Roscommon fire service responds to hundreds of incidents

Roscommon Fire Service responded to hundreds of incidents in the county in 2024, according to the council’s recently published annual report.

The council said that the service employed 46 part-time retained fire fighters, including five new recruit fire fighters, from Roscommon Town, Ballaghaderreen, Boyle, Elphin and Strokestown. The service was alerted 329 times during 2024, which included attendance at 80 road traffic collisions.

New and updated items of equipment were issued to the fire brigades during 2024 including automated external defibrillators, battery-operated hydraulic road traffic collision cutting equipment and a Class ‘B’ type fire engine.

The fire service also carried out inspections in 95 premises and issued advice and/or warnings to 14 premises.

The council has set aside €4.2 million for the operation of the fire service in 2026. It also has agreements with the neighbouring county councils of Leitrim, Longford, Westmeath, Galway and Mayo, which each provide fire brigade services to parts of all three municipal districts in the county.

“The implementation of the 2023 Workplace Relations Commission agreement and subsequent special pay awards will see Roscommon Fire Service providing for a minimum crewing level of 12 personnel in each of its existing five fire stations,” the council’s 2026 budget said. “The new retained fire service delivery model had significant increase in operational costs associated with this increase in personnel, improved pay and expenditure associated with recruitment, training and provision of equipment and facilities in financial year 2025.” The council plans to complete its recruitment and associated training of the additional firefighters in 2026, and reach the full complement of 60 part-time firefighters assigned to the five fire stations.