A review of fire service call routing in Waterford has been requested following concerns that emergency calls on the outskirts of the city are not being directed to the most appropriate station.
Social Democrats Councillor Mary Roche raised the issue, saying some calls are being routed to stations further away, rather than the nearest available option.
Calls reportedly sent to alternative stations
According to Cllr Roche, emergency calls from certain areas on the outskirts of Waterford City are being directed to stations in Tramore or Dunmore East.
She noted that while these stations provide an important service, they are located further from some callers compared to the 24-hour station in the Ballybeg area.
“Nothing wrong with the service, but it is further away,” she said.
Legacy system may be behind issue
Cllr Roche suggested the current system may stem from arrangements in place before the amalgamation of city and county councils.
She said the situation no longer reflects how Waterford operates today as a single local authority area.
“We are one Waterford after all, and we have to use our emergency services in the fashion that best serves all of the people.”
Review of ‘pre-determined attendance’ system requested
The councillor has asked for a review of the system known as pre-determined attendance (PDA), which decides how emergency calls are assigned to fire stations.
The PDA system uses mapping and location data to direct calls to designated stations based on specific areas.
Cllr Roche believes this system should be reassessed to ensure it reflects current needs.
Council executive agrees to examine issue
The council executive has agreed to prepare a report on fire service call routing in Waterford and present its findings to councillors.
Cllr Roche said there is strong support among elected members to have the matter addressed.
“A lot of members spoke about this… we’re pretty determined that this will happen quickly.”
Focus on ensuring appropriate service delivery
The review will look at whether the current routing system is the most suitable for residents across all parts of Waterford.
Cllr Roche emphasised that the goal is to ensure emergency services are deployed in the most effective way possible for everyone.
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