COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, March 11, 2024

QUESTION NO. 36

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

To ask the Chief Executive for a report on Fire safety in the county that gives an update on extension ladders in Tallaght Fire Station for use in case of fire in higher buildings?

REPLY:

The Chief Fire Officer has been contacted in respect of Fire safety in the county and the update on extension ladders in Tallaght Fire Station for use in the case of fire in high rise buildings. His response is as follows:

Dublin Fire Brigade’s (DFB) Bravo District (District responsible for the fire cover South Dublin County Council) is the area covered by Dolphins Barn and Tallaght Fire stations. Depending on the nature and location of an emergency, crews from any one of these stations will respond. Resources that are specifically assigned to South Dublin County Council Functional Area are two Class-B Water Tenders at Tallaght Fire Station. These are appliances crewed by an officer and four/five firefighters, one firefighter acting as the driver/pump operator. They are equipped with a pump and a variety of firefighting and road traffic collision rescue equipment.

The following are resources in DFB Bravo District:

Station	Location	Appliances / Vehicles	Personnel
No 2 District Station	Dolphins barn	Water Tender Class B    x2 Ambulance                      x 1 Emergency Rescue Tender x 1 District Officers Command Vehicle x 1	District Officer    x 1 Station Officer    x 1 Sub Officer          x 2 Firefighters         x 13
No 7 Station	Tallaght	Water Tender Class B  x 2 Ambulance                      x 1	Station Officer      x 1 Sub Officer            x 1 Firefighters           x 11

Additionally, any resources required to augment these resources will be sent from adjoining districts / stations as would specialised fire appliances required. Specialist fire appliances include, turn-table-ladders, emergency tenders, foam tenders etc.

Turntable Ladder appliances are on the pre-determined attendance for high-rise developments for all areas of the city and county.  These appliances can be in attendance in the Tallaght area within the national guideline travel times for Special Aerial Appliances.  However, the Aerial Appliance deployment model for the city is currently being reviewed, which may see these appliances being redeployed to other station areas in the future. The Minister announced that Dublin will be getting 4 new appliances and one of these appliances will be for Tallaght Fire Station.

A new 42 metre ladder has come into service in DFB with a second 42m ladder on order with expected delivery in the first quarter of this year. As part of ongoing fire service familiarisation, visits (each station undertakes a programme of pre-fire planning and familiarisation visits) and exercises for dry riser and hydrant inspection and testing takes place.