Why the hysteria over the Ballymun fire is all wrong

AS THE first anniversary of the horrific Grenfell Tower inferno approaches, it is not surprising that the fire at a Dublin high-rise hotel two weeks ago has generated so much coverage. However, much of the discussion around the Metro Hotel fire has bordered on the hysterical.

Firstly, firefighters I spoke to in the past week have praised the staff and evacuation procedures at the Ballymun building for the efficient, professional and calm manner in which they got all occupants out of the building.

They say it is the occupants, staff and neighbours who are inevitably the first responders in an emergency, which is why planning, regulations and fire drills are so important.

Of course, the fact that we have one of the most professional emergency services in the world helped enormously that night in Ballymun. Numerous international reports have demonstrated that few major cities in the world beat the response times of the 999 ambulance service in the capital, run by Dublin Fire Brigade. That each fully equipped ambulance is staffed by advanced paramedics reminds us of what a valuable resource we have on our streets.

A shocking report this week in the UK highlighted the waiting times at accident and emergency departments for ambulances as they try to get patients admitted and stretchers returned.

This has been a recurring issue here as well and needs to be addressed urgently – emergency resources cannot be left lying idle when they are needed elsewhere.

The controversy about the height achievable by the turntable ladders of Dublin Fire Brigade is misleading and overblown, and can cause unnecessary worry for citizens.

Simply put, there is no emergency vehicle here or elsewhere that can reach the height of many high-rise buildings.

However, the number and location of the three specialist high-rise vehicles in Dublin has to be reviewed urgently.

Given the gridlock in the capital and the determination of the city council officials to shut down the city centre to everything but the Luas, it is imperative that one of the two turntable ladders now based in Dublin Fire Brigade headquarters in Townsend Street be relocated to the outer ring road close to the M50.

For any emergency vehicle to have to face into the traffic black hole that is the south quays between Butt Bridge and O’Connell Bridge is dangerous. And now another vital artery, College Green, is about to be shut down. The ultimate fire control in high-rise buildings is prevention. Internal sprinkler and ‘dry riser’ systems should be checked regularly, and each apartment block should have a residents’ fire committee, with regular drills and inspections.

The 71 deaths in the Grenfell Tower fire last June led to numerous inspections here of suspect building materials, but action must follow. Nevertheless, fire prevention, vigilance and safety begins at home – literally.