Rapid, effective and brave

DUBLIN firefighters have been praised for their bravery when tackling the fire at the Metro Hotel in Ballymun last Wednesday (March 21).

Five floors of the 50 metre high hotel were engulfed in flames at the height of the blaze, which is believed to have started in one of the private apartments near the top of the building.

Dublin Fire Brigade dispatched eight fire engines and over 60 firefighters to the scene along with three aerial appliances, two command units and four special units.

Dublin Airport Fire Service also assisted in fighting the fire and roads surrounding the hotel at Santry Cross were closed off.

Families living in the hotel were evacuated to the nearby Carlton Hotel and efforts are being made to find accommodation for them.

Hotel worker Tim Herlihy said the blaze could have been much worse if it had started later.

“Due to this fire starting at approximately 7.30pm there was plenty of staff on duty to assist guests,” he said.

“However, such an incident affecting a hotel during the early hours of the morning could have a more tragic outcome because in many establishments there may be a lack of night staff on duty.

“Having adequate night-time staff levels in hotels is essential. The fire should drive this message home to the hotel industry before there is a tragedy in the sector.”

Local councillor Noeleen Reilly (Ind) said she spoke to some of the families left without accommodation following the fire.

“They are totally devastated and will need our support and help in the coming days, weeks and months,” she stated.

“The Minister for Housing needs to visit these families urgently and provide them with a safe and stable environment going forward until we can assess the damage.”

Cllr Paul McAuliffe (FF) said he was amazed the hotel building was not totally engulfed by the fire.

“It’s a testament to the professionalism of Dublin Fire Brigade, gardaí and Dublin City Council,” he said.

“I witnessed some really brave scenes of Dublin Fire Brigade firefighters putting their life on the line. Total respect.”

Dublin Lord Mayor, Mícheál Mac Donncha, also commended Dublin Fire Brigade.

"On behalf of the people of Dublin I commend Dublin Fire Brigade for their rapid and effective response to the Metro Hotel fire,” he said.

“They helped to ensure that there were no casualties in what was a potentially catastrophic fire in a high-rise building.

"The efficiency and courage of the Dublin Fire Brigade crews was demonstrated last night and the people of the city are very grateful to them. We must now ensure that all aspects of this fire are fully investigated."

Local TD Dessie Ellis (SF) also thanked the emergency services for their “courageous work” and said the fire had raised a number of important questions on safety matters.

“Last night’s swift reaction to the fire undoubtedly helped save lives,” he said.

“The fire brigade and the gardaí did a marvellous job in clearing the building and ensuring the safety of residents.

“The staff in the building are also to be thanked for the role they played in helping to evacuate the buildings.

“Fire brigade personnel had the very dangerous task of working from floor to floor, apartment by apartment, to ensure that no-one was left behind and working late into the night and the early morning to ensure that the fire was fully extinguished.”

Fine Gael TD for the area, Noel Rock, also praised the emergency services for bringing the fire under control.

“I was glad to hear that the building was evacuated safely and I’d like to praise the Dublin Fire Brigade for battling the blaze with such bravery,” he said.

“It was the largest fire in Dublin that the fire brigade has had to deal with this year and there could have been a very different outcome if it was not for their speedy arrival at the scene.

“I am very thankful that there was no loss of life, and now we must ensure that the families and individuals affected are looked after.”

SIPTU activists commended the swift response of hotel workers to the high-rise fire and said staff played a crucial role in notifying people of the incident and assisting them in evacuating.

“This fire demonstrated the importance of having adequate staff numbers in a hotel, as this allowed workers to quickly notify guests throughout the building of the danger and assist them in the evacuation,” said SIPTU Sector Organiser, Ed Kenny.