FIVE new recruits have joined the ranks of Limerick’s Fire and Emergency Services following their official passing out parade in Mulgrave Street Station this week.
The ceremony is the culmination of 15 weeks of intensive training and drills for Class 1 of 2019, where they prepared for every eventuality, which might occur while they are on duty.
The five new recruits Michael Fitzgerald, Ian Jones, Tarlach Kelly, James O’Dea and Kevin O’Riordan are full-time firefighters and will be based in Mulgrave Street. They were selected for training following a tough recruitment process, which included physical and mental tests and interviews.
Led by Course Director Paul McMahon the recruits have honed their skills in a series of training drills designed to test the resolve of the recruits. Special training also took place in the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh in England, which is one of the world’s leading training colleges for firefighters.
Attending the passing out parade, Mayor of Limerick, Cllr James Collins congratulated the new recruits who will be joining the ranks of Limerick Fire and Emergency Services.
“You will be providing a very important service for the people of Limerick City and County, one where you will be experiencing peril as you carry out your duties. On behalf of the people of Limerick I would like to thank you most sincerely for the work you do day in day out for those who are in the middle of life-altering situations,” Mayor Collins commented.
In 2018, Limerick Fire and Emergency Services dealt with 1,703 call outs, 1,112 of which were fire related. In the first four months of 2019, the service has answered 204 call outs, 109 of these were fire related.
Chief Fire Officer Michael Ryan said Limerick Fire and Emergency Services are proud of its traditions and standards.
“Limerick Fire and Emergency Services have been providing services for nearly 150 years. The history of our service is interwoven with the history of Limerick itself and throughout that time the Fire Service has been serving the city, and we hope that we are held in high regard by the citizens we serve,” he added.
