Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Eighty years ago in May 1941, Dublin Fire Brigade crews were hailed as heroes across the nation for their quick response in rushing headlong to Belfast to help their colleagues and the citizens there to tackle the fires and destruction from a night-long Luftwaffe bombardment of the city. That is just one moment which their successors, today's firefighters, look back on with pride. There are many other reasons for them and us to be proud of Dublin Fire Brigade.

Like all other front-line services, they did not have to be asked twice to step up when this pandemic hit our shores. As the emergency ambulance services for the greater Dublin area, the men and women of Dublin Fire Brigade have been run off their feet trying to cope with Covid calls on top of their ordinary, or extraordinary, work day-in, day-out. Despite being often hamstrung by huge staff shortages, they have got the job done but they are at breaking point. They are emulating the firefighting heroes of the past daily and the least we can do is ensure they have a full complement of staff to carry out their duties and the equipment to do their jobs, nothing more or less. Dublin Fire Brigade does not have the pull to deal with the large staff shortages which are beginning to cripple the service. It needs to do much more to deliver for Dublin in terms of fire, rescue and ambulance services. As the city expands and grows upwards, it needs more emergency medical technicians, EMTs, and first responders delivering Dublin's fire rescue and ambulance services, saving lives and tackling emergencies.

Is an bealach is fearr tacaíocht a thabhairt do Bhriogáid Dóiteáin Bhaile Átha Cliath, atá i mbaol teip, ná na bearnaí foirne a líonadh láithreach agus an trealamh agus gléasra atá de dhíth orthu a sholáthar. Gan sin, beidh tuilleadh ócáidí ann nuair nach bhfuil iomlán clúdach seirbhísí lucht dóiteáin ag an gcathair. Go truamhéalach, is nuair a tharlóidh oll-thimpiste nó éigeandáil mhór a thuigfear i gceart toradh an ghanntanais foirne atá ag an tseirbhís éigeandála seo. Tá an chathair ag brath ar fhir agus mná atá traochta, atá ag déanamh ragobair de shíor gan aon fhaoiseamh le feiscint agus le trealamh atá sean nó ag éirí sean. Tá gá le gníomh láithreach ón Aire, ó Chomhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath agus ón HSE; gníomh práinneach sula dtarlaíonn an t-uafás atá á thuar agamsa.

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