A RALLY is planned to take place outside Dublin City Hall, tomorrow, Monday as part of SIPTU Dublin firefighters ongoing protest against the break up on Dublin Fire Brigade’s Emergency Medical Service which is being consider by senior management at Dublin City Council.
Celebrities, councillors and members of the public joined firefighters outside twelve fire stations across Dublin city and county yesterday in support of the firefighters call to retain the EMS call centre and operation with Dublin Fire Brigade.
Pic: Cllr Christy Burke and supporters of DFB EMS outside Phibsboro fire station
Photo: (Cllr Christy Burke Facebook)
Dublin’s former Lord Mayor Councillor Christy Burke helped initiate the station protests when he called for the public and people of Dublin city and county to support their DFB Emergency Medical Service. Speaking to EmergencyTimes.com this morning, councillor Burke outlines the background to the protests.
‘A group of the under-10’s football team in Ballybough first came up with an idea to support the firefighters and they approached me to help which I was absolutely delighted to, but I sat down and taught, I don’t want to be going out beating the banner and beating the drum, let’s have a vigil, for one hour on Saturday and that’s what we set about doing. We put it out there, the trade unions supported it, the firefighters were delighted, community groups were delighted and I was taken aback by the great turn out both at North Strand at Phibsboro fire stations where I visited. It received great hour of support overall across the city.’
‘I salute the men and women of the national ambulance service’
Councillor Burke is aware of the work of the HSE National Ambulance Service but says that the EMS service provided by Dublin Fire Brigade is highly recognised and he will resist any move to dismantle it. ‘At the end of the day, any of these decisions are being orchestrated by senior management. I really want to say that the ambulance service of the HSE, those men and women are tremendous committee individuals. I salute the men and women of the national ambulance service, for the service they provide now and in the past and certainly in the future, but, at the end of the day Dublin Fire Brigade is a highly recognised service in not only firefighting but rescue and ambulance service and to remove or dismantle that in anyway, we as politicians must resist it.’
Pic: SIPTU Sector Organiser Brendan O’ Brien
Pic: (Declan Keogh / Emergency Times)
SIPTU DFB firefighters voted by 93% to 7% in favour of strike action and 97% to 3% in favour of industrial action in a ballot counted on 17 February.
SIPTU Sector organiser Brendan O’ Brien said “The protests were initially called by Dublin City Councillor and former Lord Mayor Christy Burke. Our members would like to thank him for the initiative which allowed local communities across the city and county to show their support from the DFB Emergency Medical Service’.
‘The protects highlight the very strong opposition there is to an attempt by senior management in Dublin City Council to break up the DFB Emergency Medical Service by removing its ambulance call and dispatch function. Removal of this function breaks a key link in the DFB Emergency Medical Service chain, which would result in a reduction in the effectiveness of the service, response time delays and expose the public to increased risk’.
Pic: RTE’s Joe Duffy with DFB FF/Paramedics Gerry Sweeney and Jonathan Forbes
Photo: (Siptu)
Firefighters were joined by Lord Mary of Dublin Brendan Carr, former Ireland rugby captain Brian O’Driscoll and RTÉ’s LiveLine presenter Joe Duffy who took part in protests outside fire stations.
Pic: Former rugby Captain Brian O’ Driscoll with supporters
Photo: (Siptu)
Dublin City Councillor Noeleen Reilly, a member of the Fire Services Strategic Policy Committee, is calling on Dublin City Council management to reengage with the Dublin Fire Brigade. Speaking outside Finglas Fire Station, Cllr Reilly said: “Residents in Dublin are very concerned that Dublin City Council is planning on dismantling the Dublin Fire Brigade by moving their emergency call centre out to Tallaght. This will put people in need of emergency services at risk as it will lead to greater response times,” said Ms Reilly.
Tomorrows rally is scheduled to take place at 5.45pm outside the City Hall in Dublin 2. Emergency Times understand the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipes and Drums band may also attend the rally.
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