It’s all hands to the pump at Bray’s fire station as the fire training centre welcomes 16 new recruits to its fire fighter’s skills course.
he course will see the trainees, who are aged between 19 and 40, put through their paces with an intensive regime of drills, exercises and theory based learning.
The recruits, who are of Irish, English, Polish and Indian origin, are currently two weeks into the three week course. Upon completion, eight will be stationed throughout Wicklow, with the remaining trainees returning to their respective stations in Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Clare, Tipperary and Waterford.
The Bray Fire Station is a recognised national training centre that fire services from around the country use as a base for training exercises and events. Built in 1986, the training centre has received huge upgrades recently and has evolved in line with changes in the national standard of training.
The introductory course currently underway there covers three key modules: Road Traffic Collision (RTC), ladders and pumps.
RTC teaches the recruits how to deal with road casualties, trapped people and how to free them. They learn how to use prying and cutting equipment. Equipment used for stabilisation, glass management and traffic management.
Pumps training covers the usage of all types of pumps, whether it be mounted on the back of an appliance or portable pumps for rural fires that draw water from natural sources, i.e. rivers and lakes. Finally, ladder training teaches them a variety of dexterous techniques for walking and climbing safely on the apparatus.
One of the instructors on the course, 27-year veteran of the fire brigade Ciarán Hayden, has been delighted with the progress made by the latest batch of budding fire fighters.
‘They’re a really great bunch this year’, he said. ‘We run a minimum of one course per year and are always looking for new recruits. It’s great to watch the next generation coming through the ranks with such great passion for the service.’
Dannan O’Connor, the sole female recruit this year, attributes her inspiration to join the fire service to her late grandfather,
‘He served for over 30 years in the fire brigade, in multiple stations around Dublin’, she began. ‘I feel like the inspiration came from him. Sadly, he passed away in November last year. That definitely kicked started something in me.’
Dannan maintains that she was always destined for the fire service and that it’s all she has ever wanted to do since she left school.
‘I’ve been involved with the order of Malta since I was 16 and the civil defence for the past few years – I just love the work. I’ve always been interested in safety. So, I did a QQI course in Blackrock, which is basically a feeder course into this training.’
‘I had been speaking with the station chief here in Bray, Aidan Dempsey, to show my interest for the past year and a half. I was basically just waiting for recruitment to open up again. As soon as that happened I applied, and here I am now.’
The training Dannan is now undergoing may be physically and mentally taxing, but she has thoroughly embraced the learning experience.
‘The training is brilliant. The centre here is really impressive and the trainers are really focused on your learning. It’s very much a family feel here, that makes it a lot easier. You’re part of a team and that’s a real morale booster. That’s the biggest appeal for a lot of people here, you get to work with really solid people.’
‘I love the RTC training and the medical side of things, but I feel the biggest takeaway for me here is how well I’m being trained to help my community. I hope to finish my training here and start working at Bray Fire Station. From there I'd like to move up through the ranks. This is my life now.’
Nigel McDonald, who hails from Tinahely, will return to his local station when he completes his training. Like many of his fellow trainees, he was motivated to join the service by a natural compulsion to help others.
‘I used to notice the fire brigade lads around Tinahely all the time. I moved house recently enough, moving up near the station. Then a couple of my friends were talking about trying it, so I thought I’d give it a shot. I saw an ad for it on Facebook and said, I’m going for it.’
‘I’ve been loving it so far. Training is tough, but good fun. I think the amount of theory based training we do would surprise a lot of people. Whether it’s getting in and out of the fire brigade, handling hoses, turning on pumps, setting up your gear, maintaining it – it’s all very detailed.’
Asked if he had a favourite training module so far Nigel replied,’ The pump operator position is interesting - you’re regulating the water pressure for the lads at the other end of the pump. You find out pretty quickly that communication is key.’
Nigel’s fellow recruit year-old Mark Harte reapplied for the training, having made an unsuccessful application last year. ‘It’s something I was interested for a while, and was pretty gutted I was knocked back last time,’ Mark said.
Despite not having any background experience in emergency or care skills Mark, who will be placed in his local Arklow station, knew fire fighting was the profession for him.
‘As I grew older I’d notice the fire service lads out and about, doing their thing. I used to think, you know, I want to give them a hand. So that’s what I’m going to do.’
Mark has been thoroughly enjoying the training, and has found that the camaraderie within the service is an integral part of his experience so far.
‘The training is hard and you have to put in the effort. This is made so much easier by the team ethic that exists, both in training and outsie the training centre. There are 14 of us staying in the same hotel. We eat together, study together, we’re constantly bouncing suggestions off each other.’
‘We all want to help our communities and we’re in the best place to learn how to do that.’