A strike by part-time firemen in Cork leaves the fire service stretched across the county.
The members of the Cork County Fire Service withdrew their labour in protest at poor levels of staffing.
The army were brought in to provide emergency support to the Cork County Council while the picket took place. While the army were not very visible on the ground, they provided one fire engine and seven men based at Collins Barracks in Cork city to cover the east of the county, at Bantry in the west and at Mallow for north Cork. There were further units added in Bandon, Fermoy and Midleton. These services were controlled from the county fire centre which was accessible to the public by calling the emergency number 999.
All the strikers were part-time firemen and members of the County Firemen's Association who provide a service for the entire county of Cork at twenty different locations. The firemen claim the responsibility for the strike lay with council management and the association was available to meet for talks at any time. A picket placed on Cork County Hall this morning was stood down in the afternoon.
Their grievance is over a new arrangement which reduces staffing levels from ten to five for callouts.
The firemen claim that the reduction in staffing numbers makes battling fires more dangerous.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 15 May 1984. The reporter is Tom MacSweeney.
