SIPTU members in Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) will conduct 24-hour work stoppages on Saturday, 18th March, and Monday, 27th March, to highlight their opposition to an attempt to break up the DFB Emergency Medical Service by removing its ambulance call and dispatch function. The announcement of the work stoppages, which will both commence at 9.00 a.m., was made following a rally, which was attended by over two hundred SIPTU DFB Firefighters and their supporters, outside City Hall, Dublin 2, this evening (Monday, 6th March). SIPTU Sector Organiser, Brendan O’Brien, said: “It is with deep regret that SIPTU members in Dublin Fire Brigade have been forced into conducting these work stoppages. This dispute results from our members’ total commitment to providing the best emergency services possible to the residents of Dublin. “These firefighters are withdrawing their labour to indicate, in the strongest manner open to them, their complete opposition to an attempt by senior management in Dublin City Council to break up the DFB Emergency Medical Service by removing its ambulance call and dispatch function. Removal of this function breaks a key link in the DFB Emergency Medical Service chain, which would result in a reduction in the effectiveness of the service, response time delays and expose the public to increased risk.” SIPTU DFB Firefighters voted by 93% to 7% in favour of strike action and 97% to 3% in favour of industrial action, in a ballot counted on Friday, 17th February.