initially inspired by The Gathering 2013, a government umbrella tourism initiative that encouraged Ireland’s diaspora to return to their homeland that year. “Around the same time, there was

ABOVE: Dealing with a challenging case in a potentially hostile environment. BELOW: Musical interludes and simulation are important features of the EMS Gathering

a group of us involved in emergency medical services – paramedics, doctors responders etc. – and we used to head up the mountains informally, take part in activities on our time off,” Kieran explains. “We would often chat to each other and share information with each other, talking about hypothermia, drowning or various different things, as well as talking about sport, current affairs and things like that. So we thought why don’t we merge the two?” Thus the EMS Gathering was born, organised and run on a voluntary basis with something for everyone working in

the field of pre-hospital emergency care, regardless of qualification or experience. The informal nature inspired by those mountain hikes has remained – though the event includes classroom lectures given by experts in their fields, ‘Learning with Leisure’ remains a key facet of the EMS Gathering. Over the years attendees have travelled to nearby farms to learn about responding to a farm-related emergency, attended talks on drowning at Torc Waterfall outside Killarney, and taken a bus tour while learning the intricacies of dealing with sepsis. Clearly the diverse programme has worked – people have flocked to the EMS Gathering each year from all corners of the globe, from New Zealand, Poland, Canada, the United States and further afield, sharing their experiences, supporting one another and exchanging ideas on best practice. It has also inspired other events, including the OBI CPC nights established by DFB’s Glenn Ellis and the team there. “It’s a different angle on the educational aspects of the event, I suppose, and people seem to like it. They keep coming back anyway!”says Kieran. “We’ve heard of individual cases where people learned something at the EMS Gathering and they’ve put it into practice. That’s really satisfying on a personal basis.”

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SHARED EXPERTISE

ABOVE: Attendees watch on as Defence Forces and Gardai deal with a threatening situation

BELOW: Loading an injured person into a helicopter was one element of the TEMS workshop.

FLOTILLA OF LEARNING A new concept for 2017 was the Flotilla of Learning – a range of workshops held on and around Kinsale Harbour. Those included:

Gardai and Customs Service were among the emergency services displaying their capabilities

■ Health & Well-being Workshop – Kayaks ■ Silver Trauma & Silver Sepsis – Spirit of Kinsale Vessel ■ Deep Dive into Diving – Diving Rib ■ Ultrasound Workshop – Sea Vessel ■ Crew Resource Management – Sailboat ■ Behaviours of Concern/ Great Wars & What We Have Learned – Walking Tour of Charlesfort

Collaboration is another factor that drives the EMS Gathering – without so many people from different backgrounds, each with their own individual learnings and experiences, the event would not be as broad in its scope. This year the Gathering moved from Killarney to the maritime town of Kinsale, with a programme covering subjects ranging from insights into mental health emergencies and dealing with drowning incidents to workshops on crew resource management and personal resilience. The Flotilla of Learning included a workshop on silver trauma and sepsis given on the Spirit of Kinsale vessel in the harbour, while attendees learned about behaviours of concern while on a walking tour of the Charlesfort. The Irish Naval Service also gave a highly insightful talk on Operation Pontus, which saw more than 15,000 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean over the course of six three-month rotations by Navy vessels. “We had many agencies, both statutory and voluntary, involved. Within those agencies you have a complete multidisciplinary set of people from clinical to non-clinical,” says Kieran. “People from all different backgrounds be it the emergency medical services, military, fire service and rescue, hospitals, general practice, researchers. We had a range of national and international attendees, and they brought their own experiences.” With the dust having settled on the fourth EMS Gathering held since its foundation, Kieran is delighted with how the diverse programme for 2017 unfolded. There’s no doubt that the combination of social activities, with talks and workshops held both in the classroom and out in the locality, made for a memorable two days. “We were delighted with the response. The feedback that we have got [for 2017] is phenomenal. Some of the nicest things that we heard [were from] the veterans, who have attended conferences for many years, and told us it’s the best one they’ve been at,” says Kieran. “Our aim was to inspire people to learn and enjoy themselves, and I think we have certainly achieved that.”

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RETIRED MEMBERS

RETIRED MEMBER PROFILE Noel Hayden

Conor Forrest caught up with retired District Officer Noel Hayden, who spent the best part of his career fighting fires on Dublin’s southside.

n the days when Dún Laoghaire fire station was a standalone unit, yet to become integrated with Dublin Fire Brigade, funds and finances were not so readily available. The process of officially mending or replacing something could be quite bureaucratic, and so it was often easier for a member of the crew to get out their toolbox and mend the broken lock or door. “There was no money for anything, and there was no gear – I had better tools in my car,” recalls retired District Officer Noel Hayden, who spent more than three decades fighting fires in Dún Laoghaire. A Crumlin man born and bred, Noel initially envisaged a life spent working in the trades. Beginning as an apprentice carpenter and joiner in Kennedy’s Bakery, he picked up plumbing, electrical and various other skills in the years that followed, including a stint as a carpenter with the now defunct Modern Display Artists. In fact, the house he and his wife Deirdre (along with their five children) have lived in since around 1983 was built by Noel, his brother-in-law Dennis and colleagues in the brigade at the time. Though Dennis was a firefighter, the thought of joining the fire brigade had never crossed Noel’s mind. He was working on a job in Kilbarrack

Shopping Centre in 1972 when Dennis suggested he join the brigade, and Noel agreed to look into it. A week or two later an advertisement for Dún Laoghaire firefighters appeared in the paper, and Noel’s wife Deirdre duly went to the town hall to collect an application. As they had none printed she was directed to the fire station, where they had none either, though the second officer, Willie Kennedy, accompanied her back to the town hall to duplicate the form. By the time Dublin Fire Brigade launched its own recruitment drive several weeks later, Noel was a firefighter in Dún Laoghaire. “It was handy enough until I got the pay!” he recalls of those early weeks with a laugh. Prior to joining the brigade, Noel was earning £35 a week with a builder in the city; the fire brigade’s starting salary was substantially less at £20 a week. Couple that with the fact that he had bought a house on the northside and was commuting down, and circumstances were a little strained. “It was a bit of a struggle when I went into the fire brigade at first,” he tells me. “Then when the petrol crisis came that really knocked the socks off me. The train wasn’t always a good idea, and we didn’t always have the bridges we have now. If you were coming from

the northside you had to go around Butt Bridge and right back down the quays on the far side to get to Dún Laoghaire. It was a long, slow trip.” Noel’s first chief in Dún Laoghaire was Kerryman Michael Murphy, who was cautious about needless spending, but had a sense of humour. “One time the chief officer said ‘You’ll have to act station officer tonight’. I said ‘I never did it at night-time before’. Says he, ‘There’s no difference, it’s just dark’!” Noel quickly became involved with the social side of life in the brigade, joining the Sports and Social Club and spending 20 years on the committee. During that time they formed a boat club and, with Paddy Lee, a benevolent fund. In 1974 Dún Laoghaire hosted one of the biggest annual dinner dances in its history, with around 340 people attending from brigades around the country. “We improved a lot of things – we reorganised the television room in the station and I made seating for it. We got another recreation room that also had bar seating – one of the boys knew somebody who was closing a bar down,” says Noel.

IMPROVING CONDITIONS Given his background, and the lack of funding available, Noel would do maintenance work around the station, while lending the mechanics a helping hand from time to time. It was during this time that he became involved with the union,

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RETIRED MEMBERS Retired District Officer Noel Hayden

and a committee began to meet with the Corporation manager once a month to voice complaints or request funds. A potato peeler was an early addition, then a dishwasher. A washing machine for PPE was also acquired after some negotiation, and the issue of lighting within the station was a common complaint. “Lights used to be switched off at 11pm in the fire station – it was like being in a reformatory!” he explains with a laugh. “We got

extra lights fitted in toilets etc., and generally improved the conditions.” The funding situation improved under the brigade’s new chief, Tom McDonald, a veteran of DFB. A greater emphasis was placed on training and equipment; the station’s firefighters began with a breathing apparatus course and new appliances were purchased. Sub Officer Christopher Cummins was dispatched around the country, visiting each fire station to see what they had,

and made a list of requirements. The result was an impressive emergency tender featuring some of the latest innovations, including radios for communicating with marine rescue, housed in a small onboard control room. “We did our BA course in the OBI [where his grandfather attended school almost 90 years previous], and other courses too. We did our own pump training in Dún Laoghaire – myself and Aidan Carroll ran that,” Noel explains. Exercises, too, became a regular occurrence, and the crew at Dún Laoghaire took part in one of the earliest Sealink joint rescue exercises in the Irish Sea, conducted alongside Holyhead Fire Brigade, the RAF and the Irish Air Corps. “We continued to progress,” Noel adds. “It was a smaller brigade so it was easier to do, you could train everyone in a couple of weeks. Despite this increased focus on training and equipment, Dún Laoghaire’s ambulance service ran into difficulties in the late seventies/early eighties. Rewind just a couple of years and there were three Dún Laoghaire fire brigade ambulances operating in the district – two regular ambulances and a fever ambulance. However, staffing issues began to arise and Noel explains how – rather than manning the ambulance for a full shift as happens today – personnel would switch between the fire tender and ambulance throughout the course of a shift. “You could come back in, get off the fire tender, wash yourself very quick and get into your dress uniform, get onto the ambulance and be out on a call five minutes later,” he says. The ambulance service finally departed in 1982, falling under the remit of Colmcille’s Hospital in nearby Loughlinstown. Though Dún Laoghaire moved to their present station in 1992, and amalgamated with Dublin Fire Brigade in 1994, the station remains the only one in Dublin without an ambulance today. Still, the crew was by no means underworked. The chimney van was one of the busiest appliances in a time when people were still burning the old coal. “When I was there first you would do 15 chimney fires a night. The

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RETIRED MEMBERS

best thing Mary Harney ever did for the country was get Dublin smoke free [in 1990]. It cut down on the chimney fires, as did the natural gas and gas-fired heating,” Noel explains.

MEMORIES Noel’s time in Dún Laoghaire lasted 30 years, but eventually he moved on. Having been promoted to sub officer in 1984 (acting sub officer since 1979), and station officer in 1994, he joined Donnybrook fire station in 2003. Three years later he was posted to Phibsborough as the district officer and saw out his remaining years on the northside, eventually retiring in 2009. Throughout that time he has met some great characters (some of whom dubbed him ‘Luigi’ on seeing

Noel was one of the firefighters stationed in Dún Laoghaire when the new station was opened in 1991

his jet black hair). They’re the type of people you remember years after you’ve left the job, the type of people who take you under their wing, who make you laugh and learn, and most of all who make the job what it is. “I’ve worked with some great characters, some very skillful and smart people. I had a station officer, Tim Mahony, he was one of the first station officers I worked for. Myself, Aidan Carroll and a few others, we used to be called Tim’s lads. We had some great times working with Tim. He used to say ‘There’s some equal lads and others more equal!” Noel recalls. There are memorable incidents too – good and bad. Noel remembers a call to attend to a 12-year-old girl who wasn’t breathing. Though they

Despite this increased focus on training and equipment, Dún Laoghaire’s ambulance service ran into difficulties in the late seventies/early eighties.

quickly reached the scene she was beyond help, and all they could do was bring her to hospital. “I think that’s the one that sticks in my mind the most,” he explains. But lives have also been saved. One day Noel was teaching another firefighter how to drive the appliance when they were flagged down – a fire was burning outside a nearby shed with two children trapped inside. Leaving his colleague to operate the pumps and raise the alarm in the station across the road, Noel managed to locate and rescue a young boy and his friend. Three years later, the crew were walking out of the station’s kitchen, and could smell something burning. A house was on fire around the corner and they quickly turned out, Noel circling around the back while several others came through the front door. Spotting a crack in a pane of glass from which smoke was emanating, Noel quickly removed the glass and climbed inside, passing two kids out to safety. With colleagues in BA sets approaching and the smoke getting to him, Noel retreated to the back yard having warned that somebody else was trapped in the house. Then he heard a noise, and he was handed a baby. “It was the same family as the young lad in the shed – that was the four of them I rescued from fires!” he explains. “I must say, in the 37, 38 years there I enjoyed most of it. I might have had about three bad days, and two of them I can’t remember.” Noel has retired from DFB, but life after is by no means quiet. “The things I miss most are the days off!” he laughs. Still quite handy with a toolbox, Noel is the go-to man in the family and his neighbourhood when something goes wrong. He’s also started a family tradition – his son Rod has been in the brigade since 2004, stationed in Dolphin’s Barn, and thoroughly enjoys the hectic life of a firefighter. “He likes being busy,” says Noel. “He’s happy in his work.”

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Taught MSc in Civil Engineering A modular taught MSc course offering specialisations in one of the following three streams: Environmental engineering, Structural & geotechnical engineering, Transport engineering.

Research MSc or PhD Opportunities are available for well qualified candidates to undertake full or part-time research leading to an MSc or PhD. General Enquiries: Prof. Brian Broderick │ Tel: 01 896 1457

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SPECIAL REPORT:

SPECIAL REPORT: EDUCATION

PRE-HOSPITAL EMERGENCY CARE EDUCATION IN 2017 In our in-depth 2017 report on pre-hospital emergency care education and upskilling, we examine the various higher education programmes and courses available for those who wish to join or advance within the sector.

ducation and training are key facets of life in Dublin Fire Brigade, keeping personnel throughout the brigade up-to-date with the latest developments and learning on a broad range of topics. The educational opportunities are wideranging and in our spring issue of Firecall magazine we examine these opportunities for personnel at all levels of the organisation, from new recruits

to seasoned incident commanders, outlining the programmes and courses provided by a number of training and third level institutes around Ireland. In the following pages we will profile: ■ O’Brien Training Institute ■ Dublin City University ■ University College Dublin ■ IT Carlow ■ Trinity College Dublin ■ University of Limerick

■ Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) ■ Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) to discover more about what they and their programmes offer, entry requirements and the study/life balance, the relationship with Dublin Fire Brigade in developing and running these courses, and the opportunities they can offer to advance your career.

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O’BRIEN TRAINING INSTITUTE

or the vast majority of Dublin Fire Brigade personnel, the O’Brien Training Institute in Marino was and is their first introduction to the world of pre-hospital emergency care. DFB’s official training centre, in the last 18 months a total of 130 recruits and three promotional panels (district, station and sub officers) have passed through its doors. Add the roll out of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the 2016 paramedic programme, the latest recruit class returning in June to complete their paramedic training, and a BA refresher course due later in the year, and ‘intensive’ would be one word to describe the atmosphere along its corridors and on the training ground. The current brigade training officer is Third Officer Gerry Stanley. T/O Stanley joined DFB in 1982 – a 35-year veteran of the job. Having served his

The entrance to the O’Brien Training Institute in Marino, Dublin 3. Inside these walls the OBI provides essential fire, rescue, medical and health & safety courses to private and public sector organisations, as well as individuals.

time as a sub officer and then station officer, he later moved into roles involving fire prevention, and was promoted to Third Officer ten years ago. His current posting, he explains, has been quite the positive move. “It’s a beautiful old building, nice feel, clean air, straight away it was a winner. I can even see my house from here,” he says with a smile. While he also serves as the quality coordinator for DFB, T/O Stanley’s role in the OBI sees him overseeing the day to day running of the training centre, and everything that entails. “It’s a very challenging position to be in. There are always courses going on here for our own personnel, for Dublin City Council people. We also run external courses and commercial courses for members of the public and private sector – there’s an income stream attached to the school.” The OBI is home to some of

Recruits being put through their paces on the O’Brien Institute’s extensive drill ground. Recruits will spend 16 weeks of intensive training before being posted to the first stations of their career

the latest advancements in technology, including the brigade’s surveillance drone, a handy piece of kit that can provide a bird’s eye view of an incident, without having to commit personnel to a potentially dangerous situation. “It’s used in any training courses by request and is available at the moment for anyone at an incident that wants to use it.” T/O Stanley explains. “It’s certainly proved what it can do. For example, hazmat incidents or large fires – without having to commit people we can put this up in the air and get a full view of the scene.” It’s also where DFB’s driving school is based, with two full-time driving instructors on site, as well as the DFB museum, a fascinating place that traces the history of the fire brigade throughout the decades, curated by the capable Paul Hand.

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FRESH BLOOD For new recruits, this fabulous old building will be the focus of their attention for 16 weeks, interspersed by trips into the field to augment their skillsets. The recruit training course is by no means for the fainthearted – a certain grit, determination and mindset is required to succeed. It’s an intensive period, covering basic training, working with breathing apparatus, hazmat, practical firefighting, dealing with RTCs, flood response and pump training. “It’s laid out to them very clearly on their first couple of days that it’s not for the fainthearted. They’re told what’s going to happen, but there’s never any issues,” T/O Stanley explains. “They’re all very young, they’re fit, and we expect them to get through it. We expect a very high standard, so if they don’t make the grade they’ll be shown the door. But by and large they all make it through.” That high success rate is made

possible by the depth and breadth of knowledge displayed by the institute’s instructors. Alongside a core group across the various disciplines, specialised instructors are recruited to provide the specialised courses. “Only for them we’d be in trouble,” T/O Stanley notes. “People might think these people only arrive at 9am,

but the preparatory work they do is immense. There are no complaints, they get through it – we depend on them.” One of these instructors is D/O Paul Lambert, now in his 23rd year with DFB, a former station officer on C watch, Alpha District. To say that he has an interest in the paramedic side of the job would be something of an understatement – he travelled to the US for a year to complete a paramedic programme in Boston, followed by a field internship in New York, in advance of the creation of DFB’s advanced paramedic capabilities. When he returned to Ireland, he was among the second group of students to undertake the UCD advanced paramedic programme. Paul is a PHECC (Pre-hospital Emergency Care Council) tutor with the training centre – the qualification that must be attained to teach within the fire brigade, or on any pre-hospital paramedic programmes, working alongside his regular job as an advanced paramedic. “I have a number of functions – number one is the day to day running of our programmes, everything from continual professional development to clinical practice guidelines (CPG) up-skilling,” he explained. “If there’s a new medication or a new skill or piece of equipment that needs to be introduced, the Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council, through their medical advisory committee, insert it into the practice guidelines. So it’s my job to keep an eye on what’s up and coming. From an education point of view, we have to then design training to deliver to our practitioners.”

The course is by no means for the fainthearted – a certain grit, determination and mindset is required to succeed. It’s an intensive period, one that needs to provide as broad an overview of their new roles as possible. FIRECALL SPRING

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in recent years its scope has broadened to welcome firefighters from other jurisdictions. NATIONAL CENTRE

BEHIND THE SCENES

However, the O’Brien Institute is far from a training facility solely for members of Dublin Fire Brigade. In recent years its scope has broadened to welcome firefighters from other counties and jurisdictions, alongside civilians and students; recruit classes of late have included trainee firefighters from Limerick, Louth and Waterford. “Other brigades are seeing the value, because we can provide not just the training centre, the personnel and the expertise, but also the accommodation,” says T/O Stanley. There are other responsibilities too. External courses for fire marshals are getting busier, while the provision of

One of the aspects of the OBI that perhaps goes unseen at times is its administration office, headed by Breeda Melvin who oversees a team of six. Like the rest of the job, there’s no such thing as an average day in the admin office – their responsibilities include the accurate recording of training, responding to freedom of information or legal requests, or managing the approximately 120 secondary school students who pass through the doors every year, gaining valuable work experience.

T/O Gerry Stanley with D/O Paul Lambert

civilian training is an ever-growing aspect, with the occupational first aid course proving quite popular. “We provide a lot of training to public and private parties,” he explains. “It’s a requirement throughout the public service to have set people with occupational and fire safety qualifications. They have to complete a three-day Level 5 course, which has to be refreshed every two years. And then there are other courses we would provide on request, such as emergency first response, specific first aid courses, perhaps CPR. If a request comes in, we try not to say no to anybody – if we can provide a course we will.” They’ve also signed up once more with the European Erasmus international exchange programme. Two years ago the OBI hosted ten French students from Wassy in northeastern France, part of a post secondary school programme that trains French youths for roles in the country’s emergency services. At the beginning of May another cohort of would-be firefighters touched down in

Dublin, taking part in a three-week fire and EMS course. “There were times here in the past few months when we just didn’t have room!” T/O Stanley says with a laugh. “We had 160 people here during some days – it is a bit of a logistical nightmare to get rooms for them, provide the equipment, the catering and anything else required.” As the head of a busy training centre, there’s no such thing as sitting on your laurels. The centre played a key role in DFB’s recent achievement of OHSAS accreditation, which required the establishment of a comprehensive health and safety management system. T/O Stanley explains that he’s also involved with a national QQI committee working on a recognised qualification for DFB recruits. “We’re working hard on that, hopefully we’ll have that resolved by the end of the year,” he says. “That would mean that a recruit can leave here with a Level 6 qualification in Firefighting Operations, which he or she can use anywhere in Ireland or the UK. That’s progress.”

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IT CARLOW

Eoin Homan

ifelong learning is a key facet of life at IT Carlow, which aims to provide opportunities for adults of all ages and experience to learn new skills or upgrade their abilities. Among the wide range of courses offered across IT Carlow’s campuses is an honours degree in emergency management, from which a number of DFB personnel have graduated in recent years. The Bachelor of Business in Emergency Service Management is a four-year honours degree programme that aims to equip its graduates with the necessary knowledge, skills and techniques to make an immediate contribution to the emergency services sector. “The aim is to prepare graduates for lifelong learning so that they will be able to further develop their knowledge and skills through experience, professionalism and/or academic instruction,” explains Eoin Homan, Head of Department – Built Environment and Extended Campus, IT Carlow. “The programme will provide individuals with the basis and grounding in theory

A group of graduating students from DFB at the conferring ceremony in November 2016

and practical application to take on supervisory and management roles in the emergency services sector in time.” Given the four-year span of the course, a broad range of subject areas are tackled in the programme. Intended to provide individuals with an in-depth understanding of the theories, concepts and methods relating to business and emergency services management, specialist subject areas include fire safety science, incident command and risk management in operational environments, buildings control and regulatory systems, and critical incident stress management. Traditional business skills are also

covered – management, group and team dynamics, communications, marketing and quality management and control. Homan explains that Dublin Fire Brigade provided key input during the programme’s development phase and, as the programme continually evolves, IT Carlow actively engages with DFB to take advantage of their practical experience and insights from the field. “We really value Dublin Fire Brigade’s positive contributions to programme development and their ongoing support of the programme,” he says. So who exactly is this course aimed at? “The programme is relevant to anyone currently working in the

specialist subject areas include fire safety science, incident command and risk management in operational environments. FIRECALL SPRING

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The programme presents an opportunity for fire professionals, fire prevention officers, sub officers and station officers to underpin their life experience with academic theory and understanding.

emergency services sector wishing to acquire the relevant management and business skills to advance their careers,” Homan advises. “The programme presents an opportunity for fire professionals, fire prevention officers, sub officers and station officers to underpin their life experience with academic theory and understanding. Previous graduates include fire officers, ambulance dispatch operatives, retained firefighters, training and logistics officers, assistant chief officers and safety officers. It is also worth noting that the programme has strong nationwide student representation.”

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Derek Cheevers, then Acting District Officer with Dublin Fire Brigade HQ, is one of those graduates, and described the degree as “an invaluable qualification for those operating in the often challenging environment of a modern day emergency service. Aside from imparting key management theory to the student, it offers a bespoke qualification in terms of the specific subject matter that relates to the fire service. At all times throughout the process, I found the lecturers and staff of IT Carlow to be extremely knowledgeable and helpful. I would wholeheartedly recommend this programme to anyone wishing to enhance their personal development and increase their effectiveness at the job they do.”

FLEXIBLE APPROACH Given that those who enrol in the programme are generally full-time firefighters, flexibility is key. The programme, which is delivered in Dublin, is designed for delivery around participants’ working lives. Students can exit the programme with an award on completion of any academic stage, with a certificate after year 1, a higher certificate after year 2, an ordinary degree after year 3, or an honours degree following successful completion of the entire programme. IT Carlow responds to request for recognition of prior learning, which can be used to gain entry to advanced stages or exemptions to one or more modules. IT Carlow also makes use of a blended learning format for students who have chosen to study part-time due to work commitments. Both classroom and online delivery methods are used – content is delivered online via the Blackboard virtual learning platform, and module structures mean that class attendance is supplemented with these online sessions. Take home coursework forms part of the assessment process, with final examinations held two to four weeks after classes are completed. “In this way the module is finished and students then move on to the next module,” Homan notes. “We have found this format of delivery, combining

classroom and online delivery with assessments and examinations completed within weeks of classes, to be very popular with the students on this programme.” Open to anyone currently working in the emergency services sector, entry requirements reflect those for many other programmes – those under 23 years of age must meet CAO entry requirements for higher level education, while Dublin Fire Brigade applicants over 23 are eligible for entry as mature students. If you don’t meet the entry requirements or you’ve studied at a higher level previously, you may be eligible for advanced programme entry provided you have significant work experience in a business or emergency services environment. Why choose IT Carlow and their emergency management degree? “I think that it is important to emphasise that the lecturers covering this programme are experienced industry practitioners. This ensures that students receive relevant, practical and applied learning within each class,” says Homan. “Feedback from students has pointed towards the bespoke nature of the programme which is tailored to the needs of the emergency services sector. Students have also positively commented on the availability of lecturers and the depth of their experience. I believe that the combination of the experienced lecturing team and the bespoke

TESTIMONIAL

SPECIAL REPORT: EDUCATION “I initially began the BBS Emergency Services Degree in September 2011 and graduated in 2015. I feel the range of topics covered by the programme has given me the necessary skills and insight required for a managerial role within the Fire and Rescue Service,” said Danny O’Connor, a firefighter with Limerick City & County Fire and Rescue Service. “A key benefit of the programme is the availability of lecturers who have vast practical experience in areas such as strategic management, health and safety management and organisational change to name but a few. In particular, modules in fire prevention, building control and the laws which underpin these areas are of crucial importance to the modern fire service. I would encourage any member of the service, regardless of rank, to sign up.”

nature of the programme offers students a rich and rewarding learning experience tailored to their professional developmental needs.” For more information on this course, see www.itcarlow.ie/study/lifelong-learning.

Graduating DFB personnel

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DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY DCU’s modern campus on Dublin’s northside

Graduates from the class of 2009

ver the years, Dublin City University has forged a reputation as Ireland’s University of Enterprise, offering a unique learning environment in which students are encouraged to develop their creativity and innovation. Factors such as teaching quality, small class sizes, and high levels of engagement with industry all serve to entice students to Dublin’s northside, factors that are equally applicable to the business school. “DCU Business School is

Student of the Year in 2009, Celine Barrett

internationally accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). This places DCU Business School in the top five per cent of business schools worldwide,” explains Caroline McMullan, programme director of the Business School’s MSc in Emergency Management. DCU’s MSc in Emergency Management is a unique programme. The first of its kind in Ireland, it was launched in 2007 to coincide with the release of A Framework for Emergency

DCU’s MSc in Emergency Management is a unique programme. The first of its kind in Ireland, it was launched in 2007 to coincide with the release of A Framework for Emergency Management.

Management, which underpins major emergency preparedness and response capabilities. The master’s programme is highly regarded internationally, having recently placed at #17 in Western Europe on the Eduniversal Best Masters ranking for public administration and management programmes. Focusing on best practice, the programme allows participants to keep up-to-date with current and relevant developments in emergency management from a national and international perspective. Students are taught how to engage in research, evaluate information critically, and apply theories and models to enhance their knowledge and their career potential. “Our teaching is informed by our research and engagement with government, public sector organisations and industry. The academic team is vastly experienced in terms of academic research and professional practice,” says McMullan. “We are always horizon scanning and adapting the content of the programme to suit the emergency manager of the future.”

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The successful class of 2013

In recent years, myriad crises and disasters across the world have made headline news. The impact of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, human-initiated events such as the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York City, or biological disasters including SARS and bird flu have all been keenly felt across the globe. Ireland has by no means escaped – storms, flooding and outbreaks of animal disease have all struck in the last decade. The nature of these emergencies, which can strike anywhere, necessitates emergency preparedness, of emergency response plans and plans to facilitate post-disaster recovery. Presently, the core course topics include: ■ Emergency management theory and practice, ■ Systematic emergency management (risk analysis, preparedness, response and recovery), ■ Business continuity management, ■ Leadership and change management, ■ Crisis communications, ■ Decision making and

information management, ■ Emergency management research. “The dissertation gives students the opportunity to specialise in an area of particular interest – students often find this 30-credit module an excellent selling point when seeking employment or promotion,” McMullan adds.

FORGING CAREERS The field of emergency management offers a wide variety of career routes across the public, private and voluntary sectors. Alumni of the DCU master’s programme have gone on to find work in the emergency services, local government, pharmaceutical companies, transport, businesses operating within the energy and security fields, international relief work, consultancy and much more besides. This is partly influenced as a result of the opportunities students have to develop valuable networks and connections with key personnel in emergency management roles and other relevant professionals. Many organisations provide experts in a range of specialist areas to address students,

including the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency, the Department of Defence, the Rapid Response Corps, the Defence Forces, Pfizer Ireland, An Garda Síochána and the AGS Inspectorate, Irish Rail, the Air Accident Investigation Unit, Hewlett-Packard Business Continuity Recovery Services and, of course, Dublin Fire Brigade. “The success of the programme is due to strong engagement between the key stakeholders. DCU has invested considerable resources in delivering a programme which encompasses good practice in emergency management education and which has been judged as such by a range of international experts,” says McMullan. “The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management and the Emergency Planning Society (EPS) have assisted with the development of the syllabus and the provision of keynote speakers across many modules within the MSc. They have also helped to ensure it remains a relevant, high quality learning experience. And the impact of the programme would of course be lessened but for the

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IN BRIEF

MSC IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ■ Endorsed by the National Steering Group for Major Emergency Management, The Emergency Planning Society (ROI branch) and Pharmachemical Ireland as suitable for improving public and private sector emergency management skills. ■ Offers students a systematic understanding of the major theories, concepts and methods. ■ Students develop the ability to prepare for, respond to, recover and learn from a crisis situation. ■ Showcases the importance of the emergency management professional’s role in society.

tremendous enthusiasm with which our students approach their studies.” The programme is designed for working students, often in busy and critical emergency management roles. Classes take place twice a month (generally on Thursday and Friday) over a two-year period. There are no examinations, rather continuous assessment through a combination of applied projects. If you’re interested in applying for the course (which you can do online through the Postgraduate Applications Centre), you should hold an honours primary degree or an equivalent

professional qualification. Those who don’t meet these requirements may be considered for admission depending on work experience and relevant educational achievements. “The next intake for this programme will be September 2018. We encourage you to contact us for further information or to visit us in person at DCU Business School,” McMullan advises. “If you would like any further information about the programme, or wish to have a discussion with us about the programme, please contact me at caroline.mcmullan@dcu. ie, or phone +353 (0) 1 700 8250.

if you’re interested in applying for the course, you should hold an honours primary degree or an equivalent professional qualification.

Previous graduates include (L-R) S/O Gerry Woods, D/O Mark Wilson and ACFO Dennis Keeley (far right)

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long-time advocate of prehospital emergency care, Dr Gerard Bury, a Professor of General Practice in the UCD School of Medicine, was at the forefront of the development of UCD’s Centre for Immediate Care Services in 2000, which morphed several years later into the Centre for Emergency Medical Science. Alongside continued investment in supporting general practice, the Centre is responsible for the development of training programmes for the emergency services. Working with partners including the National Ambulance Service College and Dublin Fire Brigade, the Centre has developed a diploma and graduate diploma programme – the latter is better known as the Advanced Paramedic Training Programme. Twenty-five classes of advanced paramedics have graduated since the first intake in 2004, producing thinking practitioners with advanced skillsets for use in the field. The programme is an intensive one, structured around a one-year, three semester programme. Semesters 1 and 2 build on the theoretical underpinnings of clinical advanced practice, with laboratory work and clinical placements in the second phase, while the third semester involves an internship on rapid response vehicles crewed by Dublin Fire Brigade or the HSE – practising their skills for six weeks in an intense but highly supportive atmosphere. Successful completion of their exams is just the beginning. New APs find themselves at the beginning of a career that will challenge them daily; choosing the right care plans for their patients, balancing risk against benefit, making good clinical judgements under pressure, and living with the consequences. “This is among the most difficult clinical jobs that I am aware of. It is

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

RIGHT: Professor Gerard Bury at the Citizens’ Assembly earlier this year.

challenging at an extraordinarily level of demand for the practitioners who work in these areas, and my extraordinary respect for them just grows every time I see guys in practice,” says Dr Bury. “It’s extraordinarily impressive to see how men and women with their own families and their own lives to lead and their own work to do take this on and work at it extraordinarily well. And not all are successful, and that just reflects how rigorous and demanding this is. But the level of commitment that these adult learners bring is extraordinary.” While the AP programme benefits the emergency services in terms of the resources they have at hand, and the public who may one day require their help, the partnership between UCD and organisations like the NAS and DFB is mutually beneficial. Dr Bury notes a project published in the last two years that examined all heroin and opiate overdoses treated by DFB crews over a

12-month period. The team geomapped each incident which, among other benefits, demonstrated the effectiveness of naloxone, which can reverse opiate overdoses within a certain timeframe. There’s also the opportunity to share knowledge and develop relationships between UCD’s medical students and the emergency personnel with whom they may one day work on the front lines. In the final months before medical students qualify, they take part in intense two-day EMS skills courses, most of which are provided by APs or those who teach on the EMS and AP programmes. “We’re all going to work together in the care of patients, now is a good time to start to learn about each other,” says Dr Bury. “The opportunity for them to learn from and about each other is one of the real privileges we have in an educational setting. And we try to maximise that.”

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UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK

T Frank Keane, Senior Fellow of Paramedic Studies at the University of Limerick

he Paramedic Studies Programme at the University of Limerick is the first honours degree programme and the only undergraduate option available to potential and practising paramedic practitioners around the country, open to anyone with an interest in patient care within the pre-hospital field. “It’s an honours degree programme which we hope will contribute to the next step in the evolution of paramedicine as a profession,” explains Frank Keane, Senior Fellow, Paramedic Studies. “It brings the work of paramedics to a graduate level.” Although the university provides an entry-level programme for undergraduate students, Keane notes that practitioner entry is the most relevant path to graduation for serving members of Dublin Fire Brigade. Open to experienced paramedics or advanced paramedics who can ably demonstrate current practice, the course offers a highly innovative and engaging curriculum delivered predominately by distance learning over 1.5 years of study. The curriculum focuses on four

Problem-based learning is designed to educate students on how to find reliable and peer-reviewed information – once the student becomes comfortable and competent they can learn to solve many issues for themselves.

UL’s Paramedic Studies programme is designed to produce paramedics who will excel within the field in the myriad circumstances they will find themselves in

main topics: knowledge of health and illness, clinical and anatomical skills, professional skills, and pre-hospital research. The course is taught over four semesters, each comprising 12 weeks of distance learning, one week of revision, and one week on the UL campus for review, reinforcement and examination. “It covers a full gambit of anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, body systems, illness and injury at a quite detailed and intense level. Of course it’s entirely in line with a recently published document by the PreHospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) called The Future of Paramedicine – while it’s not a policy document it does see that the future of paramedicine in this country is going to be university-based. Because paramedicine hasn’t been a graduate profession up to now, there are huge areas of untapped research in the prehospital medical world,” says Keane.

BLENDED LEARNING Returning to education can be a daunting prospect, particularly for

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SPECIAL REPORT: EDUCATION aspects – the drugs they’re on, what they’re for, any side effects. You end up at the end of the day with a very comprehensive solution for that particular area of pre-hospital care.” Interested in what UL has to offer? Potential candidates must first of all be registered at the paramedic level or higher with the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council of Ireland, and hold a Diploma in Emergency Medical Science or Emergency Medical Technology, equivalent to a Level 7 for Irish students. If you meet those requirements, the next step is to make an application through the UL Admission Office – suitable applicants will be invited to take part in an admission assessment that forms the sole entry route for the programme. “The only thing they need is to be a serving paramedic or advanced paramedic with Dublin Fire Brigade, and they need to hold the Diploma in Emergency Medical Technology,” says Keane. “Then they can apply.”

students can avail of the Anatomical Skills and Clinical Skills education units, they’re also encouraged to assume responsibility for their own learning. During the tutorials, the groups discuss what they have learned so far before moving onto the next stage, with new information dissected and new learning issues generated. “We commence on day one with a description of a call or situation that students are responding to, for example a 999 call. The initial stage of the call might raise the question as to what you are considering en route to the call. We stop there, and the students will come up with everything they can think of as a group, from your own safety to the type of call you’re going to,” Keane explains. “The emergency medical educators will steer the group along certain lines – there are certain objectives we would seek to achieve during the course of the PBL. And it’s done a bite at a time. Perhaps in the next situation the patient is taking medication, and we’ll ask our students to review the pharmacology

For more information on this programme, see www.ul.ie/gems/para.

COMPETENCY

those who haven’t been in study mode for some time, or perhaps never undertook third level education. The paramedic programme takes a blended approach to learning, with a focus on the problem-based learning format (PBL). Problem-based learning is designed to educate students on how to find reliable and peer-reviewed information – once the student becomes comfortable and competent they can learn to solve many issues for themselves. The problems are highly structured clinical cases, each of which takes a week to complete. Students are divided into small groups and work through the week’s case with a tutor who acts as a facilitator, providing each new step and development in the case only after the group has finished discussing the previous step. By working through the problem and hypothesising potential issues with the patient, the group develops a list of learning issues representing the knowledge they need to understand, and then independently researches these issues in their own time – though

Continuing Professional Competencies (CPC) are an essential attribute for every healthcare professional, and the team behind the paramedic programme has devised 12 CPC study days. Each session comprises a six-hour study day with three didactic theory sessions in the morning, and three practical skills rotations in the afternoon, led by the course’s emergency medical educators. Open to anyone with an interest in emergency care, topics include infections and EMS, environmental emergencies, trauma in the field, burns, and caring for newborns.

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PRE-HOSPITAL EMERGENCY CARE COUNCIL

here is a broad spectrum of training courses and various avenues of education available within the emergency services sector. Establishing and monitoring of education standards are important aspects in providing quality care. Enter the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC), an independent statutory body whose role is to establish the standards for education and training in pre-hospital emergency care in Ireland. Council members, which includes Dublin Fire Brigade representation, are appointed by the Minister for Health on the basis of their involvement and expertise in pre-hospital emergency care. The

Council is advised by a number of standing committees and working groups. The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council protects the public by independently specifying, reviewing, maintaining and monitoring standards of excellence for the safe provision of quality pre-hospital emergency care. Alongside recognising training institutions (which authorises those institutions to provide pre-hospital emergency care training and education), PHECC maintains a statutory register of practitioners and publishes clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). The CPGs are tools that guide practitioners, responders and service providers to provide optimum care for patients in the pre-hospital emergency care

Alongside recognising institutions which authorises those institutions to provide pre-hospital emergency care training and education, PHECC maintains a statutory register of practitioners and publishes clinical practice guidelines (CPGs).

BELOW and RIGHT: The first PHECC CPC roadshow for 2017, held in the OBI

environment. They also inform the public of the standards of care expected, and support the levels of care to be provided by approved organisations. “That is a significant aspect of PHECC’s role and functions. We have approximately 386 CPGs that are currently in use from cardiac first response level to advanced paramedic,” explains Programme Development Officer Kathleen Walsh. “CPGs are disseminated through licensed CPG providers, which must meet certain criteria in terms of becoming licensed with PHECC for that purpose. We just recently provided updates to the CPGs, which were released in April across the spectrum of responder and practitioner levels.”

DEVELOPMENTS PHECC’s development work is carried out by a number of committees, each of which has a specific role to play. For example, the Medical Advisory Committee is involved in the development and establishment

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of the clinical practice guidelines and the scope of practice for practitioners and responders, while the Examination Quality Group oversees examinations and their structures. The clinical information arm maintains current information standards through the creation and publication of patient care reports, ambulatory reports and others that are used by both responders and practitioners in terms of collecting and documenting patient care and delivery data. Research is also key, and PHECC keeps up-to-date with emerging technology, education and training. The most recent Council was appointed in December 2016 and so various committees have vacancies that PHECC is seeking to fill from recognised institutions or CPG licensed service providers and further afield. “We look for a wide array of representation from practitioners, from the voluntary organisations, from members of the public, from educators, other disciplines such as medicine or nursing,” says Walsh. “It’s a good

mix in terms of the expertise and the experience for our committees.”

EDUCATION PHECC, as the regulator for emergency pre-hospital care, sets the education and training standards for responders and practitioners in Ireland. These standards are reviewed and revised as necessary every three years reflecting best practice evidence. Those interested in careers with the emergency care services are recommended to contact auxiliary, private, statutory or voluntary

training providers – only those institutions recognised by PHECC can provide PHECC-approved education and training. The list of recognised institutions is available at www.phecc.ie. Three years ago, as part of the body’s duties in overseeing education and standards, it developed a quality review framework to which recognised institutions must agree to abide by. Thirty-one quality standards were developed in consultation with the RIs for this quality assurance model. That framework includes a comprehensive

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INSTRUCTION STANDARDS

requirement for continuous selfassessment, in terms of governance, assessment and awards, faculty development and training. Selfassessment reports are supported with a PHECC on-site review that aims to meet with as many stakeholders as possible – management, educators, facilitators and students. That results in a report, published on the PHECC website, which highlights how the institutes are meeting the required standards, and any areas of opportunity for further development. “As part of the on-site review and that report being published, we ask for the recognised institute to provide a quality improvement plan based on the on-site review and their previous self-assessment reports,” Walsh says. “It’s a cycle of continually

As part of its efforts in ensuring that trainee emergency care personnel are trained to the required standards, PHECC has recently revised its teaching faculty framework that sets standards for tutors, assistant tutors and facilitators in providing education and support. Linked with the quality review framework, individuals can apply to be recognised by PHECC at this advanced level, but must have a connection to a recognised institution.

monitoring in terms of quality standards and quality improvement. I think that’s critical in terms of RI’s and the public’s understanding of what standards PHECC sets in relation to education delivery and assessment.” Among the institutions recognised by PHECC is Dublin Fire Brigade’s O’Brien Training Institute in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), which has held that status since 2007. “DFB has been approved and provides a suite of education programmes from cardiac first response, community cardiac first response advanced, and CFR community at instructor level,” says Walsh. “We’ve also approved DFB for emergency first response course delivery, emergency medical technician training and at paramedic level.” Registration is a legal requirement in order to practice in Ireland as an emergency medical technician, paramedic and advanced paramedic. All PHECC registered pre-hospital emergency care practitioners make a formal declaration to comply with the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics, swearing to uphold and maintain a duty of care to patients and the public, to seek the consent of patients, to maintain high standards of professional accountability, to engage cooperatively with colleagues, and to maintain confidentiality.

LOOKING FORWARD The future of pre-hospital care is a key consideration for PHECC, and it continues to grow and develop clinical care standards and oversight procedures. A governance validation framework for CPG providers is currently being piloted, while revised guidance for EMT competence will be launching soon, with expansion planned to incorporate paramedics and advanced paramedics. The organisation has outlined its vision for the future of the sector in a recent publication titled The Future of Paramedicine, recognising the growing demand for pre-hospital emergency care services, the requirement for more advanced and enhanced skills, the role technology can play in developing

patient care and the need to integrate and coordinate healthcare services, reducing fragmentation. The paper presents future considerations for the paramedicine and pre-hospital emergency care environment; this includes exploring models of paramedic education within the third level sector, strengthening clinical audits in prehospital emergency care, strategic workforce planning and resource reviews, and an overall recognition of the potential of Ireland’s prehospital emergency care sector. “PHECC sees great value in working with its stakeholders to guide the future direction of pre-hospital emergency care in Ireland. We recognise that it is a core part of our existing mandate to provide guidance for the future direction of pre-hospital emergency care,” the organisation states. “In doing so, we plan to continue preparing the sector for the increasingly sophisticated demands being made on it and, above all, to ensure the safest and highest quality of care for the Irish public.”

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TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

o date, 348 graduates have successfully completed the Fire Safety Practice postgraduate course developed by Trinity College Dublin, which began in 1998. A one-year part-time course running between September and April, it’s designed to provide fire prevention officers (among other qualified professions) with a sound knowledge and understanding of fire in buildings, safety requirements that should be included in a building’s design, and the various design options that can be used to minimise fire risk. Developed at the behest of the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA), and regularly featuring active and retired fire officers as course lecturers, the course covers a broad range of topics across six key pillars:

■ FIRE ENGINEERING: Design for fire resistance, smoke control, prevention of fire spread, fire evacuation modelling etc. ■ FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS: Examining fire detection and alarm systems, emergency lighting, sprinkler systems, passive and active protection systems. ■ LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS: Beginning with the relevant legal principles such as the law of tort and liability, fire safety and health legislation, major accident hazards, the Dangerous Substances Act, the ATEX Directive, dust explosions, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, and general application regulation. ■ FIRE INSURANCE: Covering the RISC joint code of practice, permit codes of practice, and

various other standards including those of the Confederation of Fire Protection Associations of Europe. ■ BUILDING CONTROL ACT: Examining the regulations and what is covered under the Act, including means of escape, internal and external fire spread, and access to facilities for the fire service. This is augmented by safety certificate assessment, fire safety in management and design requirements for people with disabilities. “It’s very broad – the course takes place over two 12-week terms, with 33 hours of lectures. It’s a part-time course on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, and then students do some coursework assignments in their own time,” explains course director Dr Trevor Orr. “We cover fire safety

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SUPPORT

management, fire safety engineering. We look at petroleum and other dangerous substances, major emergency management, building control, and the legal and other aspects.” The coursework is an integral part of the programme, forming one-third of the overall mark. Two substantial projects must be completed – the first focusing on methods of protecting structures The CFOA continues to support the Diploma in Fire Safety Practice, encouraging students to achieve and exceed their goals, and provides a prize to the top two students on the course each year.

against fire, the second demonstrating compliance with the requirements of the building regulations. One of the entry requirements is a Level 8 degree – a background in engineering is by no means mandatory for consideration or acceptance, though an interest in fire safety and addressing fire concerns would be of great benefit. “They might not be actually doing it themselves, but [should] be aware of where safety issues arise and how to get them dealt with or how to deal with them themselves,” Dr Orr explains. However, if your highest qualification to date is a Level 7, there is a potential avenue to be accepted for the course. Applicants with Level 7 qualifications can be called for an interview and are tested on their abilities and conceptual understanding, assessed for their suitability for the rigorous course. If they reach or

exceed the required standards, Dr Orr makes a recommendation to the Dean of the college, and generally a place on the course is offered. “It’s not really for people who are [working in] fire brigade operations. If people are working in that area, we’re really trying to provide a broad understanding of the issues surrounding fire and fire safety in the design and management of buildings. It’s a broad base topic and it has an academic component. So we’re really looking for people to have academic as well as practical skills to be accepted onto the course,” says Dr Orr. “The course also has a presumption that people have an understanding and an appreciation for construction and buildings. They really should have that understanding, and experience of fire safety-related activities is very beneficial. But it’s not mandatory.”

RCSI

Paramedic training within DFB is provided by the O’Brien Training Institute in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Tutors consist of Dublin Fire Brigade officers, external tutors and lecturing doctors and consultants.

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DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE EXTERNAL TRAINING

Providing Fire and Safety training to fire services and the general community nationwide and beyond.

DFB External training was established by Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) as an independent training entity. It provides essential fire, health and safety training to private and public sector organisations and individuals outside of DFB personnel. All training instructors are qualified fire officers, providing the latest in safety training. The content and delivery of all courses are of the highest quality in excellence and best practice.

For details and bookings contact: Dublin Fire Brigarde Training Centre Malahide Rd, Marino, Dublin 3 Phone: (01) 222 4414 Email: info@dfbexternaltraining.ie Web: www.dfbexternaltraining.ie

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07/06/2017 11:29

CISM SUPPORT

LEARNING FROM THE BEST

ver the years, effective critical incident stress management (CISM) has become increasingly prevalent among emergency services. A protocol devised to deal with traumatic events, it allows those involved to share their experiences and emotions, learn about stress and its management, and avail of further help if required. Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) is one of a number of Irish emergency services that has a full-time CISM response team for personnel who need to talk about their experiences. New recruits are provided with several days’ worth of CISM training during their early days in the job,

and similar training is provided to emergency service controllers. In addition, CISM training is provided when a member of DFB receives a promotion, before going out into the field. When required, the CISM team also organises one-to-one interventions post-incident, as well as group interventions two to three days later. At the head of DFB’s CISM team is coordinator and Station Officer Adrian O’Grady, who recently travelled to Baltimore to take part in the International Critical Incident Stress Federation World Congress, May 1st – 6th on stress, trauma and coping mechanisms. The governing body that oversees the accreditation and standard of CISM training

Adrian O’Grady, Dublin Fire Brigade’s critical incident stress management team coordinator, recently travelled to attend and take lessons from the 2017 International Critical Incident Stress Federation World Congress.

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CISM SUPPORT

LEFT: Adrian O’Grady (centre) with Dr Jeffrey Mitchell (left) and Dr George Everly (right), the founding fathers of CISM. RIGHT: Adrian with Dr John Durkin, a former London Fire Brigade firefighter

across the world, the Federation runs a world congress every two years, an opportunity to network, meet fellow professionals, and share ideas. “It was a joy to be at, full of training lessons from around the world, of disasters, the aftermath of disasters, support needed in disaster scenarios, but also the small stage incidents that we encounter regularly,” says Adrian, who recently added certification as an Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) practitioner to his skillset, a psychotherapy that facilitates those affected by trauma to resume the normal processing of information. “There were some new ideas over there, some old ideas that have worked very well. It was a very open congress, it was about learning from the mistakes we’ve made, and pushing forward in new ways of working. An excellent experience.”

LESSONS LEARNED Thankfully Ireland hasn’t been exposed to a major emergency incident since the Stardust fire in 1981. However, this means that DFB’s CISM

team only has experience in assisting in the aftermath of smaller scale incidents, and thus the chance to learn from those who have dealt with major emergency events was invaluable. Among the incidents discussed throughout the week was the Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida last year, in which 49 people were killed and 53 injured; the 2016 shootings in Dallas in which nine police officers lost their lives, the deadliest incident for US law enforcement officers since 9/11; the 2015 Baltimore riots following the death of a man in police custody; and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Outside the US, the case of Germanwings Flight 9525 was highlighted, in which a passenger flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf was deliberately crashed into the French Alps by the co-pilot, who had a history of depression. All 144 passengers and six crew members on board were killed. “To hear the experiences of people in the aftermath of those incidents was phenomenal,” Adrian explains. “A lot of people at that congress were

Having had the chance to mingle and learn from colleagues around the world, Adrian understandably came home bursting with ideas on how to improve DFB’s CISM unit.

the same kind of people, people who have worked on the ground at major incidents and understand what it’s like. It was great to mingle with them – they’re usually in the background.” For Adrian, it was also a chance to meet the founding fathers of CISM. CISM training was first devised by Dr Jeffrey Mitchell, a former firefighter and paramedic who came to a realisation that there was a need for additional support and interventions in the aftermath of a traumatic incident. Dr Mitchell wrote a paper outlining his ideas in 1983, and from there the field of traumatology exploded into being, aided by the work of George Everly, the co-founder of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. “You’re seeing the people who wrote the entire system – they’re still there and they’re at the top of their game. George Everly is at the top of neuroscience and neuroplasticity. He’s more or less proven that CISM still works because neuroscience is now saying it does. Because we’re taking scans of the brains it’s telling us that we’re hitting the right areas with the work that we’re doing,” Adrian says.

THE WAY FORWARD Having had the chance to mingle and learn from colleagues around the world, Adrian understandably came home bursting with ideas on how to improve DFB’s CISM unit. For example, a dog handler who worked tirelessly among crews on the site of the Twin Towers in 9/11 spoke about the effectiveness of using dogs in the aftermath of major emergencies, which could be incorporated within the work of DFB’s team in the future, particularly with members of the public. Adrian also noted the use of a mini pedalo by emergency dispatch personnel while on duty. “If you’re traumatised and the adrenaline is rushing through your body, you still have to take the call, there’s nowhere for it to go,” he tells me. “The pedalo enables you to release some of the adrenaline from your system, though I don’t know how

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CISM SUPPORT to stand shoulder to shoulder with colleagues around the world. The team is a guiding member of CISM Network Ireland with T/O Brendan McNicholas as its current chair, and is in contact with the new European network as it begins to evolve. The research arm of the CISM team has also recently presented a paper at the European Association of Work and Organisational Psychology Congress held in Dublin in May. “We’re prepared, and we’re a lot more prepared after this congress than we were before,” Adrian says. “It’s just a matter of disseminating all of this information to the team and across the job. There are areas for gentle improvement, but the quality of our team is up there with everyone else.” As the CISM unit continues to grow and expand its horizons, the team members will play an ever-important role. Adrian notes that they’re looking for new team members as the current unit is at the end of a four-year cycle, one that’s in place to avoid secondary traumatic stress. “I can’t ask anything more of the team that has worked for the last four years – they’ve done their duty phenomenally,” he says. “They give up their time, their family and home time, and will drop everything in a heartbeat to be a support for their colleagues. It’s on the back of those people that the team is in such a good place.”

OBI FAMILY NIGHTS

that will go down!” One of the US fire departments has developed a comprehensive suicide prevention programme – DFB does quite a lot of suicide prevention training, but this particular programme was more hands-on and open in terms of discussing suicide and the risks among emergency service personnel. Adrian has presented these ideas to DFB management, who have provided fantastic support to the CISM team and to Adrian in travelling to Baltimore. However, he also had the opportunity to share a unique concept created by DFB’s CISM team – the family CISM information nights in the OBI, which provide the family members of new recruits with information on what their loved ones could go through in the future, and the tools required to help them get through difficult times. “That seemed to have gone down very well over there, a lot of organisations don’t do the family nights,” he explains. “I’ve already been in touch with several fire departments over there who want to see what we do, how we do it, when we do it, and how we present that package to members of the public. We brought as much as we took, which was great.” The plan now is for DFB’s CISM unit to progress further, to continue to incorporate international best practice, to learn from the mistakes and experiences of other services and

Crisis response dogs are helpful in getting traumatised people, especially children, to speak and process traumatic events

Adrian first got involved in CISM when he was six months in the job, stationed in Rathfarnham, following a traumatic incident. The team was formed in 1999 by his predecessor (the now deceased Sub Officer Mark Brannigan) and has gone from strength to strength over the years due to the work of Adrian, the Clinical Director Aidan Raynor, and the tireless team members, providing supports to DFB personnel and their families that include family information nights in the OBI. Family members can play a huge support role – strong bonds, open communication and honest discussion can prove pivotal, and they can recognise changes or stress escalation in their loved ones that others may not. The most recent night was held at the beginning of March; alongside talks from Gerry Stanley, Paul Lambert and Dan Fynes, Adrian gave an account of what the family members of Recruit Class 1/2017 can expect in the years ahead, noting that new recruits are more likely to share stressful encounters at home than with their colleagues. “That’s why we’ve brought you here tonight, to prepare you for those offloads,” he told the gathered family members.

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RECRUIT PASSOUT

ON PARADE T

Class 1/2017 successfully completed their training programme at the end of May.

he passout parade is organised as a graduation ceremony for the recruits and their families and friends, and provides them with an opportunity to showcase the skills they have learned over the past 16 weeks to their loved ones. With the sun beating down on the OBI’s training yard at the end of May, a total of 50 recruits from Class 1/2017 received their scrolls and completed the passout ceremony, looking forward to the beginning of their new careers – 48 from Dublin Fire Brigade and two from Waterford Fire Service. The average age of Class 1/2017 is 25.5 years – the oldest is 48 while the youngest recruit is just 20. Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr addressed the recruits at the beginning of the parade, noting his pride and that of the city’s. “This is a highlight

of your 17 weeks in training and we know that the city have taken you away from your normal and everyday life,” he said. “I want to thank your partners and families, your mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, for allowing us for the past 17 weeks... to be able to put you through this rigorous training session you went through. The people of Dublin, as you well know, are very proud and we have great respect [for] our emergency services, and with good reason.” The demonstration of skills including a very impressive foot drill demonstration, consisting of 600 individual movements that were memorised and performed flawlessly. Following a community fire safety demonstration, the recruits then demonstrated their skills in a high

ABOVE: Lord Mayor Brendan Carr is accompanied by Chief Fire Officer Pat Fleming in inspecting the recruits. RIGHT: Displaying turntable ladder skills

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RECRUIT PASSOUT

LEFT: Silver Axe winner Darren Murphy with Lord Mayor Brendan Carr. ABOVE: Standing to attention at the beginning of the passout ceremony

ABOVE: Class 1/2017 displaying their marching skills on the parade ground. A total of 600 individual movements were memorised by each recruit

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RECRUIT PASSOUT LEFT: Demonstrating the correct response to a hazmat incident. BELOW: New recruit Miranda Andrews and her four-month-old nephew Billy

ABOVE RIGHT: The recruits marching in sync. ABOVE LEFT: Firefighter Philip Harris and his family

the training you have received here is to enable you to serve the people of dublin in their hour of need, but it is also to keep you safe while you are doing that.

rise rescue, hazmat incidents, an RTC with extrication and removal of patients to hospital, a response to a domestic fire incident including the use of breathing apparatus, and finally a highline rescue. At the end of the demonstrations the recruits lined up in front of the gathered crowd to receive their scrolls – the Silver Axe award was presented to recruit firefighter and former Defence Forces member Darren Murphy. “I was looking for a change and I felt that Dublin Fire Brigade could give that change to me. It’s different from the Defence Forces because you’re learning new skills,” he told TheJournal.ie. “I wouldn’t have done anything with the BA through the Defence Forces, or road traffic collisions, so it’s totally new skills that I’m learning while bringing the skills I had from the forces in

with me to the fire brigade. It’s a great service to give to the city and I wanted to be a part of that service.” Chief Fire Officer Fleming also spoke to the newest members of Dublin Fire Brigade, first paying tribute to the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing, in which 22 people were killed and dozens more injured. “While this is a day of celebration, I think we should acknowledge the horrific attack in Manchester, and our thoughts and prayers are with the relatives and friends of the families involved, and indeed with our colleagues in the emergency services,” he said. “However, we have gathered here today to celebrate the passing out of Class 1/2017, which comprises 48 recruits from Dublin Fire Brigade and two recruits from Waterford Fire Service. This is a proud day for many people, primarily for the recruits of

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RECRUIT PASSOUT

LEFT: Recruit class 1-2017 stands to attention. BELOW: Class 1/2017 raised an impressive 3,102.46 for the Irish Cancer Society through car washes

Following a quick entrance with sirens blaring, the recruits quickly worked together to raise ladders, unfurl hoses and complete the tower rescue

Class 1/2017, all of whom are reaping the rewards of their commitment over months of arduous training and hard work. For the instructors of Class 1/2017, under the guidance of course director A/D/O Stephen Wylie and assistant course directors A/D/Os Colm Egan and Mark Fay, all of whom have been instrumental in realising the potential of each recruit. And for you, the families, friends and loved ones, you have given the vital encouragement and support needed by each recruit in meeting the demands of their new job.” In his speech, CFO Fleming highlighted the high standards at the DFB training centre, which are reflected in the quality and the professionalism of each of the graduating recruits. These standards have led to the OBI’s recognition as a national training centre for firefighting in Ireland. “This has also led to the provision of training for other

full-time fire service recruits, and it is a very important step in the provision of harmonised national training standards,” CFO Fleming noted. “This is due in no small way to the dedication of all of the training staff here. I would also like to pay tribute to Assistant Chief Fire Officer Terry Kearney, the Brigade Training Officer Gerry Stanley, and to Breeda Melvin and the administrative staff here at the training centre.” The recruits have completed a total of 29,120 hours of instruction from DFB instructors alongside training from Dublin Bus, An Garda Síochána, Renault and Luas, preparing them for the wide variety of incidents they are sure to encounter in the years ahead. Irish fire services, including Dublin Fire Brigade, have a proud tradition of serving communities across the country, well respected by the communities they serve. Going

forward, the members of Class 1/2017 will have a duty to continue this tradition. “The history of our service is interwoven with the history of the city itself. We are very proud of our long-standing service but it also imposes a duty on us, a duty to uphold the traditions and standards of our service. The training you have received here is to enable you to serve the people of Dublin in their hour of need, but it is also to keep you safe while you are doing that,” said CFO Fleming. “Every recruit here is following in the footsteps of a long line of firefighters who have carried their badge for their fire service with pride and honour. You are entrusted with that duty, and I am confident that you will carry it out faithfully. Finally, I wish each of you every success and fulfilment in your future career in the fire service. I have no doubt that you will continue to deliver a first-class service to the citizens of the city and county that you serve.”

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HIGH RISE STRATEGY

Crews recently took part in a high rise firefighting exercise, including the use of a smoke curtain (left)

FIREFIGHTING ON HIGH A team from Dublin Fire Brigade has been working hard on updating and developing the brigade’s high rise firefighting plan, coordinated by District Officer John Chubb.

hen you think of a city dominated by high rise buildings, Dublin doesn’t immediately spring to mind. New York, of course, and Tokyo. London perhaps, and Dubai. However the term high rise buildings, as B watch District Officer John Chubb explains, doesn’t solely refer to buildings that tower 50 or 60 stories above ground level, but rather those of five stories and above. “A more focused way to describe it is a building that the fire service has to depend on the provisions within for fire safety, whether active or passive, such as sprinkler systems, dry riser systems, smoke

control and ventilation systems. Any structure that necessitates moving away from our fire appliances, which is our toolbox, and start depending on the builders’ and the engineers’ vision of fire safety, we would regard as a structure that requires firefighting tactics appropriate to high rise,” he says.

MEASURED APPROACH Fires in high rise buildings require more complicated operational approaches than most structure fires. Tasks that are normally considered routine for most fire departments, such as locating and attacking the fire, evacuating occupants, and performing ventilation can become very difficult

in high rises. As a result, Dublin Fire Brigade’s high rise emergency management plan is currently undergoing an extensive update by a team led by D/O Chubb. It’s by no means a new concept for the city – a plan was put in place for the towers in Ballymun back in the 1960s – but changes in Dublin’s built environment in recent years have necessitated a response. “In essence, any fire department anywhere in the world is in a constant state of revision – they continually evolve to account for the characteristics of the built environment,” says D/O Chubb. “In the last 10 years we have had an explosion of building here – at its peak in 2006 we

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HIGH RISE STRATEGY

were building 100,000 properties per year. In addition, government policy is looking towards housing a growing population, starting to lean towards more and more high density buildings. DFB has been evolving its strategies, taking note of these developments.” Updating and developing a high rise firefighting plan that takes into consideration the myriad challenges these buildings present is no easy task. Alongside changing scenarios once you travel 10 or 20 floors into the sky, DFB’s current fleet of aerial appliances can reach a maximum height of seven stories, which means that interior operations have to be conducted in buildings beyond that level, reducing the tactical options

available to incident command. Though vehicles capable of scaling larger heights are available on the market, Dublin’s infrastructure has to be taken into account, in particular a warren of narrow streets that wider vehicles simply couldn’t pass through. Elevators within these buildings are not always suitable for firefighters – special firefighting lifts are required that can overcome issues associated with smoke and water ingress. Multiple occupancy also poses a significant threat. In a smaller apartment block you might have four or five families, and evacuation can be carried out quickly and efficiently. In a high rise building that could combine offices with residential apartments, that number can quickly rise into the hundreds. There are other issues too. Reflex time (the time it takes from arrival on scene to getting water on the fire) can be increased greatly – a high rise situation necessitates moving equipment from the fire tender to higher floors, rather than simply running hose from an appliance across the street and into a normal two-storey house. Water pressure is another concern; when you try to move water to elevated levels you’re trying to overcome gravity and you lose the pressure required to operate the standard fog nozzle. To counter that they’ve gone back to the smooth bore nozzles, which require less pressure to get water from A to B. The impact on personnel cannot be underestimated either. Before

they add any equipment, the average firefighter will carry around 10kg of PPE, excluding a BA set. Add a hose, forcible entry equipment and accountability systems used to track personnel inside a fireground and you’re pushing 25kg, the limit recommended by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). The brigade’s personnel are undoubtedly a hardy bunch, well trained and well drilled, but hefting 25kg up 20 stories in smoke and heat can get quite tiring very fast. “All things considered, we’re dealing with a very complicated fire, we’re dealing with delays in getting our assets and our resources to a point where we can deploy them, and we have issues with command and control, because the command communication chain is extended by the difference in where the commander would have to set up and where the firefighters are going to deploy,” D/O Chubb explains. “You’ve also got an issue with communication because of Faraday shielding in steel structures, which sometimes makes radio communication impossible.”

PLANS IN PLACE The process of updating DFB’s high rise response plan began back in mid-2016 (though incremental modifications have always been put in place), scheduled to run for two years although D/O Chubb believes that it will be ready well in advance of the deadline. The project is multi-tiered

Tasks that are normally considered routine for most fire departments, such as locating and attacking the fire, evacuating occupants, and performing ventilation can become very difficult in high rises. FIRECALL SPRING

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HIGH RISE STRATEGY

In a high rise fire situation, equipment must be carried manually inside the building, putting further strain on firefighters

HIGH RISE CHALLENGE

and features multiple work streams, incorporating health and safety, fire prevention, EMS, operations and external partners. Insight from those within the brigade has proven vital – fire prevention officers have provided their in-depth knowledge in relation to building regulations, while the team has also utilised external engineering expertise. EMS staff have also provided insight into how EMS operations must be conducted within the high rise structure as opposed

Among the challenges posed by high rise firefighting is a phenomenon known as the stack effect, which describes how smoke behaves inside a structure. “In a normal fire, we can reasonably assume that smoke is going to rise or perhaps move laterally,” says D/O Chubb. “Because of the difference in temperature – usually from air conditioning or heating systems – between the inside of one of these structures and the normal ambient temperature outside, smoke can travel any way – up, down, sideways. Sometimes that makes it difficult for us to orientate ourselves, conduct searches etc.”

to exterior to a building on fire. The above challenges, and others, are the focus of this plan, and D/O Chubb and his team have looked to their colleagues beyond Ireland’s borders in search of best practice and innovation, considering and investigating a number of innovative devices already in use in brigades across the world. Take the smoke curtain, an ingeniously simple device that can be affixed over the doorway to a burning room, preventing smoke from filtering into the rooms or corridors beyond, aiding evacuation procedures and reducing smoke damage. Or the Fognail, which allows responders to fight fire from outside a room by penetrating the walls or doors using the tool and injecting a fine water mist inside. Once the plan has been completed, the next step will be disseminating its contents to all fire brigade personnel through comprehensive training and continuous professional development programmes. “A challenge that we have when we develop new practices or techniques is that we have to be sure that we disseminate that information in an even-handed way, and that the actual message is standardised. Essentially what we’re doing is we’re developing a curriculum. We have identified two key areas: the skills people need to have, and the knowledge they need to have,” says D/O Chubb.

Practical skills include firefighting shaft operations, firefighting tactics, ventilation strategies, working with a building’s water supply, search operations, EMS operations, and command and control. The cognitive element is also important, and the curriculum will educate personnel on fire alarm systems, high rise building construction, firefighting lifts, fire behaviour, sprinkler systems and smoke control systems, providing a well-rounded knowledge base on which the brigade can build. This project is far from being a paper exercise in procedures and policies. D/O Chubb describes B watch HQ as the “fulcrum” of the project; testing the effectiveness of the strategies developed, discovering what does and doesn’t work, and pushing themselves to their limits, augmented by crews from Phibsborough, Donnybrook and North Strand. Two full-scale exercises have been carried out in high rise buildings across the city, and many more conducted in HQ, all of which will contribute to future learnings and the final plan. “The crews are doing much more than is expected of them on a daily basis, and their response has been phenomenal,” says D/O Chubb, who stresses that he’s merely a facilitator in developing these plans, and that nothing would happen without cooperation at all levels of the brigade. “It’s a big project, one that couldn’t function if we didn’t have support from the top down. We’ve had to query every single thing we do, and ask hard questions of ourselves. And once you have that type of honesty, and you know where to look for the latest ideas or best practice, you usually end up with positive results,” he adds. “A lot of work was done in New York and in the UK. We have an open mind and we’re happy to look at what’s out there and take the best from everyone. My job, effectively, is to learn from what other people have developed, to stand on the shoulders of their expertise. It really is a team effort.”

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BOOK REVIEW

A WOMAN’S WORK

THE FIX

In August 2007, two FDNY firefighters lost their lives

inside the Deutsche Bank Building. Now, a new book examines the story of what really happened.

U Photo: Beta Bajgartova

A Woman’s Work, published in celebration of International Women’s Day, features a series of portraits of strong and inspirational women at work, taken by photographer Beta Bajgart. Among those photographed for the book was FF/P Teresa Hudson, who noted that the best part of the job is knowing she has “helped to bring a life into the world or saved one from leaving it.”

ntil early 2011, 130 Liberty Street, New York City was occupied by the Deutsche Bank Building. Heavily damaged during the attacks on September 11th 2001, the process of dismantling the building began in 2004. Three years later, just before 4pm on August 18th 2007, a seven alarm fire ignited on the building’s 17th floor. Spreading across ten floors, which contained polyethylene sheets designed to prevent the spread of asbestos that was being removed from the building (among other fire accelerants), the fire would burn until later that night, by which time it had injured 115 firefighters, and claimed the lives of two – firefighter Robert Beddia (Engine Company 24) and Joseph Graffagnino (Ladder Company 5). The story of that day, and the events and conditions that led to the deaths of those two men, is told in The Fix Is In: The Deutsche Bank Building Fire Conspiracy, the work of J.A. Graffagnino, whose son Joseph died as a result of injuries suffered in the Deutsche Bank building that day. Throughout the book Graffagnino builds his case against those who had responsibility for razing the building to the ground. Many of the facts unveiled are staggering – Graffagnino recounts how the building engineer told a FDNY officer that the building’s standpipe system (a series of pipes designed to supply water in a building for either the occupants or firefighters) was still operational that day, though crews arriving on the scene to deal with the fire found otherwise. Graffagnino recounts in meticulous detail the various shortcomings and

shortcuts taken by those responsible for removing the Deutsche Bank building and their contribution to the events which unfolded on Liberty Street. Though at times a little repetitive, Graffagnino presents an interesting account of each organisation involved and their background, detailing the intricate web of interconnected relationships and some rather unsavoury pasts. The narrative is boosted by interviews with firefighters of varying ranks who were there that day, offering a personal insight into what happened from inside and outside the building. Simply mourning his son and moving on was not an option for Graffagnino. The book, the result of eight years of work, is the fascinating and harrowing culmination of Graffagnino’s efforts to seek out the truth of what caused the fire, resulting in a scathing condemnation of bureaucracy, compliance failures and a lack of accountability.

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MOTORING ALFA ROMEO GIULIA

POWER:

150HP

0-100 KM/H

7.1

INTRODUCING PROJECT GIORGIO CONOR FORREST TAKES ALFA ROMEO’S NEW GIULIA FOR A SPIN.

lfa Romeo’s Project Giorgio was something of a daunting task – bringing an entirely new platform from concept to tarmac within a timeline of three years. The successful result of that project is the new Giulia, a sporty five-door saloon that combines Alfa’s rich heritage with the driving experience you expect. There’s no denying that they’ve created a head turning beast. There’s a distinct feeling that you’re in a premium car once you sit inside, from the soft dashboard materials and the black and silver Alfa badge on the steering wheel to the comfy leather seats and the touches of carbon fibre scattered throughout. The dashboard is well laid out, with everything within easy reach of the driver. It also looks the part – sporty, sharp lines, the stop-start button located on the steering wheel like a Ferrari,

and fabulous aluminium flappy paddles either side of the steering wheel. It’s also quite comfortable for a sports car; the Giulia has decent space front and back, particularly in terms of head and leg room, though there isn’t a lot of storage space to be found. The boot space isn’t fantastic at 480L, and the combination of a high lip and a low lid means that loading bulk items inside can be a little difficult. Nor is it as refined as some of its competitors – quite a lot of outside noise seeps into the cabin, and at one point I thought I’d left the driver’s window cracked. When you drive an Alfa Romeo, you expect a sense of occasion. And the Giulia handles exactly like you feel it should – agile and responsive. My test model was the 2.2L diesel Super Sport with 180hp (2.2L 150hp diesel, 2.0L 200hp petrol and 2.9L V6 versions are also on offer) that accelerates from 0-100km/h in 7.1s with a top speed of 230km/h. In normal mode it’s quite zippy, but when you shift into Dynamic mode it’s a hell of a lot of fun. You get

ALFA ROMEO GIULIA

SECONDS

C02: 109g/km Max speed:

230 KM/H ANNUAL TAX OF

190

PRICE: €39,995 the feeling of being a race car driver without having to do any of the work; the Giulia is nippy and hugs the corners without a problem, no matter the road. Fuel economy isn’t terrible either depending on how hard you drive – I averaged about 7L/100km (40mpg). It’s not perfect. The media centre is controlled by a round knob similar to that used by Audi MMI, but it’s not quite as sensitive or user-friendly, and the sat nav looks a bit dated. And, when you lock or unlock the car you get an auditory indicating warning that’s quite sharp, and you can’t seem to turn it off. Though its entry-level price of 39,995 for the 2.2L 150hp version might seem a little steep, the Giulia measures up well against similarly specc’d competition – the 150bhp 2.0L Audi A4 retails from 41,460, while Jaguar’s 163hp 2.0L diesel XE starts from 40,935. You get the feeling that Alfa Romeo has upped their game with this new edition, particularly on the technical side, but will the public respond? Time will tell, but I’d have one in a heartbeat.

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MOTORING SKODA SUPERB

ENGINE:

2.0L TSI Power: 280BHP 0-100km/h:

5.8 SECONDS

SKODA SUPERB

C02: 132g/km

ENTER THE

DRAGON

SKODA’S NEW SUPERB SPORTLINE IS A BEAST IN SPORTY CLOTHING, WRITES CONOR FORREST

Max speed:

250 KM/H ANNUAL TAX OF

280

PRICE: €37,495

koda’s Superb is a fabulous car – comfortable, spacious and with a bit of poke, though still relatively ordinary in the grand scheme of things. Not so one particular model. On a recent cold Monday morning I collected a rather flashy version of the Superb, bedecked in a paint job known as ‘Dragon Yellow’, with a 4x4 badge, a black lip spoiler affixed to the boot and a set of 19-inch black and grey alloys. This is the new 2017 Superb SportLine, a sportier version of Skoda’s increasingly popular compact executive car. Like its ordinary brothers, the SportLine offers a very comfortable experience; the sporty suspension still rides very well over the humps and bumps, while you never feel out of control no matter what the conditions, courtesy of the 4x4 system. But there’s a beast lurking beneath. A 2.0L TSI (a diesel version is also available) might seem relatively standard, but it produces a not insignificant 280bhp and makes the most of each and every one. Change the driving mode to Sport and the Superb positively thunders from 0-100km/h in just 5.8 seconds with a

speed that’s almost shocking for a family car, topping out at 250km/h. One of the downsides of this, as well as the 4x4 capabilities and automatic gearbox, is that you’ll pay for it at the pumps. Not the most efficient car, Skoda claims that 7.2L/100km (40mpg) is possible, though I averaged 8.1L/100km (34mpg) combined over the course of a week. Stick it into Sports mode and you’ll be heading beyond 10L/100km (28mpg) or more. On a full tank I managed roughly 700km, which isn’t bad for a car of its bulk. As you might imagine, it’s a hugely spacious car with a premium interior feel, accentuated by soft mood lighting that comes alive at night. Push the front seat back to its limit and you’ll have as much space between you and the dash as you might have in the entirety of other cars. There’s plenty of headroom in the back (a panoramic sunroof helps), while the boot is well capable of hauling around a couple of bulging golf bags. It’s not quite bristling with technology, but there’s enough to keep you occupied. Alongside the usual heated front seats, adaptive cruise control, a rearview camera and front and rear

parking sensors, its sporty nature sees the addition of a lap timer, as well as an information panel that gives information on pressure, G force, engine and oil temperature. My particular test model didn’t come with sat nav, though you’d expect that as standard given the price tag of 50,156 (including 4,079 worth of extras). You can pair your phone rather easily by downloading the Android Auto app and using the car’s Smartlink system to mirror your phone’s display on the media centre screen, though you’ll have to dig into your data allowance to use Google Maps. Still, it’s a better nav system than you’ll find in some modern cars. Is it worth the price? Starting at 37,495 for the 2.0TDi with 150bhp, it’s just 500 more than the Style version with the same engine, adding a few toys such as sportier styling, ambient lighting and sports seats, perfect if you’re a fan of the Octavia RS but prefer the executive upgrade, though perhaps a slightly more subtle colour choice would be best. Fabulously quick, comfortable, spacious and quite a bit more stylish, there’s plenty of bang (and oomph) for your buck.

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INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

Firefighters assess the ruins of the Plasco Building. Photo: Pooyan Tabatabaei/NVP

LIVES LAID DOWN

Sixteen firefighters lost their lives when Tehran’s Plasco Building caught on fire and collapsed earlier this year. Conor Forrest recounts the events of that day, and the challenges faced by personnel in Tehran Fire Brigade.

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he Plasco Building was an iconic 17-story high rise in Tehran, Iran’s capital city. Built in 1962 it became a well known feature on the city’s skyline, attached to a multi-level shopping mall – a representation of the country’s drive towards modernisation as spearheaded by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The building, which was home to numerous clothing manufacturers and other businesses, was originally built by Iranian-Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian, who was executed by the new government following the 1979 Iranian revolution that put in place an Islamic Republic. On January 19th 2017, a fire started on the building’s ninth floor, around 7.50am local time. Firefighters from ten stations around the city battled the blaze for a number of hours; several buildings in the immediate vicinity were evacuated, while police outside tried to keep people from returning to the building to retrieve valuables. Ravaged by fire, the building’s north facing wall eventually collapsed three hours later, bringing down the rest of the structure, which was inadvertently caught on Iranian State television. “I was inside and suddenly I felt the building was shaking and was about to collapse. We gathered colleagues and got out, and a minute later the building collapsed,” one of the firefighters told the AFP news agency. Horror quickly spread throughout the gathered emergency responders, as they realised that some of their colleagues were still inside the ruins, and an immediate focus was placed on rescuing those inside the building, which was made more difficult by the thick smoke rising from the ruins. “The tragic incident of a building in the city centre catching fire and collapsing is a source of deep sorrow, regret and concern for me. The courage and sacrifice of the firefighters who endangered their lives in an operation to save the people and who underwent a difficult test while sacrificing themselves in a dutiful manner, imbues ones’ heart with praise, admiration and also with

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE concern and sorrow,” Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, said in a statement. “Right now, all efforts should be channelled towards saving the lives of the casualties. Finding the causes of the incident is the next matter that should be attended to.” In the hours after Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf announced that 20 firefighters had lost their lives, rescue workers and teams of sniffer dogs combed through the rubble in the hopes of finding anyone who might have survived. The rescue operation continued through the night, assisted by Iranian soldiers and other emergency responders. When the dust had finally settled and the rescue efforts concluded nine days later, 16 firefighters had been killed alongside four civilians, with at least 70 others injured. When funerals for the firefighters were held days later in the city’s Grand Mosalla, followed by burial in a section of the Behesht-e-

Zahra cemetery reserved for martyrs, tens of thousands of Iranians took to the streets to show their respect. Others queued up to donate blood for the injured. “It is a humanitarian duty,” university student Gholamreza Heidari, told the Associated Press. “It is nothing compared to the dedication that our firefighters showed in rescuing people.”

FIGHTING FIRE IN TEHRAN According to the Tehran Fire Department, the first firefighting unit in Iran was established in 1842 in Tabriz, a historical capital of Iran and today one of the most populated urban centres in Iranian Azerbaijan, following the city’s occupation by Tsarist soldiers from Russia. In the years that followed, other firefighting

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Dublin Fire Brigade’s tribute to the fallen firefighters; The Plasco Building before the fire [Photo courtesy Kombizz Kashani, flickr. com/photos/kombizz]; Tehran Fire Department motorbikes. Photo: Dabiri-e VAZIRI/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)

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INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

RECOGNITION

Tehran’s skyline, with the towering Alborz Mountains in the background. Photo: Ninara/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Firefighters and fire departments from around the world led tributes for Tehran’s fallen firefighters, paying their respects to the 16 individuals who gave their lives to tackle the blaze. The fire was the worst disaster experienced in the Iranian capital city since 2005, when a fire tore through a crowded mosque, killing 59 people and injuring 210. In Haslemere, a small town in England, a plaque was erected in the local fire station following a request from one of the town’s residents, Amir Khazanbeik. A ceremony was held at the unveiling of the plaque, with flowers laid in memory of those who lost their lives. “I would like to thank you all at the fire station for the memorial for Plasco,” Khanzanbeik told the Farnham Herald. “It wasn’t a tribute just for those firefighters who lost their lives in that tragedy in Iran, but for all your colleagues in the UK and around the world, who sacrificed their lives for rescuing others. We are proud of you all.”

units were established around the country. The first fire appliance in Tehran was purchased in 1924 followed by several more in 1928, along with an official building to house the growing fire department. By 1954 the city’s fire services were comprised of a headquarters and three satellite stations and today Tehran Fire Department incorporates 100 stations across a city home to over 12 million people, divided into five operational districts. A number of divisions are responsible for maintaining a modern fire service, including Operations, Fire Protection and Prevention, Training and Physical Education, Engineering and Development and Dispatch. Alongside a dynamic built environment and a high density population, one of the challenges faced by firefighters in Tehran is that of building codes and regulations – enforcing proper adherence and ensuring that the brigade has up-todate records of hazardous materials stored in buildings. “One of the trouble spots for the Tehran Fire Department is to enforce builders and owners to abide by the fire safety standards and regulations. The challenges arise when TDF, which is responsible to give fire safety approval, when the construction work is finished,” Navid Bayat, head of international affairs with Tehran Fire Department, wrote in Asia Pacific Fire. “However, builders and owners meet the safety requirements when their building is complete, but shortly after the completion and receiving [the] fire department’s approval and certificates, they do not feel obliged to comply with the fire safety regulations and requirements any more. In a worst case scenario, TDF does not possess powers and/or make them comply. As a result, there are high rise buildings that may not be compliant with the fire safety standards required by Tehran regulations.” In the aftermath of the blaze, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani called for an investigation into the root causes of the fire and the building’s collapse, directing Interior

Minister Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli to provide a report as soon as possible, and to ensure the injured were looked after and those affected by the disaster properly compensated. “It is unfortunate to see the death and injury of our fellow citizens in the fire and collapse of Tehran’s Plasco Building,” he said in a statement. A report in Bloomberg noted that tenants within the building had received repeated warnings about blocking stairwells, with other reports noting a potentially weak structure. “Everyone stacked up goods outside their shops and in the staircases and corridors,” Tehran Fire Department spokesperson Jalal Maleki told the Associated Press in the fire’s aftermath. “We warned them many times, but they wouldn’t listen.” An official report released in April laid the blame at the feet of the building’s owner, which it said failed to adequately respond to warnings from authorities; the municipality was also blamed for failing to enforce certain rules and regulations. According to Iran’s Financial Tribune, the Plasco Building will be rebuilt over a two-year period, though it’s not known whether it will be on the current site. Speaking to VOA Persian’s Newshour, Soroush Farzin-Moghadam, a professor of engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts who has studied architecture and building technology in Tehran, noted that while building codes are likely to be updated following the disaster, it often isn’t enough. “...There’s a double standard when it comes to implementation,” he explained. “When Iranian regulations do not deal with life and death issues, they are implemented completely, whereas when regulations do impact people’s lives, they are ignored.” What is clear is that the deaths of these firefighters have impacted the lives of Tehran’s citizens. “The deaths of the firefighters have impacted the city culture,” dentist Naser Fafaei told the LA Times. “I can see whenever a fire truck starts its siren on the roads now, all the cars make way. It wasn’t that way before.”

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my gift to the world Together, we can continue to create a future that is fair for everyone. And make a world without poverty our legacy. For more information contact OXFAM Ireland Tel: (01) 672 7662 Email: friends@oxfamireland.org Oxfam Ireland is a member of Oxfam International, a world-wide development organisation that mobilises the power of people against poverty. Charitable co. limited by guarantee. Reg. No. 284292, CHY5988

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07/06/2017 12:49

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

QUALITY THROUGH EXPERIENCE

One of Ireland’s leading fuel management suppliers, Fuelling Technology has recently partnered with Dublin Fire Brigade. Managing Director Shane Pemberton explains a little more about what they do.

MODERN SOLUTIONS Technology continues to play a key role in the services they provide, which offer a more modern and efficient solution. Their web-based fuel system, for example, involves assigning a tag and PIN to each customer vehicle. When

fuel is drawn, a record is kept of the vehicle filled, the locations, and fuel consumption. This data is relayed to a web server hosted by Fuelling Technology, which allows accounts and management personnel to generate accurate reports for both individual departments and vehicles. It’s undoubtedly this emphasis on modern and yet simple solutions which led to the revitalisation of the company’s relationship with Dublin Fire Brigade. DFB was in search of a local company to service Dublin’s fire stations, and Fuelling Technology fit the bill. “The relationship has been fantastic. DFB are easy to deal with and they know what they want,” says Pemberton. “The site servicing runs 24/7. We are required to provide coverage if they need us, when they need us. Reliability is key to our success.”

A STEP APART The Dublin-based company prides itself on two principles – excellent service and quality products, with staff on hand to ensure they are constantly adhered to. The team of experienced engineers, for example, has more than 20 years of experience in the sector, and includes Paul Doyle and Robert Gorman, both of whom served their time with Irish Pump and Tank, and have been with

Fuelling Technology since 2008. “All of our staff are directly employed, we don’t use subcontractors if at all possible. We have a highly skilled team in place and are the main distributors of commercial refuelling equipment in Ireland,” says Pemberton. “We also supply the top range of fuel management systems in the UK and Ireland. It’s all about quality of service and reliability of product and Fuelling Technology are the market leaders in both.”

For more information phone 01 626 4977 or email info@fuelingtechnology.ie

CFOA EXHIBITION

ased in Chapelizod in Dublin, Fuelling Technology is one of the country’s leading suppliers of fuel management systems and fuel dispensing equipment. Established in 2008, the firm has its roots in an earlier organisation, Irish Pump and Tank, owned by Managing Director Shane Pemberton’s father-in-law, the market leader in its time for 40 years. Today the company has moved into a new era, working with county councils, haulage businesses, large mechanical sites, oil companies and others to provide quality, backed up by experience, professionalism and an emphasis on superior customer service. Fuelling Technology also supplies the highest quality range of fuel systems in Ireland and the UK – Fueltek – and serve as their main distributor on these shores. “We’re involved in the supply, installation, maintenance and service of fuel management systems and fuel dispensing equipment,” Pemberton explains. “We deal mainly with the transport and service industries – we supply and install tanks, fuel dispensing pumps, fuel management systems, wetstock management and pipework on site.”

Robert Gorman spent an enjoyable two days exhibiting at the recent CFOA conference in Croke Park in May, and is already looking forward to next year. “We would like to thank all the fire brigade staff that we met throughout the two days, who made us feel very welcome, and we hope to meet them again soon,” he says.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS Emergency Services News From Around the Globe.

JAPAN:

SYRIA:

Firefighters successfully extinguished a recent blaze near the Fukushima I nuclear plant, which was disabled as a result of damages suffered during a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11th 2011. That event reached level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale, denoting a major accident resulting in a major release of radioactive material and widespread environmental and health consequences. Wildfires in the area, which the Japan Times notes has been a no-go zone since the events of March 2011, burned around 75 hectares of forestry, necessitating special protective gear as radiation levels have yet to significantly reduce, with fears that the flames could spread radioactive material. The newspaper reports that 5,000 firefighters and soldiers were mobilised to fight the fires, which took 12 days to contain.

A record breaking ambulance convoy has successfully returned from Turkey to London, having delivered 85 ambulances for use in the war-torn country of Syria. Unity Convoy is an independent group comprising a consortium of charities seeking a unified approach to humanitarian work. A total of 163 British and 20 Malaysian volunteers travelled on the convoy, which journeyed by road through Europe en route to the Bulgarian border with Turkey. There the ambulances were handed over to the consortium’s Syrian partners, facilitated by lead charity Hand in Hand for Syria. The ambulances are being used in some of the worst affected regions of the country, which has been engulfed by conflict since a peaceful uprising against President Bashar al-Assad more than six years ago morphed into a violent civil war that has killed more than 300,000 people. “I am so proud of all our volunteers who truly made this the people’s convoy – created out of the generosity and compassion of ordinary people from the UK for the beleaguered people of Syria,” said Jilu Miah, Human Aid UK Operations Director. “It was an enduring and testing journey, but all volunteers displayed exemplary behaviour throughout and worked with border authorities across Europe to help safely deliver all the aid.”

FIREFIGHTERS TACKLE WILDFIRES NEAR NUCLEAR PLANT

GERMANY:

WWII BOMB SPARKS EVACUATION A total of 50,000 people (around 10 per cent of the population) were evacuated from the German city of Hanover in advance of a controlled explosion of several World War II era bombs discovered in the city. Unexploded bombs are by no means a rarity in Germany – in October 1943 alone Allied Forces dropped over 260,000 bombs on Hanover and, as time goes on and materials degrade,

these devices become more dangerous. This is the second time a temporary evacuation to deal with unexploded ordinance has been necessary in Hanover, while evacuations have also taken place in Augsburg and Cologne in recent years. In 2010, three members of a bomb disposal team were killed when a bomb found on a construction site in the central German city of Göttingen exploded as they prepared to defuse it.

CONVOY DELIVERS ON AMBULANCES

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

USA:

TRIBUTES PAID TO 9/11 FIREFIGHTER Tributes have been paid to Brian J Masterson, a firefighter with the New York City Fire Department who passed away in January at the age of 61 following a two-year battle with oesophageal cancer. Born in Longford, Masterson was one of the thousands of FDNY firefighters and other emergency personnel who responded to the terrorist attacks in New York on September 11th 2001. His nephew Christopher Ferry told the Longford Leader that Masterson had been diagnosed with cancer that was a direct result of the toxic conditions at the site of the twin towers.

UK:

EMERGENCY SERVICE SHOW LAUNCHED The annual Emergency Services Show has been launched for 2017, taking place in the NEC in Birmingham from 20-21st September. Free to attend, this year’s show will include an extrication challenge judged by United Kingdom Rescue Organisation (UKRO) officials, 30-minute CPD workshops hosted by the College of Paramedics, virtual reality demonstrations by the West Midlands Fire Service Casualty Reduction Team, and a broad indoor and outdoor exhibition. For more information see www.emergencyuk.com.

NORTHERN IRELAND:

AIR AMBULANCE ARRIVAL According to the Fermanagh Herald, a long-awaited air ambulance has arrived in Northern Ireland following a campaign by Air Ambulance Northern Ireland (AANI). The primary service will be based at Maze Long Kesh, Co Antrim on the site of the former prison, with a secondary unit operating from St Angelo Airport in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh. The service will operate seven days a week for up to 12 hours during daylight. “The support we’ve received from the public and local businesses has been fantastic, and I want to take this opportunity to say thank you and encourage others to get involved,” said AANI chairperson Ian Crowe. “Annual running costs for the service will be £2m and we are relying on the generosity of local people to help us raise these funds.”

SPAIN:

FIRE STARTER JAILED A court in the Spanish Canary Islands has sentenced a 27-year-old German man to three-and-a-half years in prison for starting a wildfire that caused the death of a forest ranger. The court also ruled that he pay €1.8 million in compensation to the deceased man’s family. The court heard that the blaze on the island of La Palma started when the accused attempted to burn used toilet paper; the resultant fire consumed around 5,000 acres of forest as well as the town of El Paso, forcing the evacuation of the town’s residents. Forest ranger Francisco José Santana was killed as he aided in the firefighting efforts.

THAILAND:

AUTHORITIES SEEK BOMBERS Insurgents are being hunted by the military following two bomb blasts in Pattani that injured 60 people in Thailand’s southern city. Southern Thailand is the focus of an ongoing ethnic and religious separatist conflict that originated in the 1940s, which has become increasingly violent in the last two decades. The bombs exploded outside a large shopping mall in the city, though miraculously nobody was killed.

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13/06/2017 10:06

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SPRING 2017

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FIREFIGHTING ON HIGH

DUBLIN’S HIGH RISE PLAN

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

IRELAND’S FIREFIGHTING FUTURE 16/06/2017 12:27