UNIONS representing Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) firefighters claim that repeated demands for training to deal with high-rise fires like last week’s blaze at the Metro Hotel in Ballymun have been ignored.
The fire, reported just after 8pm on Wednesday (March 21), caused extensive damage to the hotel and left a number of local families homeless. Firefighters have been widely praised for their swift response and bravery in tackling the blaze that engulfed five storeys of the building.
Nobody was injured in the dramatic fire but union officials say firefighters believe it highlighted why “repeated demands” for high-rise firefighting training, adequate resources and risk assessments need to be acted on.
“Since 1981, there has been no increase in the provision of high reach fire appliances, despite the city having grown considerably since then,” said SIPTU Sector Organiser, Brendan O’Brien
SIPTU DFB Convenor, Shane McGill, said concerns the union raised in a task group established by Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy, following the Grenfell Tower fire in London last June, had not been heard.
“Sadly, to date, the concerns we have raised at this group in relation to training, resources and risk assessments have been ignored,” he said.
Fórsa Head of Communications, Bernard Harbor, also claimed the Government’s Keeping Communities Safe fire safety policy was flawed.
“It fails to address the need for comprehensive risk assessments, training, and resources for high-rise fires,” he stated.
“We are calling for an urgent meeting with the Minister to discuss what action must be taken to ensure the safety of both the public and firefighters.”
DFB SIPTU Section Chair, Deirdre Taylor, said it was only a matter of time before a large scale high-rise fire incident occurred in Dublin.
“The Area Risk Categorisation document for the Ballymun area does not include high-rise buildings such as the Metro,” she continued.
“Thankfully there has been no loss of life in this case. We hope that lessons can be learned from this incident before it is too late.”
Meanwhile, Dublin North West TD, Dessie Ellis (SF), praised the firefighters who tackled the blaze but said there was now a need for answers.
“We owe the emergency services our deepest gratitude for the courage they showed in a very dangerous situation,” he said.
“However, we now need answers to a number of important questions.
“How did the fire spread so quickly from floor to floor and from apartment to apartment?
“What triggered this fire? How was the alarm raised? Was it the case that the fire brigade ladder couldn’t reach the higher floors?
“These questions need answers, especially when you consider that we have even higher skyscrapers throughout the city.”
The fire spread across at least five floors at the top of the complex, with the ninth and 12th floors visibly the worst affected. It could take a month to determine the cause.
