How to improve the Fire Services?

eroo

I don't know much about fire services but thought this thread would be a good idea nonetheless.

After the tragic incident in Bray, things were highlighted such as inadequate training, equipment, organisation etc.
So what do people think can be done? Obviously better funding would be a good start. Why not make the fire services into 1 national organisation, rather than having regional departments/sections. Would it not put all areas on a level playing field regarding funding? Anyways, I don't know very much on the subject, but there is obviously improvement needed. How could it be done, and what would need to be done?

timmywex

I think one appliance in every station should be fulltime and have another then to respond when required, this would solve what hapened in bray, because you would have a full crew going into a fire rather than missing one or 2.

Paulzx

Not going to happen. Ever!!
It's obviously an ideal situation to wish for but unfortunately completely unrealistic.

To put into perspective what a fulltime service costs to run i can just about remember a feasablity study done to run a fulltime pump out of Bray. This study was done before the deaths of the 2 firefighters.

Off the top of my head it was costing 300,000 a year to run Bray as a retained station. To run it fulltime was going to cost 3 million. This was practically the full budget for Wicklow fire service. I'm trying to remember these figures so i stand to be corrected but i'm fairly sure i'm correct.

Multiply that by every retained station and you'll give the beancounters a heart attack.

Dublin City Council spends 120 million a year to run DFB. Fire services don't make money for councils therefore they are way down the list when it comes to priority.You don't have to like it but thats the way it is

MrDylan

Paulzx wrote: »

Not going to happen. Ever!!
It's obviously an ideal situation to wish for but unfortunately completely unrealistic.

To put into perspective what a fulltime service costs to run i can just about remember a feasablity study done to run a fulltime pump out of Bray. This study was done before the deaths of the 2 firefighters.

Off the top of my head it was costing 300,000 a year to run Bray as a retained station. To run it fulltime was going to cost 3 million. This was practically the full budget for Wicklow fire service. I'm trying to remember these figures so i stand to be corrected but i'm fairly sure i'm correct.

Multiply that by every retained station and you'll give the beancounters a heart attack.

Dublin City Council spends 120 million a year to run DFB. Fire services don't make money for councils therefore they are way down the list when it comes to priority.You don't have to like it but thats the way it is

Have to agree 100%. Not going to happen.

According to the one Joe Duffy special, it took 25 minutes for the first pump to arrive at that fire. Dun Laoghaire full time station is 15 minutes away but were never called, explain that one!

TheNog

I worked with Drogheda Fire Service for 2 weeks when I was a student and found the whole job and the lads absolutely fantastic. From talking with them they seemed to have all the equipment they needed to do the job. One lad told me if they wanted more equipment they simply just went to the County Council and asked for it. He said the Council were pretty good at getting them whatever they needed.

dredre

MrDylan wrote: »

Have to agree 100%. Not going to happen.

According to the one Joe Duffy special, it took 25 minutes for the first pump to arrive at that fire. Dun Laoghaire full time station is 15 minutes away but were never called, explain that one!

Dun Laoghaire station is part of Dublin Fire Brigade. Wicklow opted out of coming under DFB control for dispatch purposes and maintain their own control centre. The decision to call on neighbouring brigades for assistance rests with the chief fire officer of the relevant county.

It is my understanding that Wicklow Fire Brigade is now dispatched by DFB so this might improve matters. It is ironic, considering that part of north Bray is actually within DFB's area.