LODDs Lead to Criminal Fines for County in Ireland

The deaths of two firefighters in Ireland in 2007, has led to a guilty plea and the imposition of fines of €350,000 plus costs of €96,000 against the Wicklow County Council.

County Manager Eddie Sheehy and three ranking fire officials had been arrested and charged criminally in connection with the line of duty deaths of FFs Mark O’Shaughnessy and Brian Murray. The pair died on September 26th, 2007 at a structure fire.

Last June after six years of waiting and eight days of trial (according to The Irish Times) “the council finally acknowledged much of what the firefighters had been saying – it was indeed guilty of multiple failures under health and safety at work legislation.” The law in question was the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act of 2005. Here is a copy. HealthSafety2005

The sentence was handed down last Friday by the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin. Here is an excellent article explaining the entire proceeding.

Incidentally, do any of these allegations sound at all familiar:

Failure to provide firefighters with:

  • proper training
  • adequate staffing and back-up
  • adequate command and control
  • adequate communication systems during emergencies
  • clear rules of engagement for fighting a blaze
  • adequate systems for dealing with emergencies
  • risks management to ensure the wellbeing of its fire fighters.

More on the story.

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
x

Check Also

Court Upholds Cleveland Fire’s No Beard Policy

A Cleveland firefighter who claimed to have been the victim of race and disability discrimination due to Cleveland’s facial hair policy, has lost his lawsuit to be allowed to have a short beard. Anthony Davis filed suit in 2023, claiming the city’s policy prohibiting facial hair at the SCBA interface was aimed at “thinning the ranks of Black/African American firefighters.”

FDNY Lieutenant Charged With Assaulting EMT on EMS Run

An FDNY lieutenant is facing assault charges for allegedly making physical contact with an EMT during an argument that occurred at an EMS incident. The altercation, which various media outlets have characterized as “strangling,” reportedly occurred during the early morning hours of Saturday, February 17, 2024 in Brooklyn.