Investment in construction work on a rural fire station has now led on to the delivery of brand-new appliances.

Clare County Fire and Rescue Service took delivery of a new Emergency Tender at Shannon Fire Station today.

The new €270,000 appliance, which has been funded by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, almost completes a comprehensive upgrade to Shannon Fire Brigade.

The upgrade will be completed by the delivery of a new Water Tanker to Shannon Fire Station later this month.

A €1,225,000 extension and upgrade to Shannon Fire Station was completed in May 2009, while the Brigade has also benefited from the delivery of a Class B appliance (€280k) and a pre-owned Class B appliance (€160k).

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"I am delighted to see that investment in our local Fire Service is continuing and that personnel are being delivered the necessary resources to allow them to respond to emergency incidents with maximum efficiency," said Mayor of Clare and Shannon, Councillor Tony Mulcahy.

He added: "Shannon Fire Station is now one of the best equipped facilities of its kind in the Mid West.

"The new facilities, which were completed last year, include the addition of three extra fire station bays, the development and re-surfacing of the drill yard, and the inclusion of new accommodation facilities for the crew of twelve fire service personnel.

"Despite the current financial constraints, I would urge the local authority and the Department for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to continue to inject the necessary funds to meet the requirements of a modern and efficient Fire Service."

Chief Fire Officer Adrian Kelly stated that the upgrade to Shannon Fire Brigade would help support the development and maintenance of a quality Fire and Rescue Service in Shannon and surrounding areas.

(NS/BMcC)