The seven fire brigades in Kilkenny County Council Fire Service were mobilised 1,306 times in 2008. The average time to turn out a fire engine from the time the call was received was 5.23 minutes. The fire service was in attendance 48.57% of emergencies within 10 minutes of being called, 40.26% within 20 minutes and 11.37% in over 20 minutes. 

Training

• A one day refresher on First Aid and Trauma was held for 10 no. firefighters in April 2008.
• A total of 7 no. two day Compartment Fire Behaviour Courses were held for all firefighters in October 2008.
• A one week Pump Operator/Drivers course was held for 5no. firefighters in September 2008. All firefighters subsequently passed the driving test first time.
• Senior and Junior Officer training was ongoing during 2008. The courses that officers attended are as follows - Operational Command Course (Development); Road Traffic Accident Course; Unit II Course; Fire Safety Engineering Course; Hazmat Course; Signs, Lighting and Guarding course; Operational Command Course; Unit I Course; Fire Services Council Seminars.

Compartment Fire Behaviour training

Pump Operator training

 

Community Fire Safety - Primary School Programme

The Primary Schools Programme commenced in September 2008. The Primary Schools Programme (PSP) has been designed to enhance the level of awareness of Fire Safety in the home and to raise the level of awareness of Fire Safety in the community. The objective of this programme is to deliver Fire Safety education to 53,000, 3rd class, primary school children (approx. 9 years old) in approximately 3,300 schools across the country nationwide. The school children are expected, as part of their homework, to interact with their families on the elements of the programme. This interaction puts the problem and the solution together in the same place at the same time making it more likely that any Fire Safety issues in the home will be immediately and successfully addressed. To make the PSP more effective and attractive to the children the "Safety Team" pack is to be included and each of the students receiving the programme will receive a pack.

The PSP was delivered to all Primary Schools in the county Kilkenny, 80 no., who have accepted the Fire Brigades offer to present the lesson. Fire and Rescue Service personnel will present it to 3rd class students, which positively links the local Fire Rescue Brigade with the community.

 

School visits to the fire station.
Regular school visits are arranged to the fire station on Wednesdays each week. Over 400 primary school children visited the fire station in 2008. Each visit would last for approx. 45 minutes. Children would be shown around the fire station and would be given life saving tips with respect to fire safety. Each child would also be given fire safety literature and a pencil with a fire safety message. In addition a number of photographs would be taken of the visit and would be entered into the Fire Service website.

 

Fire Safety Certificates and Inspections

• A total of 190 fire safety certificates were processed.
• Over 30 licensed premises were inspected under the licensing act. This involved a number of inspections of the premises and giving evidence to the court.
• Over 300 licensing applications were processed.
• All relevant planning applications were sought by the fire service and the planning authority were advised of our requirements.

 

Fundraising

Personnel from Kilkenny Ambulance Service, Kilkenny Fire and Rescue Service partook in the now Annual Christmas charity collection for local beneficial organisations in need. This year the two recipients are St. Josephs Home, Kilmoganny and Kilkenny Home Care Team. They each received €5,700.00 for their needy causes. In addition during the year Graiguenamanagh Fire Brigade were involved in a very successful fundraising event for Meningitis Trust Ireland.

 

Major Emergency Management

A programme for Major Emergency Management was put in place over the course of 2008. This entailed works to County Hall to provide facilities for its use as a Local (or Regional) Co-ordination Centre, training of key staff and the purchase of key items of equipment. Interagency training was held with An Garda Siochána and the H.S.E. The Major Emergency Management programme was introduced in line with National guidelines and is organised on a regional basis, Kilkenny forming the centre of the South East Region.

 

Inter-agency training

A comprehensive Hazardous Materials awareness training course was provided by Kilkenny Fire and Rescue Service officers for members of An Garda Siochána who attend such incidents. The topics covered items such as immediate actions of arrival of An Garda Siochána, hazard recognition and evaluation and also the integrated response of the two agencies. The course was repeated on a number of occasions and was offered to all members of An Garda Siochána in the Kilkenny and Thomastown districts of the Waterford Kilkenny Division. In developing the training course, Kilkenny Fire and Rescue Service remains indebted to Superintendent Pat O'Connor and Inspector Tony Lonergan.

 

Image includes course instructors Killian John Hennessy and Frank Dunne, Also shown is Chief Fire Officer Ciaran Cormican,
Assistant Commissioner Pat McCarty, Chief Supt. P.V. Murphy, Supt. Pat Mangan,
Supt. Pat O'Connor, Inspector Tony Lonergan, and Chief Ambulance Officer.