Fire service to invest in new equipment
Westmeath’s fire service is planning further investment in equipment and operations over the next five years, while also examining how to respond to the growing threat posed by bog fires and severe weather.
Chief Fire Officer Joe Cassidy outlined the council’s Fire and Emergency Operations Plan 2026-2031 to elected members, who raised questions about equipment for rural stations, fire hydrants, river rescues and the training available to firefighters attending road traffic collisions.
The plan was prepared to enable Westmeath County Council, as fire authority, to set out and periodically review the arrangements for fire and emergency operations across the county.
Chief executive Barry Kehoe told councillors that the document included operational and capital investment requirements, as well as educational measures planned through 2030 and beyond.
The council would be seeking funding for capital requirements from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management.
Mr Kehoe recommended the plan for adoption, saying it provided a sound framework for the delivery of fire and emergency services in Westmeath over the next five years.
Equipment for bog fires
Cllr David Jones suggested that Castlepollard Fire Station could benefit from a quad bike, referring to a recent bog fire where local people had helped firefighters transport hoses and equipment.
Mr Cassidy said the county already had specialist all-terrain vehicles, including a Kubota, and a new four-wheel ATV was on the way.
The vehicles were based at Athlone and Mullingar, the two urban stations with greater resources, and could be mobilised to incidents according to their requirements.
He explained that quad bikes were not always suitable for bog fires because of the equipment that needed to be carried, including hoses and pumps.
The new ATV would have a pump and reel system mounted on the back, allowing it to operate on bogland.
Cllr Jones also raised concerns about fire hydrants being covered over and difficult for members of the public to locate.
Mr Cassidy said hydrants were mapped on the council’s RGIS system, while the county’s frontline fire appliances carried information about hydrant locations, pressures and flow rates.
Any problems identified during incidents, training or inspections were reported to the relevant municipal district or Uisce Éireann for necessary remedial work.
River rescue and medical training
Cllr Paul Hogan asked about the ability of the service to respond to a fire on a boat in the middle of the River Shannon, while Cllr Aengus O’Rourke queried whether specialist training offered by Athlone River Safety Awareness could be reconsidered.
Mr Cassidy said all four Westmeath stations had completed swift-water training with a third-party contractor last year.
He explained that water rescue was a limited area of expertise for the fire service. Firefighters could assist with rescues close to the bank, retrieve fatalities and tackle fires on boats at or near docks, but they did not operate out on the water.
That work required specialist equipment and fell to primary response agencies such as the Coast Guard and sub-aqua teams.Cllr Frankie Keena asked whether firefighters could receive more extensive medical training to assist casualties at road traffic collisions while awaiting an ambulance.
Mr Cassidy said firefighters at all four stations were trained to emergency first responder and cardiac response level, and there is annual refresher training and additional training for new entrants. Further training was scheduled for November, December and the first quarter of next year.
He explained that Dublin Fire Brigade was the only fire brigade in the country with an ambulance service as part of its operation. Elsewhere, ambulance provision and specialist medical services remained the responsibility of the HSE.
Bog fires and climate change
Cllr Denis Leonard raised the prolonged bog fires experienced in the county, including an incident at Milltownpass last summer and another at Tyrrellspass, asking whether increasing drought and the effects of climate change could put the service under pressure.
Mr Cassidy said the issue was receiving attention at both local and national level, and the impact of severe weather is expected to become more significant over time.
A chief fire officer seminar in Athlone was due to examine bog fires and possible preventive measures, including coordination with Bord na Móna, Coillte and third-party contractors.
He said the service had not yet experienced a strain on its emergency response provision because of bog fires, and there had been no water supply problems to date, although both issues would need consideration in the years ahead.
The council adopted the plan following the discussion.
Supported by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme