Fireman Tom retires after 30 years
Local Fireman, Tom Mc Guinness has recently retired from the Tubbercurry Fire Brigade.
Tom joined the service over 30 years ago and was always on hand over the years for various incidents.
“You really have to be in the job to understand it. With all the bad calls you get, it is about helping out any bit you can and the good moments outweigh the bad” said Tom. From a young age it was a dream for Tom to join the Fire service, while working in the family bar in Tubbercurry Square on January first 1997 his dream came true.
“Getting to drive as an official was as far as I wanted to get and I did so it has been a great career” he said.
The Fire Service in Tubbercurry is made up of part- time officers also known as ‘ Retained Officers’ who work other jobs but are always on call. Retained Fire fighters make up 70 percent of the Fire Service in Ireland and have to drop tools and rush to the emergency scene when the alarm is signalled. Their role is often vital in saving lives and property and sometimes under appreciated.
Tom said that the relationship between the station officers and the crew are vital when working together as a lot of snap decisions are made.
“We were lucky to work with a great team and our crew, well I couldn’t praise them enough” said Tom.
Baileys Nursing home Tub- bercurry are lucky enough to have Tom as a career assistant, a whole new career that he is looking forward to learning.
Well done and a big thank you to Tom McGuinness and indeed all his colleagues. Tom would like to give a special thanks to station officer Michael Henry and all the Tubbercurry crew and wish them all the best for the future.
“I’d join it all over again if I had too” said Tom.