A total of 44 firefighters have graduated to recruit level and celebrated the milestone at the Recruit Passing-Out Parade yesterday in the Dublin Fire Brigade training centre.
Firefighters have been calling for more personnel to be trained for the job due to "staff shortages" which one Councillor said was "putting lives at risk".
Lord Mayor of Dublin Alison Gilliland, Chief Fire Officer Dennis Keeley, senior fire officers and the recruit’s own families were all present to celebrate the occasion.
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The pass-out parade is a big moment in the career of a Firefighter and is a demonstration of skills learned in the training centre.
Following the parade the firefighters become probationary-firefighters and will develop their skills and experiences operationally.
They will then go on to complete a two-year Paramedic programme which includes a 13-weeks classroom based course and mentored field internships in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Addressing the recruit firefighters the Lord Mayor of Dublin Alison Gilliland said: “Dublin Fire Brigade’s emergency fire and ambulance personnel go about their work in a dedicated, professional and courageous manner. They have earned great respect and are rightfully held in high esteem.”
The Chief Fire Officer Dennis Keeley added; “Every recruit here today is following in the footsteps of a long line of first-responders who have carried the badges of their fire service with pride and honour. You are entrusted with that duty and I am confident you will carry it out faithfully.”
A total of 33 new recruits will be entering the training centre at the end of June to undergo the same training as these 44 now probationary firefighters.
Later this year Dublin Fire Brigade will be opening a recruitment competition for new firefighter/paramedics.
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