Sligo Fire Authority
Sligo Fire Authority is continually responding to the needs of our community through the development of efficient and modern fire service in line with best national and international standards of service. The increased emphasis in responding to operational incidents in a safe and co-ordinated manner is achieved with the implementation of the “Incident Command System”. This provides an improved safe work system and incident management system for use at all incidents. Developments continue in the provision of Community Fire Safety including new initiatives to provide better value in reaching wider focus groups. The most recent being considered is in conjunction with the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in which it is hoped that monitored smoke detectors (and panic buttons) can be provided through community and voluntary groups to the elderly. Such initiatives result in improved preventative and early intervention measures rather than the traditional response based approach. Prevention is the key to fire safety and is much more cost efficient than response.
The fire-fighters work now includes prevention and community education but shall continue to be dominated by the emergency response to incidents such as fires, road traffic accidents, air accidents, chemical incidents and more recently biological incidents.
The Fire Authority ensures the fire safety of the built environment through certification, inspection and enforcement. The Authority also provides information and training on fire safety management and fire fighting to all sectors and groups in the community. This includes over a thousand national school pupils that visit the stations each year, hundreds of adults formally trained in the use of fire extinguishers and the ongoing community safety programme using the mobile demonstration unit.
The emergency response to incidents is provided from the Fire Brigade Stations in Sligo, Ballymote, Tubbercurry and Enniscrone and is supplemented by Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Donegal if required. These Brigades attended 909 incidents in the 2008. This is the second highest number of calls for assistance on record.
There were several tragic incidents in 2008, again emphasising the need for community awareness to the dangers we all face in our lives which in most instances can be mitigated or removed completely by taking simple and reasonable safety measures. These measures are highlighted during “Fire Safety Week” and each station runs a programme of events aimed at involving and educating the public in these measures.
People must remain vigilant in the home and on the roads as this is where most life threatening incidents occur each year.
The most significant advancement in the service provided has been with the introduction of a “Framework for Major Emergency Management” under which the primary response agencies have agreed protocols and major emergency response plans for each participating agency to ensure a coordinated and appropriate response to larger incidents and Major Emergencies. This includes specialised training and the provision of resources.
TRAINING
There is a very strict training and disciplinary regime in the Fire Brigade as is necessitated by the sometimes difficult and dangerous environment in which Fire-fighters work, as has been regrettably highlighted by the recent tragedies. The responsibility now placed upon the “Incident Commander” in dealing with even minor events is continually increasing as training highlights the need for improvement.
Fire-fighters undergo over one hundred hours training every year. This includes the latest advances in techniques used to tackle the fires known as “flashover” and “backdraft” and the latest methods of extraction of casualties from vehicles involved in incidents. This is particularly important in view of the advances in active safety technology employed in the modern car, airbags and seatbelt tensioning do save lives the instant an accident occurs but can pose a serious threat to rescue personnel when working around undeployed airbags and seatbelt tensioners.
The Brigade now holds “block” R.T.A. training over a number of days, in which the necessary skills are learnt and practised. Sligo has now formed two crash rescue competition teams as part of “Rescue Organisation Ireland”. This is aimed at improving skills through international competition between brigades in the rescue of persons from crashed vehicles. The Fire-fighters participating volunteer weeks of their time to participate in training and competitions for no gain other than serve the community to the best of their ability.
Sligo continues to provide a “hot fire” training centre and offers this facility nationally for the training of Fire-fighters throughout the country. This facility is used to demonstrate and train Fire-fighters in the latest techniques and equipment necessary for their protection and the saving of life. The Fire Service has qualified medical first responders (with Defibrillators) in all Stations and in the Sligo Headquarters for over seven years and continues to develop skills in this specialised area.
The Breathing Apparatus training centre is used as a national training centre to train staff in proper search and rescue techniques and in the use of Breathing Apparatus in fire situations. This centre has received capital finding again this year for its continuing development in this area of expertise in recognition of its importance nationally.
Local industries have also facilitated the Brigade in carrying out Pre-Fire Training in which various types of incidents are staged and training undertaken so that should a similar incident occur the Brigade will have the necessary skills and resources needed to deal with it in an efficient and professional manner.
COMMUNITY FIRE SAFETY
Talks were given to the elderly and other groups on fire safety. Groups of primary school students visited the stations and watched fire safety videos and demonstrations, in all approximately 1000 students visited the station.
Groups from secondary schools, Sligo Institute of Technology and the local community also participated in courses held in the Fire Station. These courses reinforce the need for vigilance when it comes to fire safety and brings this massage back to their homes, schools and workplaces.
The Fire Authority processed over 128 Fire Safety Certificate applications as required under Building Control Legislation. These applications covered a wide range of premises from Apartment Blocks, Hotels, and Shops to large commercial developments. Inspections were carried out under the various licensing legislation covering nearly every type of premises from petroleum stores to dance licences. The Fire Authority made comment on all transfer of licences before the Courts and carried out numerous during performance inspections of dance halls, public houses and workplaces to ensure the Fire Safety Standards were being upheld. Generally the level of co-operation received when advice is given is very good.
FIRE STATIONS AND APPLIANCES
The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government have provided over €170,000 in funding for operational equipment, appliances and stations in 2008.
The provision of the new Fire Station in Ballymote is well advanced and it is hoped that the new station shall be operational within the next year.
Hazardous substance incident being dealt with by the brigade in Gas Tight Suits.
Fire Officer finds possible cause of house fire
One of the numerous incidents where the occupants were successfully removed from the vehicle
