SIPTU retained firefighter members have condemned Cork County Council for putting lives at risk due to its adoption of an Emergency Operations Plan without adequate consultation with emergency workers. SIPTU National Retained Fire-fighter Organiser, Con Casey, said: “On Monday (22nd February) councillors voted to endorse a new plan for fire services in county Cork. This plan adheres to Section 26 of the Fire Services Act. For more than two years SIPTU firefighters have been campaigning against Section 26 and the extreme safety risks that its implementation would result in for firefighters and the public." He added: “Our members in the retained fire service are appalled that elected local representatives could endorse such as plan. It is retrograde step which flies in the face of best practice. The decision was taken before the new Fire Services National Oversight and Implementation Group (FSNOIG), which was established last December, has had time to deliberate on Section 26 and related issues far less issue its recommendations. “Our members are calling on Cork County Council to immediately reverse its decision to adopt this Emergency Operations Plan and instead await the outcome of the FSNOIG process. Such a move would confirm that the safety of fire fighters and the public was its primary concern.”
SIPTU says Cork County Council decision on fire service plan places lives at risk
