Under-staffing has reportedly led to "exhausted" firefighters and a reliance on overtime.
Figures released to Today FM News under the Freedom of Information Act, have revealed that Dublin Fire Brigade was understaffed for 23 out of 30 days in September of this year, with as many as 6 fire appliances off the road in one day.
The number of staff needed to adequately staff Dublin Fire Brigade fire engines and ambulances during a day shift is 164. That number increases to 180 when the Eastern Regional Communications Centre (ERCC) staff are factored in.
There were just seven days in September when the service met the 180 operational staff needed for a daytime shift.
figures show that on the 10th of September, there were only 135 staff working out of the 180 required. This resulted in 6 fire appliances being taken off of the frontline.
Other notable dates include the 7th and 27th, when the service had 159 and 151 operational staff respectively, resulting in 2 fire appliances and 2 emergency ambulances off the run on both days.
On the 26th of September, 5 vehicles were taken off the road - 1 ambulance and 4 appliances. There were 154 staff working on this day.
When asked about the issue, Dublin Fire Brigade said they take the "health and safety of its crews and of the public very seriously."
They said that since the start of this year, 80 recruits have completed training and are now operational. A further 30 recruits are due to pass out in the coming weeks and will then become operational.
Additionally, Dublin Fire Brigade recently announced its latest recruitment drive.
Dublin Fire Brigade are hiring.
Have you got the strengths we need? Compassion, Communication, Teamwork.
Ready to serve your community as a Firefighter and Paramedic?
We want a diverse team for a diverse job.
Visit https://t.co/Hitus8sV1C for more.
#WeAreHiring pic.twitter.com/TW4U5fC5SA— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) November 8, 2022
While Geoff McEvoy, Industrial Official with SIPTU, says the impact of taking appliances off the road has a direct impact on the safety of the public:
"What [the] figures don't show is the reliance on overtime to keep appliances on the run."
He continued: "There is a huge level of commitment to the service and to the community from firefighters/paramedics in Dublin Fire Brigade and that's what is keeping the show on the road."
He says the immediate knock-on effect is "burnout and fatigue" among firefighters.
"When you have insufficient personnel to keep fire appliances on the road, you are creating a risk to the health and safety of firefighters and to the general public."
Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South West, Seán Crowe, has described the figures as 'frightening' as members of the public could be waiting longer for a fire engine or ambulance.
"There's a crisis within the service itself, not only for the fire tenders but also the ambulance service and its people's lives being put at risk due to these shortfalls in the service."
He has called for more support to expand staff within the service.
