Members voted strongly in support of taking industrial action in September, following the proposed introduction of a new computer-aided dispatch system (CAD). 

According to the municipal employees’ division industrial officer, Jay Power, members are not opposed to a new system which would consolidate all national fire brigades under a unified dispatch system.  

The point of contention is a gap in the system being proposed. Explaining this, Jay said: “The CAD would only cover fire and rescue calls; however, DFB also operates ambulances.” 

He continued, “It’s about public safety. Our members take their duties very seriously. We need to ensure that before any new system is introduced, our members are confident that it works and that ambulance calls are covered.” 

Following the successful ballot, Fórsa and other unions representing workers in DFB were invited to conciliation at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) with Dublin City Council and DFB in hopes of averting industrial action. 

According to Jay, the discussions have been intensive. He said: “We’ve met at the WRC on two occasions and made a good bit of progress. We’re due to reconvene in early November and we hope to make further progress.” 

“We will continue to update our members on this issue and will continue to engage directly with our members in the Eastern Regional Control Centre, who are key people in progressing this issue,” he continued. 

National secretary, Richy Carrothers said: “This case underlines the importance of consultation. Our members are active stakeholders in the success of their workplaces, and they’re best placed to see the operational issues that might arise from any changes.” 

“The Department and other management representatives decided to forego consultation, and they missed this serious issue with the new system. Our members saw it immediately. This is why consultation is crucial,” he concluded.  

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