The Smokes Begins To Clear…

Greystones Fire Station 13OCT23

here was one person who was especially glad to see Greystones firemen were back in action last week, after over a fortnight of the town’s station being unmanned.

It was on Sunday 8th that one of Tommaso’s waiters at Caffe Delle Stelle suddenly collapsed to the floor.

It was a heart attack, and the Greystones fire crew were there within minutes, followed soon after by the ambulance services. Sadly, Ignazzio didn’t make it, and the funeral mass is taking place this week in his native Italy.

We didn’t want to report the tragedy at the time, as the man’s family hadn’t been contacted, but for Tommaso, it’s an experience that has clearly left him shook.

“I was in total shock,” he tells us. “And I still am, to be honest. I was just so glad that people who knew what to do in such a dreadful situation were there so quickly. Just knowing everything that could be done was being done made it a lot easier to process this sad passing later on…”

That the firemen themselves were glad to be back at their jobs goes without saying, as the long-running stikes over better pay and recruitment had led to a bitter breakdown at the local station.

That breakdown has now been resolved, with a statement being issued today by Stephen McFadden, chair of the National Retained Firefighters Association…

Firefighters from Greystones Fire Station and Wicklow County, along with SIPTU representatives, gathered on Thursday evening to discuss the next steps following the WRC recommendations, which were endorsed by a national vote of full-time retained firefighters. This well-attended meeting represented the entire county, marking a significant moment as the strike action progressed towards implementation, becoming the primary focus for Wicklow’s firefighters and their representatives.

SIPTU has requested a meeting with Wicklow County Council to initiate meaningful steps toward implementing the recommendations. We anticipate that Wicklow County Council will prioritize and expedite this meeting. A top priority on the agenda is the recruitment of firefighters to transition towards a week-on, week-off scheduling model.

The Greystones community will be pleased to know that their fire station is operating, responding to all calls in the area. Currently staffed with 8 crew members and officers, Greystones aims to expand its team to meet the agreed target of at least 12 crew members and officers.

It is expected that Wicklow County Council will soon begin the process of filling these positions.