A TD IN SOUTH Tipperary says he has written to the local fire service and to Tipperary council asking for an explanation as to why chainsaws have been removed from some fire stations in the county.
A number of firefighters have raised concerns about the issue.
Deputy Mattie McGrath said that the saws were being taken from stations in south Tipperary and moved to facilities in the north.
“There are no apparent cost savings involved or any other kind of strategic benefit that I can see,” McGrath said.
“What has occurred because of this move is that people here in the south of the county may now have to wait a full hour before a trained member of the fire crew who is designated to operate the chainsaw arrives at the scene of an accident or emergency.
“As I understand it, and what makes it twice as confusing, is that the chainsaws in the South Tipperary stations were transferred to stations which already possess such equipment.”
The chainsaws are typically used by firefighters responding to car crashes where fallen trees are involved. They are also used by fire officers responding to forest and gorse blazes.
Fire crews in the county are said to be “at a loss” to understand why the chainsaws are being removed.
“My own concern here is that people, regardless of where they live in the county should have the same access to such emergency equipment via the fire-fighting personnel,” McGrath said.
“We cannot allow a situation to develop where one part of the county’s emergency response apparatus is more resourced than another in terms of vital equipment.”
TheJournal.ie has asked Tipperary County Council to explain why the chainsaws are being moved. We hadn’t received a response at the time of publication.
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