Clare’s Green Councillor is expressing concerns one of this county’s fire stations could be stood down in the coming years.
It follows calls for Clare’s Fire and Rescue service to be further resourced after a number of vacancies arose here in recent months.
Concerns have been raised by local Councillors this week relating to the number of staff working across the county’s seven fire stations, with six vacancies currently in the county out of 75 retained firefighter positions.
Four of those posts have arisen across Clare’s services since September, with interviews scheduled to fill the posts in the coming week.
Chief Fire Officer Adrian Kelly says State investment has meant that equipment and facilities needed by local services are of an extremely high standard.
There have been calls for an updated strategy to be developed to ensure all fire stations in Clare can remain open in the coming years.
It’s believed an updated Fire and Operations Plan is to be reviewed, with a view to adopting a new one in 2022.
Lahinch-based Green Councillor Liam Grant, himself a firefighter in Ennistymon, believes contingencies need to be implemented.
Clare County Council is taking part in a national review of the model of local authority ‘retained’ fire services delivery.
Ennis-based Fine Gael Councillor Johnny Flynn was himself a former Chief Fire Officer in Limerick.
He believes further financial resources are required to carry out any future plan and retain more staff.
