Firefighting dreams go up in smoke

THE ambitions of 30 dedicated people who dreamt of
becoming firefighters have been dashed following Dublin City Council’s decision
to axe the recruitment panel on which they’d been waiting for up to three
years.

The Dublin Fire Brigade hopefuls have been left in
limbo since the panel was disbanded last December due to the economic downturn
and it’s now unclear if and when further firefighters may be recruited.

The panel was made up of applicants who succeeded in
passing a range of interviews, aptitude tests and personality profiles to be
deemed fit and eligible for a tough firefighting job in Dublin.

Finglas man Paul McLoughlin is bitterly disappointed
that his dream of becoming a firefighter has been shattered for the second time
in the last five years.

The 31-year-old sales representative applied for a
place on the panel some years ago but was unsuccessful. However, after
educating and upskilling himself even further for the role, he successfully
made the grade in 2009, beating off stiff competition from hundreds of other
hopefuls.

“Not making the cut the first time round forced me to
take a step back to think about what would make me more marketable for the role
of a firefighter,

? he told Northside People.

“I visited fire stations, I did a first aid course, I
worked on my interview techniques and pretty much did anything else I could to
make myself a suitable candidate for the panel.

?

Mr McLoughlin has been pursuing a career in Dublin
Fire Brigade ever since he left college almost 10 years ago, something he is
now beginning to regret.

“Me and many other guys I know who were on the panel
made decisions in our personal and professional lives on the basis that when
positions became available we would be working as firefighters in Dublin,

? he
explained.

“I guess I foolishly put a lot of stock into pursuing
– and one day getting – my dream job.

“When I look back I think I probably should have
hedged my bets. But that’s the thing with being on the panel: you are that one step
closer to being recruited for fire brigade. But now I’m no better off.

?

The term of the panel was due to officially expire in
December 2011 but Mr McLoughlin believed that it would roll-over into the
coming years as has been the case previously.

“I believe we were unfairly and harshly treated
because information on recruitment and the future of the panel was supplied on
a drip-feed basis,

? the Finglas local continued.

“It was a case of calling the council every few months
to find out if they would be recruiting any time soon.

“We had no reason to think that we wouldn’t be
recruited considering that all members from the panel had been hired through
previous recruitment drives.

“But now the panel been scrapped and we’ve been left
with nothing more than shattered dreams and wasted time.

?

A spokesperson for Dublin City Council, who issued a
statement on behalf of the council and Dublin Fire Brigade, confirmed that the
panel has been scrapped.

“The panel referred to expired on 31st Dec 2011 and no
further appointments will be made from the panel,

? he stated.

“The situation in relation to staffing in Dublin Fire
Brigade is under constant review in light of the difficult financial
situation.

?