Dublin Fire Brigade might not be fully staffed for Halloween night

Vivienne Clarke

Dublin Fire Brigade union representative Luke McCann has warned that the city’s fire service might not be fully staffed tonight, which can be one of the busiest nights of the year.

Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show, Mr McCann said he would be surprised if there was a full complement of crews tonight. There was an industrial relations agreement in place, but “in the chief fire officer’s own words, with a fair wind this crisis won't be complete or finished until the end of 2024.”

When asked if he was saying that Dublin Fire Brigade would not be fully staffed tonight, he said: “I suspect because we haven't been able to consistently do it for a number of years, so why would tonight be any different?

"I don't see how that could be the case. We are consistently understaffed and we have difficulty filling fire engines and that has an effect on how we respond to emergencies.

“We've failed consistently to staff our appliances for a number of years. And if we are fully staffed tonight that's a good thing for my colleagues. And it means that we can work safely and we can look after public safety much more effectively.”