Photo: At Shannon Fire Station for the delivery of a new tender were: (l-r) Tom Coughlan, Clare county manager; Cllr Mike Fleming, Deputy Mayor; Eric Treacy (supplier); Cllr Tony Mulcahy Mayor of Shannon and chief fire officer Adrian Kelly.

Shannon’s part-time firefighters have just taken delivery of a new emergency tender vehicle.

The new €270,000 appliance almost completes a comprehensive upgrade to the local fire service. The upgrade will be completed by the delivery of a new water tanker later this month.

A year ago the €1,225,000 extension and upgrade to the fire station was completed and the service has also benefited from the delivery of a Class B appliance (€280k) and a pre-owned Class B appliance (€160k).

Speaking at the handover of the emergency tender by Eric Treacy, Mayor of Shannon, Cllr Tony Mulcahy said: “I am delighted that investment in our local fire service is continuing and that personnel are being delivered the necessary resources to allow them to respond to emergency incidents with maximum efficiency.”

The Mayor added: “Shannon fire station is now one of the best equipped facilities of its kind in the midwest.

“The new facilities, which were completed last year, include the addition of three extra fire station bays, the development and re-surfacing of the drill yard, and the inclusion of new accommodation facilities for the crew of twelve fire service personnel.

“Despite the current financial constraints, I would urge the local authority and the Department for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to continue to inject the necessary funds to meet the requirements of a modern and efficient fire service.”

Commenting on the upgrade, chief fire officer Adrian Kelly said it would help support the development and maintenance of a quality fire and rescue service in Shannon and surrounding areas.

He continued: “The upgrade is one of a series of ongoing positive developments for the Clare County fire and rescue service whose fleet and facilities are continually being upgraded and expanded.

“Fire service personnel at Shannon have also participated in a series of county-wide training events in recent months, including a tunnel firefighting drill.

“Firefighters from Shannon recently joined  with colleagues from throughout Clare and Limerick in a road traffic accident course.”

The new emergency tender is one of six vehicles located at Shannon fire station. The station also hosts two Class B fire appliances, an hydraulic platform, water tanker and a four-wheel drive service vehicle.