Island residents fear delays to emergencies amid changes to fire service
The fire service on Arranmore will not keep two paid firefighters positions once the postholders retire.
Residents of an Irish island are worried that changes to their fire service could lead to emergency response delays.
Traditionally, Arranmore's fire service has relied on two paid, retained firefighters supplemented by volunteers. However, Donegal County Council (DCC) is now transitioning to an entirely volunteer-run service as current firefighters retire.
Volunteer firefighter Finbar Gallagher expressed concerns that this shift could compromise effective emergency responses. He highlighted that many islanders already volunteer for the fire service, lifeboat, and ambulance service, making it difficult to ensure sufficient coverage.
Gallagher, speaking on BBC Radio Foyle's Mark Patterson Show, detailed the challenges of maintaining a volunteer fire service on an offshore island, where individuals must balance their commitments. He emphasized the need for retained firefighters, especially during "gorse fire" season and the summer months when the island's population can swell to over 900 people, more than four times its usual size. Last week, Arranmore firefighters responded to a gorse fire on the island.
He argued that the community already contributes significantly through voluntary efforts, particularly with the RNLI lifeboat crew, and should not be expected to shoulder another essential emergency service. "Most of the lads on the fire brigade are also members of the lifeboat crew as well, and some of us are also part of the ambulance crew, so it's all voluntary," Gallagher stated. He believes the era of solely relying on volunteers, especially in fire services, is over, noting that mainland communities have retained firefighters and the financial cost for the council to retain a few on Arranmore would be minimal.
A petition has been launched by residents seeking assurances about the long-term future of the service. Siobhan Cox, a member of the committee behind the petition, which advocates for six paid firefighters on the island, voiced "very concerned" sentiments about the council's plans. She told BBC News NI that there might not be enough volunteers to operate the service, potentially forcing reliance on mainland services. This could be problematic during rough seas when ferries are not running, and a mainland brigade could take up to an hour to arrive by ferry.
Cox, who grew up in Arranmore, believes a fully paid team would make "a massive difference" in a house fire scenario. She recounted a gorse fire that occurred the day the committee was formed, where the local brigade extinguished it in 10 minutes. She fears that relying on mainland services in such a situation could lead to fires spiraling out of control or reaching homes.
She also suggested that more paid positions could encourage younger people to live on the island. Cox feels the council is not addressing their concerns and is "trying to brush it under the carpet," pointing out that Arranmore is only asking for six positions while the Aran Islands have twelve.
DCC stated that the Arranmore brigade currently has five volunteer firefighters and is equipped with a fire appliance that has "essentially the same functional capability" as those used by retained brigades, though it carries a smaller water supply and lacks a 13.5-meter ladder. To address two upcoming retirements, DCC has already identified five island residents interested in volunteering.
Arranmore, the largest inhabited island off County Donegal, is located about 5 km (3 miles) off the Irish mainland and is accessible by ferry from Burtonport. Approximately 500 people reside on Arranmore year-round, with numbers significantly increasing during the summer tourist season. The island is part of the Donegal Gaeltacht, where Irish is the traditional and everyday language.