Dublin Fire Brigade has said it will retrain firefighters in the use of new breathing apparatus after safety concerns were raised in relation the equipment.
The Irish Fire and Emergency Services Association is calling for the apparatus issued last October to be withdrawn following claims that it has malfunctioned on a number of occasions causing the face masks to collapse and tighten during use.
The organisation, which is not officially recognised by the fire brigade, has written to the chief fire officer and to the Health and Safety Authority to highlight the issue.
A spokeswoman for the fire brigade said it had been necessary to replace the previous breathing apparatus sets as they had reached the recommended end-of-life date.
“Following a procurement process and a detailed and prolonged technical assessment of all leading sets available, the contract was awarded to a worldwide leading supplier of breathing apparatus equipment,” she said.
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