Laois firefighters lead way in emergency project following Cresslough

Laois is set to be the location for just one of four new Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) regional hubs which will see firefighter deployed to save lives in disasters such as the tragic Cresslough explosion in Co Donegal.

The County Laois Fire and Rescue Service was designated because the Laois crews were the only specially trained emergency responders in the country who had training in skills required.

A Government plan to establish the four new regional hubs in Galway, Cork City, Dublin and Laois has received unanimous support from Ireland’s Chief Fire Officers who meet in Galway this week at the Irish Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA).

They say the need for a rapid deployment capability for incidents such as building collapses was underscored during the Creeslough tragedy, when assistance was requested from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.

In the review that followed the tragedy, led by now Taoiseach Micheál Martin, it emerged that the Laois Fire and Rescue Service had developed a capacity to deliver search and rescue operations in the non-traditional areas of emergency response, such as collapsed buildings. They were the only crew in the country with training and equipment deemed essential to respond meaningfully to such a disaster. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Fire Crews at Abbeyleix Fire Station.

Laois firefighters had been trained in this area before Cresslough with crews also able to avail of specialist equipment purchased with the backing of Laois County Council and the Government.

As a result, the Laois service, under the direction of Chief Officer Declan Power, has become the defacto lead entity in the Republic in helping prepare for the official launch of the hubs. 

Training has already been provided in Abbeyleix Fire Station, where specialist training facilities and equipment existed to train and be used by Laois firefighters. More than 30 crew from Galway have been trained in Laois.

Mr Power said Laois firefighters will require training themselves and are due to travel to Northern Ireland. He also told the Leinster Express / Laois Live that a national multi-million euro tender is underway to purchase more equipment for Laois and fully equip the crews in Dublin, Cork and Galway.

Mr Power said Laois was advanced in this area because it had established a technical rescue team which had developed expertise in urban rescue. The team provided support to counties in the midlands and around Laois.

He said just four teams are needed because disasters are infrequent. If there is an incident, he expects that Laois crews could be dispatched to Dublin and Cork, as at least two teams from the hubs would be required to attend. 

"It is a feather in the cap for Laois the we have been chosen to be one of the heads. We are the leading team and ahead of the curve," he said.

He praised Laois County Council support for the service complimenting former CEO John Mulholland who was on the board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management. 

Galway Fire and Rescue Service's Chief Fire Officer and Conference Secretary, Gerry O’Malley, complimented Laois on its initiative.

Ahead of the annual CFOA Conference and Fire Technology Exhibition at the Salthill Hotel in Galway on Wednesday and Thursday (7-8 May), Association Chairperson Dennis Keely said the introduction of USAR hubs and HVP technology will foster unprecedented cross-border collaboration between fire services in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland for specialist emergency response.

“Cross-border cooperation between the fire services of Ireland and Northern Ireland is a critical component of the broader emergency response, particularly in specialised areas such as USAR and HVP,” he explained. “This collaboration ensures a coordinated and effective approach to emergencies that may impact both jurisdictions.”

 The Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) represents the Chief Fire Officers of all local authorities in Ireland and holds membership in both the Federation of European Union Fire Officer Associations (FEU) and the CTIF International Association of Fire and Rescue Services. 

Laois Fire and Rescue Service operates stations in Abbeyleix, Durrow, Mountmellick, Mountrath, Portarlington, Portlaoise, Rathdowney Stradbally.