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Fire Authorities

The fire service is operated at local level by 37 fire authorities. There are 220 fire stations throughout the country with 3,330 serving fire service personnel, of whom 1,185 are full-time and 2,145 are retained (on a 24 hour basis). List of fire stations and fire authorities are provided on the right of your screen under publications and documents. 


Fire Service Personnel

Training of personnel is the responsibility of each of the fire authorities. The Fire Services Council supplements local training by providing an annual programme of specialised and general courses at central level for fire service personnel at officer rank. Details of fire service personnel: employed by fire authorities on a per grade basis for the latest year for which personnel statistics are available is provided on the right of your screen under publications and documents. 


Brief History

The Fire Brigades Act, 1940 was the basis for the first countrywide fire-fighting system. It made it mandatory for sanitary authorities, urban and rural, to make reasonable provision for the prompt and efficient extinguishing of fires in their areas and for the protection and rescue of persons and property from injury by fire. In doing this they were to take account of all relevant considerations, including their financial resources. A sanitary authority could discharge this duty either by maintaining a fire brigade (in which case it became a fire brigade authority) or by arranging with another sanitary authority (or with persons) maintaining a fire brigade to cover its district.

The then Minister for Local Government was empowered to inquire, on complaint, into the adequacy of the provision made by a local authority and could, in certain circumstances, require local authorities to co-operate in the provision of a fire service.

Modern legislation in the form of the Fire Services Act, 1981 established the fire authorities and made provision for the organisation of the fire service, training of fire personnel, fire-fighting and fire safety, and other matters relating to the protection of people and property from fire.

EU 112 Website

112 is the phone number designed to enable everyone to call emergency services anywhere in the European Union, from a fixed line or mobile phone, free of charge. For more information please access the EU 112 website (external link)