Monaghan Firefighters Get €322,000 of New Protective Gear and Ventilation Fans
Firefighters across County Monaghan are getting new structural and water rescue PPE and battery-powered ventilation fans, paid for by the national fire directorate.
By the Monaghan Brief staff·Edited by Seamus McKenna·Published · 2 min read
Save for later
Lough Muckno, Castleblayney. Archive location photograph; not a photo of the events in this story. Giorgio Galeotti · CC BY 4.0. Resized and colour-graded; cropped in layout.
Firefighters across County Monaghan have been issued new protective clothing and equipment worth about €322,000, Monaghan County Council has announced.
The handover covers new structural firefighting PPE, water rescue PPE and battery-powered positive pressure ventilation (PPV) fans. The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) paid for it.
What the equipment does
The council says the new PPE will give firefighters better protection, comfort and effectiveness at structural fires, road traffic collisions and other rescues. Sioen Ireland and HPMP Ltd supplied the PPE. HPMP Ltd also supplied the PPV fans, which will go to fire stations across the county. The fans push smoke, heat and hazardous gases out of burning buildings, which improves visibility and makes conditions safer for anyone inside and for the crews going in.
In earlier coverage of the tender, Northern Sound reported €265,000 for firefighting PPE and €30,000 for battery PPV units. That PPE included Eska gloves and BarriAire hoods designed to reduce particulate exposure. At the time, the council said the aim was to improve firefighter safety and reduce exposure to harmful contaminants.
"Challenging and hazardous situations"
Council Chief Executive Robert Burns called the equipment "a valuable addition to our firefighting resources". He thanked the NDFEM for the funding.
Chief Fire Officer Dermot Brannigan said: "Our firefighters regularly place themselves in challenging and hazardous situations to protect communities throughout County Monaghan. Providing them with the highest standard of protective equipment is essential to ensuring their safety and wellbeing."
The equipment is being issued to operational crews at stations across the county.
Sources
This article is an original summary based on the following reporting. We encourage readers to visit the original sources for full coverage.
Sinn Féin's Cathy Bennett told the Public Accounts Committee that Scotshouse families still can't get a proper water connection, while the utility's chief executive defended a pay rise that took his salary to €391,953.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly told a public meeting in Cavan that reported drug-related intimidation is only the tip of the iceberg. Gardaí in Louth, Cavan and Monaghan have appealed to victims to come forward.
About 50 Global Bioeconomy Summit delegates toured the €7 million BioConnect Innovation Centre at Knockaconny, its first visitors. The official opening is planned for January 2027.
