More than 170 firefighters from around the country gathered in the Knightsbrook Hotel in Trim yesterday for the national presentation of Long Service Awards to members of the fire service. The awards were made to Fire Services Personnel that have reached twenty, thirty and forty years of service. The twenty-year award is a medal bearing the traditional logo representation of the fire service – a helmet and crossed axes. The thirty-year award is a flame emblem. The forty-year award is a bar; both the emblem and bar attach onto the medal ribbon.
Presentations were also made to recipients of the Certificate of Achievement in recognition of the successful completion of the Level 6 Specific Purpose Certificate in Firefighting Operations. The certificate comprises five rigorous components, each designed to equip firefighters with the specialised skills required to operate safely and effectively in diverse and challenging environments:
As well as the recipients of the awards and their families, the ceremony was attended by Christopher O’Sullivan TD, the Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage as well as a number of delegates from the 31 Local Authorities. Minister O’Sullivan paid tribute to the courage of the firefighters present and the vital contribution they make to society. He also recognised the role the firefighter’s families play in supporting their work and sustaining their efforts in service to the public.
The awards ceremony is run by the NDFEM and was first inaugurated over thirty years ago in November 1992 as a way to honour the fire services for serving their communities with courage and commitment.