Firefighters’ alarm at conditions in station

Firefighters have hit out at unsafe and unhealthy conditions at Galway Fire Station, branding it a “disgrace and embarrassment”.

The ‘drying room’ for washed fire kits is actually converted toilet – with the urinal still in place.

Taking to social media to highlight the conditions in the station, officers said the building on Fr Griffin Road is not fit for purpose and they have been let down by management.

Galway County Council – which oversees fire services for the city and county – said repair works will be carried out in a few weeks time to address issues with dampness, rodents and cleaning facilities.

Peter Gavican, Director of Emergency Services with the Council told the Connacht Tribune: “We are aware of the issues, an audit was carried out at the end of last year, and we are going through a public procurement process now for works to be carried out. Of course we’d like to have a put a contractor on site straight away, but we have to go through this process.

“A new fire station is being planned for Galway, and we hope to have a proposal with the Department this year,” said Mr Gavican.

In a post on the ‘Fire and Rescue Galway’ Facebook page, officers wrote: “Although money has been set aside for a number of county stations for upgrading which is great, once again management have let us down and left us living and working in a building not fit for purpose.

“People may not be aware, but fire-fighters live and work here 24 hours a day, it’s our home for a minimum of 48 hours a week, but seems that it’s ok for us to live in these conditions.

“Management have nice warm dry offices and go home to their families in the evening and weekends, so why would they care? In truth, the station is a disgrace and an embarrassment to the firefighters who work here, especially when we have visitors or members of public on site.

“Perhaps management would like to spend some time living in these conditions,” the post reads.

Speaking of the urinal ‘drying room’, they went on to say: “This really sums up the state of the place and how management really care for our conditions, the list is pretty endless here.

“We have no clean room to wash down our breathing apparatus sets and test them. We have to do that on fold down tables in the appliance bay with the fire trucks – as all fire-fighters know not suitable.

“We have rat and mouse traps all over the station inside and out, the yard is full of old portacabins and containers cluttering up an already overcrowded yard.

“Perhaps it’s time the Chief Fire Officer, Director of Services and County and City Managers finally sorted this place out and show us we do matter.

“We have highlighted these issues so many times through the proper channels but are always ignored, fire-fighters are sick and tired of living in these unsafe, dirty and unhealthy conditions,” the post reads.

Director of Services, Peter Gavican, said the Council is set to put a programme of works out for public procurement, and he hopes work will start within two months.

“It’s an old building and we’re working to keep it safe and at the same time concentration on building a brand new facility. The issues with the station have been found by ourselves on a recent audit. Any Health & Safety issues will be addressed,” said Mr Gavican.

He added that a new fire station to serve Galway is in the planning stages, and he hopes to forward a proposal to the Department this year.

A number of potential sites have been identified for the new station, but a final decision has not yet been made.

Mr Gavican added that other stations in the county received funding last year, but the Council had no control over stations to which the Department chose to allocate money.