Firefighters at Dublin Fire Brigade have reached an agreement with management that will work towards solving the current staffing crisis within the service.
Management has agreed to run two training classes this year with both classes to commence in the first half of 2022, bringing around 90 new staff into the service by November.
SIPTU representatives have welcomed an agreement with the management of Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) which establishes a plan to resolve the long running issues concerning staffing levels within the emergency service.
SIPTU Organiser, Geoff McEvoy, said: “Union representatives began a process of engagement in intensive mediated talks with the management of DFB last month. These talks concluded last week with an agreement which has now been ratified by the SIPTU DFB Section Committee.
“The agreement provides for two new DFB recruit classes to take place in the first half of this year. A supplementary panel of potential recruits will be formed to ensure both classes run at full capacity.
"DFB management has also committed to immediately engaging with the Public Appointment Service to commence two new recruitment competitions, one for fire fighters and one for emergency service controllers.
"This will provide additional recruitment into the service and release more fire fighters for operational duty in the medium term."
Mr McEvoy said that the agreement further commits unions and management to negotiations to "determine the appropriate crewing levels necessary to meet the long-term operational needs of the service."
These negotiations will also the development of new stations, the adoption of an appropriate intervention window and international comparators.
The staffing crisis at Dublin Fire Brigade has been ongoing for quite some time with numbers as low as 930 in the middle of last year, before a freshly graduated class boosted that to 965 in December.
The crisis was further compounded by the pandemic, with multiple appliances off the road each week due to a combination of low staff numbers, covid infections, and close contacts self-isolating.
As reported by Dublin Live, in January an emergency meeting of Dublin City Council was called over concerns that the staffing crisis was putting lives at risk.
In January, talks between SIPTU industrial representatives and Dublin Fire Brigade management got underway after the service held a ballot for industrial action up to and including strike.
The results of the ballot were never released as an act of good faith while entering into negotiations.
To get the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up for our free newsletter.
