Fire brigade bids a fond farewell to Denis
TWENTY years after joining the Dingle Fire Brigade as a raw recruit Denis Murphy retired from the service last week, having risen through the ranks to the position of Station Sub Officer.
At a farewell gathering of serving and retired firemen in Dingle Fire Station last Thursday Station Officer Breandán Ferriter recalled that from the day Denis joined up he put his heart and soul into the service. “Even at a gorse fire he would stay at it hammer and tongs until the fire was put out, and if it re-started he’d be the first back up the hill,” Breabdán said.
Within a few years of joining the fire brigade Denis was promoted to Driver Mechanic. He took the added responsibility in his stride and his skill and care as a driver was well appreciated by colleagues. Denis said he “never suffered from blue light syndrome” but it seems he didn’t let caution get in the way of doing the job either. “He had no bother driving in ice or snow - even though there might be white knuckles alright,” Breandán quipped.
Denis, who followed in his father John Joe’s footsteps when he joined the fire brigade, was promoted to Station Sub Officer in 2012, a role in which Breandán said “he was always easy to get on with, always cooperative and willing to share his knowledge and skills with newer recruits”.
Denis told The Kerryman that he had “a great 20 years [in the fire brigade] and thoroughly enjoyed it”. The worst part of the job was dealing with traffic accidents but sometimes they also provided the best part of the job – the “situations where you get a chance to make a difference and maybe even preserve life”.