NAAS: 4 May 2001: by Trish Whelan. It was out with the old and in with the new for Naas firefighters when as they moved into their new state-of-the-art fire station on the Newbridge Road on Wednesday last.
After being in temporary premises for over 35 years, it was time for the crew to celebrate having a pad of their own.
And what a pad it is for full-time station officer Anthony Doyle and the 11 retained firefighters in Naas.
“We officially started responding to calls from here on Wednesday night,” Anthony told KNN.
The spanking new building is a far cry from their old base at the Water Tower on Fair Green. The new building affords plenty of room and is packed with extra facilities such as muster bays, a lecture room, workshops, proper shower facilities, drying rooms, stores, and a kitchen. There’s also a training tower and large yard out the back.
When the fire service moved to the old landmark Water Tower (built in 1899) from the Town Hall yard back in 1968, the crew had to make do with only half the ground floor. “It was a three-storey building then and was also used as a base to prepare the mugs of cocoa provided for the schoolchildren,” Anthony recalls.
The top storey came off in 1976. A year later, the dividing wall was knocked down to make way for two fire engines. However limited space meant one had to be parked behind the other, which caused problems.
Naas was pipped at the post by Athy for a new fire station some years ago, causing much local anger at the time.
However, the only thing missing from the new station is the traditional pole down which firemen slide to respond to calls. It appears that the only one of the six fire stations in the county to have had such a pole was Newbridge.
Soon Naas will have a third vehicle, a water tanker, which is being built by the county brigade’s fitter.
Last year calls to the Naas fire station averaged out at 350 calls, according to Anthony. He said road traffic accidents are on the increase on both motorways and country roads.
The Naas brigade covers an area of 121 sq miles including Johnstown, Kill, bordering with Dublin at Blackchurch; Eadestown, out towards Ballymore Eustace, bordering with Blessington and Dunlavin, and on the other side as far as Tougher’s Industrial Estate. Other areas include Caragh, Prosperous, Allenwood, Sallins and Clane.
All retained personnel respond when they get the call for action, and all must live within a radius of one mile from the fire station, and work within that limit.
Advertisements will soon be placed for an additional fire fighter in Naas.
Anthony Doyle calls the move 'a wish come true, at long last'.