SECRETARY’S FOREWORD

Honorary Secretary’s FOREWORD

Welcome readers to our spring 2021 issue of Firecall.

At the time of writing, we are in the third wave of COVID-19 and another lockdown, but the dedication and professionalism of all DFB members over this challenging time has been incredible, and huge praise must go to everyone for their commitment. Hopefully, we have started to see the end of this pandemic, when a sense of normality can resume.

In the meantime, huge thanks must go to everybody involved in organising the events and activities DFB Sports and Social Club have put together in recent weeks and months to help keep morale up when it is needed most, as well as all of the other DFB clubs keeping members busy. The St Patrick’s Festival competitions are a good example of this, and show how we can remain together as a community, even when restrictions mean we can’t mix as we once did, just as the Jerusalema Dance Challenge showed a willingness to get involved and not take life too seriously.

It was also important that a ceremony took place to remember colleagues who have passed away, and I was pleased that a small but dignifi ed commemoration could take place on St Patrick’s Day at the Training Centre. A number of DFB members, both active and retired, have passed away recently, and this show of respect helped to mark their passing and honour their lives. Our thoughts are always with their families.

Also marked recently was International Women’s Day, and our social media team did great work in highlighting DFB as a viable career path for women in Ireland. This issue gives a snapshot of the work done to highlight women in the role of FF/P, and my thanks go to everyone involved in putting this impressive presentation together.

While there have been few events to speak of recently, this issue sees some very interesting takes on older items, and I’m sure you will fi nd the stories from the RCPI’s Heritage Collection, and the work of Liam Moore in bringing vintage American fi re trucks to Ireland to be enjoyable reads. These fi re trucks are familiar sites at our Open Days, and I’m pleased to see a new addition is on its way.

Those interested in emergency vehicles but on a smaller scale will enjoy reading about the work of Brian Collins, who has created authentic model replicas of DFB ambulances and fi re appliances with amazing attention to detail.

I must thank Lord Mayor Hazel Chu for taking the time to share her thoughts on the City’s fi rst citizen, and I’m sure you will fi nd her take on the position to be very interesting. The Lord Mayor has traditionally been a keen supporter of Dublin Fire Brigade, and it is great to see Lord Mayor Chu continue to put the best interests of the city at the heart of the role. Thanks must also go to Mobilisation O cer Mario Lodola for outlining the role of the Mobi, to Buzzer Leigh for discussing his colourful career, and to C Watch Rathfarnham for taking time out to provide a station profi le under new circumstances.

Hopefully we will soon be able to move more freely and activities will once more begin to fi ll our calendars, and as 2021 continues, we can all look forward to sharing the stories from these events in these pages. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading this issue, and my thanks to all who contributed to it.

Dan Fynes

DAN FYNES

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

SPRING 2021 FIRECALL

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF DUBLIN FIRE, AMBULANCE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

IN HONOUR OF ALL MEMBERS ST PATRICK’S DAY REMEMBRANCE