CITY COUNCIL MANAGEMENT PUTTING PUBLIC SAFETY AT RISK
Cllr Alison Gilliland, Labour Party Dublin City Councillor and Chairperson of the Special Committee for Fire/Ambulance and Emergency Management has today said that Dublin City Council management are putting public safety at risk due to their refusal to engage.
Cllr Gilliland said:
“Dublin Fire Brigade has issued the CEO of Dublin City Council with strike notice – a full 24 hour stoppage on Saturday 18th March followed by another 24 hour stoppage on Monday 27th March. Without Dublin Fire Brigade at work public safety across Dublin City and County is put at risk.
“Dublin Fire Brigade respond to all emergency calls for fire and emergency medical services (EMS). Their 14 ambulances are constantly responding to EMS calls on a 24/7 365 basis – they are never not on a call. They relay on back up by fire appliances, each appliance crewed by 6 trained paramedics or advanced paramedics. Without this service even for an hour let alone 24 hours public safety is completely compromised.
“One person, Owen Keegan, CEO of Dublin City Council holds the key to resolving this dispute. DCC management walked out of the Ambulance Forum in late January before a telecommunications solution to HIQA concerns over calls dropping between the DFB EMS and the NAS could be discussed. There is an effective and safe technological solution that will allow both services to integrate and support each other however Keegan won’t acknowledge it because he doesn’t want it.
“Keegan has consistently ignored expert evidence emphasising that the removal of DFB’s call and dispatch operation would put patient safety at risk – if this key link in the EMS management chain is removed simultaneous dispatch of DFB ambulances and fire appliances will no longer be possible and as a result response rates will reduce and patient safety will be severely compromised.
“Last April in a letter to Mr Keegan, my colleague Alan Kelly, then Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government, called for an agreement ‘acceptable to all sides to be reached that would ensure a seamless, responsive and safe emergency ambulance service’. This is exactly what must happen.
‘Only Owen Keegan can make this happen! It is imperative that he engages in meaningful engagement with DFB union and prevent this dispute.’”
ENDS
Contact Cllr Alison Gilliland 0866015154
Chairperson Special Committee for Fire/Ambulance and Emergency Management