IN THE LINE OF FIRE
“I AM looking forward to being part of a team, and I am up for the challenge that lies ahead.”
The words of 30-year-old Dean Poolman, who is one of 15 new fire-fighters who have graduated in Kerry.
In the midst of a pandemic engulfing a county, these fire-fighters may face more difficult challenges than normal, but they are not phased by any of the roles that lie ahead.
Dean has always wanted to be a fireman, and his new position will see him join Castleisland Fire Service. It is a part-time post allowing him to continue his other job at Walsh Colour Print. However he and the other recruits will be on call 24/7, unless on holidays, and must be ready to go when that beeper goes off.
Originally from Cordal but living in Castleisland, Dean applied for the position before the pandemic broke out, and over the past few weeks has gone through rigorous training to be ready for anything that lies ahead, including road traffic collisions and fires.
As part of their training, the new crew took to Killarney National Park to pump water from the lakes to quench a potential blaze through the park and last weekend saw this training in action as they battled gorse fires across the county.
The new retained fire-fighters are to replace recent and upcoming retirements and departures within the Fire Service and will be stationed at the various fire stations across the county.
“These fire fighters have completed extensive training in recent weeks, including Recruit Fire Fighting training and Road Traffic Collision Procedures training. They have all worked exceptionally hard in their training, and their achievements are well deserved,” said Senior Assistant Chief Fire Officer Maurice O’Connell.
“The training was carried out by Kerry Fire and Rescue Service’s own specialist instructors. The calibre of the fire fighters is a testament to the remarkable hard work and dedication of both the instructors and of the recruits themselves. Fire-fighters provide a vital service to the communities they serve, and I have no doubt that these new fire fighters joining our ranks will continue to uphold that proud service,” added Mr O’Connell.
32-year-old Kieran Caffrey from Tralee is another recruit, and being a fireman is something he has wanted to do since he was a child. With that in mind, he is rightly proud to have now earned his place. He is a plumber and will be able to combine both professions.
“I am looking forward to the challenges ahead. I am not worried about the role or the dangers... I am looking forward to facing what we have to.,” said Kieran.
He concluded by saying “There are a lot more dangers than the virus in the job” – and he is certainly right.