Firefighters in Dublin will hold two 24-hour work stoppages this month in protest at Dublin City Council’s decision to remove its ambulance call and dispatch function.

The work stoppages by SIPTU members of Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) will take place on Saturday, March 18, and Monday, March 27. They will both start at 9am each morning.

Firefighters voted by 93% to 7% in favour of strike action and 97% to 3% in favour of industrial action, in a ballot counted in February.

SIPTU’s Brendan O’Brien said: “It is with deep regret that SIPTU members in Dublin Fire Brigade have been forced into conducting these work stoppages. This dispute results from our members’ total commitment to providing the best emergency services possible to the residents of Dublin.

“These firefighters are withdrawing their labour to indicate, in the strongest manner open to them, their complete opposition to an attempt by senior management in Dublin City Council to break up the DFB Emergency Medical Service by removing its ambulance call and dispatch function.”

Mr O’Brien concluded by saying that the removal of the function “breaks a key link” in the service and would affect response time delays and expose the public to increased risk.