THE PEOPLE of Dublin owe a lot more gratitude to the insurance industry than they might think, as it was the main catalyst behind the development of the capital's modern fire fighting service.
So said Las Fallon, a fireman and the curator of the Dublin Fire Brigade Museum, at its official opening in Marino yesterday.
He said attempts by insurance companies to cut down on claims by clients were responsible for the development of a fire service during the 1800s.
"They attended fires only in buildings which displayed the mark of their company but eventually they began to help each other out and the crew of the engine arriving first got the most pay."
Mr Fallon said this system remained in place until 1862, when the current Dublin Fire Brigade was established under the Dublin Corporation Act.
"The equipment has improved a lot since then but the objective behind the job, which is still fighting fires, remains the same," he said.
The service now has more than 1,000 operational staff and provides both fire and ambulance services to some 1.3 million people in the greater Dublin area.
It responds to over 6,000 calls every month.
The museum is part of the O'Brien Institute, the home of the fire brigade training centre, which trains about 100 recruits annually.
It contains a selection of fire fighting memorabilia, old equipment, photographs and a history of the Dublin fire service.
