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Firefighter and Dublin Ladies GAA star Lyndsey Davey talks about teamwork on and off the pitch.

It’s never easy to find a good work/life balance, but when you do, things can turn out pretty sweet. That’s certainly the case with Dublin Ladies Footballer Lyndsey Davey, who has managed to combine her role as a firefighter in the Airport Fire Service with her hugely successful career as a triple-All-Ireland-winning GAA star.

Having previously worked in finance at Croke Park after completing a business degree at DCU, Lyndsey jumped at the chance to join the fire service at the airport three years ago.  

“My dream job had always been to be in the fire service,” Lyndsey tells me. “I wanted to be a firefighter ever since I was very young. As a child, every time I saw a fire engine drive by, I was always drawn to it, but I have always wanted to be involved in helping people, and I always like getting hands on to do that, so it was those things that drew me to the job. When I heard they were taking in recruits in the Airport Fire Service I thought I would apply and see what happens. I was fortunate enough to get the job, and I haven’t looked back since.”

Success on and off the pitch is all about teamwork for Lyndsey, and she finds many similarities between the two. “I actually think that one of the key aspects that helped me get the job in the fire service in the first place was that I was heavily involved in the Dublin team,” she says. “I definitely think the fact that I was able to give examples of when I showed strong teamwork abilities was one of the reasons I got the job.

“Teamwork is a massive part of being a firefighter, especially, for example, when you are wearing a BA, when teamwork, leadership and communication are so important. If you are going into a situation wearing the BA, you are in pairs and obviously depending on the situation, your visibility might be low, so you are relying on good communication, and I think that has a direct correlation with football.”

Asked about the differences between her fire service and Dublin team roles, Lyndsey says: “I guess there is the unpredictability of the job. When you go out to play a match, you know pretty much what you are up against, but when you are called to an emergency incident or are called out to a fire, you tend to only have the bare minimum of details and don’t really know what you are going into. But that’s where you go back to your training and experience and rely on those to deal with the situation.”

The similarities, however, are much more evident, Lyndsey says, and if anything, her job with the fire service has actually helped Lyndsey to thrive on the Gaelic pitch. Not only does her varied role – aviation and terminal emergencies, airfield safety, wildlife management, attending vehicle accidents and running inspections – keep her active every day, but the support of her colleagues and flexibility of her shift work mean she can usually find the time for training and matches whenever she needs to.

“I’m very lucky to work with such a great bunch of lads and ladies,” Lyndsey says. “If it wasn’t for the crew, I wouldn’t be able to play football, because I can get shift cover from any of them and pay them back by covering their shift another time. If it wasn’t for them, I’d be lost. I’m also lucky in that I can sometimes work a shift in lieu and then have the time off to train or play a match, and there is such a supportive working environment full of camaraderie that enables me to do what I do, so I am very lucky where I am.

“It’s great that in work we also have a fully-equipped gym so I can keep my fitness and strength levels up, and that is really beneficial to me and makes a difference because if I can’t get to a training session with the Dublin team, I can do my own session in work.”

That gym work, Lyndsey believes, is one of the reasons behind her success, and that of the Dublin Ladies team. “Fitness has always been a big part of playing GAA, but I have seen a massive difference on the strength and conditioning side of things,” Lyndsey tells me. “When I first started with the Dublin panel 14 years ago, we wouldn’t have done any conditioning, it would all have been pitch sessions. But now we have a dedicated conditioning coach and we do gym sessions as well as pitch sessions every week. There’s a massive demand now for the proper conditioning. You can see the conditioning of players now, especially in our team, they all look so fit and strong, and that is down to the work we do with the strength and conditioning coach.”

That strength and fitness, not to mention an enormous amount of skill and dedication, has seen the Dublin Ladies team and Lyndsey enjoy a lengthy run of success. This year’s All-Ireland final victory over Cork was their second in a row, and while Carla Rowe, the daughter of a DFB member scored two goals, it was half-forward Lyndsey who gave a Player of the Match performance.

“There is definitely nothing sweeter than putting in such hard work all year, training hard for nine months in the gym and on the pitch, and when you get to an All-Ireland putting in a really good performance. It’s very satisfying, especially when you are playing in front of such a big crowd, it’s the biggest day of the year. Everyone wants to play well, but sometimes nerves get the better of you, and sometimes games just don’t go your way. But when you walk off the pitch a winner and you know you have put in such a good effort, you know yourself that you played well, it’s very satisfying that all your hard work has paid off.”

That win adds to a long list of Leinster and Division 1 titles in Lyndsey’s career, but All-Ireland final success is something every GAA player finds extra special. “We lost three finals in a row to Cork, and then we won the last two All-Irelands. I wouldn’t say winning three makes up for the five losses I was involved in,” Lyndsey tells me. “You always look back at those losses with regret and wonder where you might have changed things, and where things went wrong, especially the first year when we were ten points up against Cork. I look back on that one and think, if only we had done this or that, but those losses definitely made the wins more special, because when you have been on the receiving end, you definitely appreciate the wins a lot more. Especially after we lost the three in a row, winning last year was unbelievable, and beating Cork in this year’s final made that a little bit more special too, because we had been on the receiving end of losses to them in the past.” Lyndsey adds: “It made it that little bit sweeter.”

On a personal level, Lyndsey has now won her fourth All-Star nomination and this year was shortlisted for the Player’s Player of the Year Award, but like a true team player, she hoped her team-mate and captain Sinead Aherne would win out (which she did).

“It’s a really special nomination to get, because it is voted on by the players you have been playing against all season, and I think it’s great for Dublin as well that there are two of us up for the award – to have two of us nominated is really special,” says Lyndsey.

“I think this is Sinead’s third year in a row to be nominated. She is a fantastic captain to all the girls, on and off the pitch, so I think it would be lovely to see her get it. She deserves the acknowledgement.”

Recent rumours have suggested that 28-year-old Lyndsey is thinking of retiring from the Dublin panel she has been a part of for half her life, but she tells me she is still “in two minds about it”.

“It’s one of those things where after having won the All-Ireland for the second year in a row and having had such a good year that it wouldn’t be easy to walk away, but I also have to weigh up the amount of commitment involved, the number of injuries picked up every year,” she tells me. “But then there is the temptation of going for three in a row. It’s also a lot easier to say you are walking away than it actually is to walk away, so I will have some big conversations with (manager) Mick Bohan over the next couple of months I’m sure. That will probably happen after Christmas but for now I am just trying to enjoy the downtime and put that to the back of my mind for a while.”

Whatever Lyndsey decides to do, she will be busy in the future. She will continue to play with her club side Skerries Harps, and one day would like to take part in a triathlon, though with a more relaxed approach than she is used to. Before that, though, there will be some more hard work. 

“At the moment I am next on the list to do the paramedics course. I’m really hoping that comes up shortly. We do all our training with the DFB paramedics. It takes two years to complete the course, so that will definitely keep me busy because there is a lot of study involved that will keep me occupied.”

Given her career to date, it’s safe to say Lyndsey will only continue to become an even more valuable member of her team.

Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band Major Mark Toner reviews the band’s recent activities.

You won’t be surprised to hear that your band has been extremely busy since the previous issue of Firecall, sliding into the year’s end and a well-deserved Christmas break after an extremely busy 2018.

The band finished off the summer months with a number of high profile engagements. A place at the final of the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Drogheda saw the band once again in the competition circle, taking a solid second place against a small number of similarly graded bands from County Down. Retired member Paul Shannon, one of the band’s earliest members and tenor drummers, accepted the prize on behalf of the band. A good base to draw on and continue to improve, and the experience only adds to future performances.

Immediately after this the band were thrown head first into preparations for the now annual FESSEF celebrations, and once again led the DFB contingent in the march from Parnell Square to Dublin Castle. Our involvement in FESSEF didn’t end there, as we were centre stage in the National Concert Hall for the Emergency Services concert, along with our colleagues from the Irish Prison Service and the National Ambulance Service pipe bands, for what was a magnificent concert. 

As you know, the band is made up of volunteer members, however, this did not detract from the monumental amount of effort and practice required from the playing members, and of course support from our families and friends, in preparation for these high-profile events.

The long hours of preparation during the summer months for these events continued to pay dividends as once again the band were well received on the evening of DCC’s Culture Night in City Hall, where we played to large gathering of locals and tourists alike. 

This was followed by a number of charity events the band were happy to be a part of. Elements from the band were also part of recent DFB sporting occasions when a piper and drummer led our GAA team onto the pitch in Croke Park in a friendly game against our NIFRS colleagues, and again when our rugby team recently played the Dáil Seanad team in Donnybrook stadium. Proud to help represent DFB on both occasions. 

Requests we try extremely hard to honour are those from our own members and representative organisations. None more so than the biennial DFB Sports and Social club retirees function, this year held in the Castleknock Hotel and Country Club. The band were proud to perform for DFB’s recently retired members at the reception on the evening, many of whom have been loyal supporters of the band over the years. Our own piping stalwart, Paul Byrne, was one of the recipients, and still managed to strike up a few tunes on the evening. Well done Paul, and we wish you a long and happy retirement from all in the band!

We finished off the year with the bands’ AGM, whereupon the current executive of Chairman Paul Keyes, Secretary John McNally and Treasurer Stephen Pender were voted back into place, and a new appointment of Alan Corcoran to leading drummer was made. 

So if you think you have what it takes to become a band member, why not come along to the OBI any Monday night from 1930hrs onwards and earn the right to wear the band’s crest on your shoulder! Beginners are very welcome – and don’t worry, musical ability is not necessary, you’ll be thought and provided with eveything you need! Our door is never closed, so if you are a previous member and find yourself with a little more time than before, we’ll be glad to have you back.

The band can be reached at any time through any band member or by email at dfbpbsec@gmail.com or via any of our social media pages. It’s your band!

The DFB Rugby Team met an Oireachtas XV in a fundraising game for Suicide Or Survive.

The DFB Rugby Team played out a close-fought match against an Oireachtas XV on 24 November, and though they couldn’t come away with a victory, the real winner was the Suicide Or Survive charity, with much-needed funds raised for them on the day.

Having beaten the Defence Forces and our friends in the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service this year, it was time for the newly-reformed DFB Rugby Team to take on the Government itself at Donnybrook Stadium.

Suicide Or Survive focuses on breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health issues, and ensuring those affected have access to quality recovery services.

As Firefighters and Paramedics, we are often the first help to arrive after a person has, has attempted to, or is thinking about taking their own life. We see first-hand the devastation that suicide or mental health issues unleash on a family. We, too, recognise that under our uniform we are people, and are also as vulnerable as the next person, so this match was an important event.

Before a ball was kicked, bucket collections took place in St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre on 27 October, and in the city centre in November, and this was added to by the donations made at the match. 

Unfortunately, on a cold and dull November day, the combined Dáil and Seanad XV came out on top in a closely fought 7-0 win, with a youngster called Leo Varadkar playing alongside TDs, senators and government officials. Former Leinster and Ireland prop Mike Ross also togged out and played a section of the match for each team, while DFB Tallaght’s Sara Phelan, club captain with Clondalkin, and the Oireachtas team’s Mairead Carty, club captain with Navan, were also notably getting stuck into their male counterparts.

The game, which was free to attend, kicked off at 11.30am, and was ably overseen by referee Su Carty, the former player, coach and now IRFU representative to the World Rugby Council. 

Played over four quarters, there were a few other rule variations that allowed for team switches and for veterans to tog out and be a part of what was a day of fun and fundraising.

The only scores of the closely contested game came when the Oireachtas XV managed to notch up a converted try by captain Senator Neale Richmond before the close of the first half, with the DFB team coming close to parity a few times but unable to break through themselves.

After the game, a reception lunch took place in Old Wesley Clubhouse, with politicians, senior DFB officers and family members all coming together to raise awareness for mental health wellbeing and suicide prevention.

DFB Rugby Team Chairman Keith Mason said: “It was a really enjoyable day. In the end, the score didn’t matter. What was important was to keep the charity in mind, raise money, and have some fun. 

“We got to play a good game, got together as a team, and kept the social side of our club up, but the main focus was to raise money for this great charity.”

The DFB Rugby Team would like to thank all who took part in this important fundraiser, including the Dáil and Seanad team, our own players, ref Su Carty, the fans, the DFB Sports and Social Club, sponsors on the day Sky Ireland, the High School Rathgar for supplying us with new Gilbert balls, Ken O’Dwyer of Flashpoint Medical Systems for supplying water bottles and cones, the fundraisers and volunteers from Suicide Or Survive.

If you wish to support Suicide or Survive you can do so by going to www.suicideorsurvive.ie/how-to-donate/

On a cold December day, C Watch in Phibsboro show Adam Hyland around.

The day was dull when I went to visit Phibsboro Fire Station recently, but the same could not be said of life for the crew of C Watch here.

As part of Charlie District, Phibsboro station is tasked with handling calls from the north inner city to north west Dublin, providing support for both the Blanchardstown and Finglas stations, so they can expect to be faced with a range of incidents and challenges.

“A normal day isn’t really a normal day, because no two days are the same,” Station Officer Kevin Sheehan tells me. “Some days you can see RTC after RTC, depending on the weather, but we can also see days where we get a lot of calls to the local homeless hostels, where we see the effects of the major drugs issue in the north inner city. We can be extremely busy with overdoses, dealing with unresponsive patients who are still breathing and require a paramedic response. We can do five or six of those calls in a day.”

Because of its location, Phibsboro Station can also respond to river rescue call outs as part of a normal Pre-Determined Attendance from HQ, but the number of specialists in C Watch also means they are in high demand for other incidents.

SPECIAL SKILLSETS
Kevin, who moved to the Phibsboro Station from the OBI in September, and Johnny Eastwood, are both advanced paramedics, and this results in the crews being called out frequently to serious incidents.

“With both of us here there is an extra workload, because paramedic ambulance crews can and do call for an advanced paramedic back-up, and if that’s the case then the truck gets called out. One or the other of us will be called out, because of the skillsets we bring to the incident.”

The Phibsboro crew also includes the DFB’s high line rescue specialists, which again means C Watch are in high demand. “The rescue truck has all of the high line gear for rescues from height – cranes, towers, etc – but we have the only lads here who are trained in this,” Kevin tells me.

“Those calls aren’t that common – usually protesters who have climbed on to a building, or people threatening to jump from buildings – but it is great to have the resources at our fingertips.”

Although the station has been around for a long time and hasn’t seen much in the way of renovation (apart from new gates), it serves the crew well, with the large yard perfect for drills, and the rec room and mess are both cosy and relaxing places for C Watch to unwind. A walk through shows that when able, the crew are relaxed, happy to talk and joke. A welcoming and laughing Mark Keogh takes a moment away from making a cup of tea to pose beside the many badges from other fire departments on display, then the newly-erected Christmas tree.

One unique feature at Phibsboro is the Garden of Reflection, which is also used as a place to unwind. Built by the crews here, it honours DFB members lost over the years, and is always immaculately maintained. “It’s a nice place to go, especially in the summer, and just sit and gather your thoughts after a busy day,” Kevin notes. “In a very built up part of the city, it’s nice to have a secluded and quiet area with a nice water fountain, a few fish, where you can sit and enjoy the peace.”

There is rarely much peace and quiet though, as Kevin tells me. “Your day is normally set out for you, punctuated by call outs. Mornings see daily checks on equipment that can go on until 11am, then you have duties throughout the day. The afternoons are usually spent doing exercises or drills, or familiarisation, because there are so many new builds going up. For instance, the student accommodation in Phibsboro, and then Grangegorman is huge as well. Just getting familiar with that, even just driving around to learn the layout and access to hydrants.” This rising population in this area also adds to the workload for C Watch.

“The high density of the area increases risk factor – Grangegorman has 6,000 people there now, for example – so you have the added risk of high-occupancy apartments. You have to be very careful when you go into those places,” Kevin says.

Despite being so busy, all of the crew seem in good spirits and enjoy a lot of banter that shows how well they obviously get on. That becomes immediately evident when members of the crew return from a call out to find me taking pictures of Kevin, James Courage and Ger Corcoran as they check equipment, and are only too happy to get in on the act and joke about the worthiness of each other.

High line operators Alan Brady, Keith Wilson and Dermot O’Reilly are also keen to provide some pictures, and go back up the training tower to, literally, show me the ropes, while Richie O’Sullivan is “busy hiding” from the camera.

A GREAT TEAM SPIRIT
On any given day, there are usually 13 crew members, as well as the DO and Kevin, and they range in age and years of service. “Paddy Dunne is here a long time,” Kevin tells me, “and he is due to retire in March 2019. We also have to give a hat tip to Gerry Sweeney, who is unfortunately out sick for a long time. He is sorely missed in the station because he really is the life and soul of it. He’s a great guy. He is due to retire soon too. Mark Keogh is probably in 25 years now, so he has given great service too.

“Then we go all the way down to lads who are only here a couple of years. We have two young lads in their 20s – James Courage and Daniel Simpson – both good guys. Even though they are no longer recruits, we still call them that, and will keep doing that until someone newer arrives.” Despite their varied experience, C Watch get on very well with each other, and work together exceptionally well too, as Kevin tells me.

“The camaraderie here is fantastic, and the entire crew are genuinely great. Nothing is ever a problem to them. The Open Day we ran in November, for example, was done just among the on-duty staff at the station, and they were all happy to do it. Anything you ask to be done gets done without any issue.

“They keep the place well, nice and tidy, but particularly on scene, on the fire ground, nothing is an issue. You ask for anything to be done, or for a piece of equipment to be retrieved, there is never a question, it is just done.”

That work ethic and camaraderie remains strong, despite the fact there has been a lot of changes in personnel over the last few years. “In the last year alone, we have had three lads come in from other stations, as well as two recruits, to replace lads who were promoted from here, and we have a new recruit joining us for his first shift on Christmas Eve night, so welcome to the Fire Brigade! But the camaraderie has always stayed strong, and everybody gets on really well.”

The Open Day Kevin mentions was organised to raise money for the Movember charity campaign for men’s health, and C Watch in Phibsboro is very much the HQ of the Frontline Mo Bros, the group set up and captained by firefighter Jonathan Forbes to help raise funds and awareness for male cancer and mental health issues.

“Johnny does get help from a few regulars, but he almost single-handedly set that up and runs the show, and he does an amazing job of it,” Kevin tells me.

Many of the C Watch crew were sporting impressive moustaches on the day, grown out over the course of the month of November, and to see them freshly shaved required a second look to recognise some faces I had previously met. Hundreds of people showed up for the Open Day, and for C Watch, being part of the community is very important.

“The door here is always open and visitors are always welcome,” Kevin says. “Obviously it depends on our schedule, but if someone passes by with their child and they want to have a look, if they want a picture taken or anything, we would never turn them away.” I’m delighted to say that spirit included my visit, so thanks to all at C Watch Phibsboro for showing me around.

The DFB took part in a major simulated terror attack and mass casualty training exercise at DCU on November 16.

The inter-agency training exercise, Operation Barracuda, was led by An Garda Siochána and involved specialist response units, the Defence Forces, the National Ambulance Service, as well as recruits from the Dublin Fire Brigade. It was designed to test the capabilities of first responders in the event of a mass casualty incident or terror attack, with the focus on saving saveable lives. The assailants and victims were played by 50 recruits from the Garda college at Templemore.

In the real-time tiered response, the simulated operation began when the Garda control centre received a 999 call at 7pm reporting a road traffic collision at DCU campus. Local Garda units responded first, and quickly determined that mass casualties were involved.

Crews were mobilised from the OBI to attend, but within minutes it was elevated to a major emergency when a number of “assailants” primed their car with explosives before getting out and stabbing and shooting people on the campus. A second call for ERCC Communications and Mass Casualty Units was then made.

As gunfire erupted, the DFB and NAS crews were tasked with the rapid extrication of further casualties, and to take cover in safe areas.

Blanchardstown Station Officer Mark Fay is also a recruit course trainer at the OBI. He was Initial Incident Commander at Operation Barracuda, tasked with the role of liaising with the other agencies and coordinating the emergency response from the DFB. For him, the way the operation played out was realistic, and a useful training exercise for the DFB recruits.

“When we arrived, we were told that there were still active shooters in the area, so we were prevented from going further into the campus by the Armed Response Unit and Garda officers, which is realistically what would happen. For us it’s about working in a safe area. We wouldn’t be sending a crew into an area that wasn’t cleared.

“Some of the lads found it hard that we had to hold back,” he added, “but to make it as realistic as possible, we had to wait for the other agencies to make the area safe for us to do our job.”

The recruits were given no advance warning of what they could expect from the exercise, but Mark was happy with how they handled it. “They did very well,” he said. “It was a bit daunting for some of them because it was the first time they had to work with another agency, but they triaged every casualty. 

“It was a good incident for the recruits to see what they could expect,” he added. “From what we saw, and regarding our role in it, it was a success.”

As the exercise continued, one of the assailants was shot dead before the two remaining terrorists retreated into a building and shot more casualties, taking a number of hostages.

The Garda Armed Support Unit moved in, while a joint DFB/NAS team of paramedics established a Casualty Triage and Clearing Station in an adjacent building, where they could remove and treat casualties it was possible to save.

As fire erupted in the main building, armed gardaí stormed the area, shot the assailants and retrieved the hostages, before DFB firefighters were allowed to enter to extinguish the fire and remove casualties to paramedics.

As members of the Defence Forces Explosives Ordnance Disposal unit dealt with the booby-trapped car, DFB and NAS paramedics continued to triage, load and transport the “wounded” to hospital, and after an hour, the exercise was wound down.

Although performed in real time, each agency had prepared for the training exercise individually, starting with desktop scenarios and building gradually to the operation itself.

Greg O’Dwyer, Senior Fire and Emergency Management Officer, was involved with the operation from the start and acted as the DFB’s lead in its planning and preparation.

“We started planning in February, and had a workshop that included a full scenario briefing,” he said. “After that we had monthly, then bi-monthly planning meetings and in the run up to the operation we had weekly meetings to go over what was going to happen. In September, we had a tabletop exercise that went through the full inter-agency involvement, before it became a reality in November.”

On the night itself, he and the Chief Fire Officer Dennis Keeley acted as narrators for VIPs and media present to witness the events unfold via security cameras and the various comms, and he was keen to see how inter-agency cooperation would work.

“There were two key purposes behind the operation,” he said. The first is to test inter-agency communication and coordination. How we take the 999/112 call details and how we share that information with each other, ensuring that responding crews have the best information possible. Then ensuring that any further information coming from the first responders at
the scene, is also shared to all responding agencies. 

“The second is to test each of the agencies’ individual preparedness for such an event, their procedures for dealing with it and the coordinated incident command system, ensuring a safe and efficient response and scene management.”

Greg also thought the exercise went very well.“The real takeaway for the DFB was how well we worked together with the HSE’s National Ambulance Service. Obviously, we needed a lot of coordination and on the ground organisation between the two agencies,” he said. “In a mass casualty incident, your training is important, but so too is coordination in trying to get through all the casualties, and bring them to safe locations for treatment. If such an incident was to happen today, after that exercise I would be very confident we would work very well to get the best possible outcome.

“Of course, we could have more personnel on hand, but with what
we had on the night, and what we have to work with, I think we are very well-prepared.”