While ambulance response times in the area covered by Dublin Fire Brigade are the best in the Republic, with 97 per cent of calls being responded to within 20 minutes, serious questions have been raised about the roadworthiness of some of the ambulances used by the brigade.
Staff have recently complained about the state of some of their ambulances. They allege that an ambulance based in the North Strand has clocked up close to a million miles in its nine years of service. They say the ambulance has been operating 24 hours a day in that time, and should have been withdrawn from service five years ago.
Ambulance personnel complain that the vehicle is especially troublesome. Its accelerator cable frequently sticks, which makes the drivers feel they cannot push the vehicle too hard even when rushing to the scene of a serious incident. They say one crew using the ambulance had to pull in and transfer a patient to another ambulance because fumes entered the cabin.
A spokesman for Dublin Corporation said staff claims about the ambulance are "somewhat of an exaggeration". He said the 1990-registered vehicle has done 369,000 miles and has had to be certified roadworthy every year. Each ambulance is serviced every six to eight weeks, and has its engine replaced after 70,000-80,000 miles.
The ambulance in question, which he said is part of the fire brigade's reserve fleet, has had its engine reconditioned four times, six changes of gearbox, and work done on its front and rear axles. The fact that major parts are frequently replaced is nothing to be alarmed about, he said, because ambulances are designed to have their engines and parts changed.
"With over 30 vehicles on the road 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it's natural you're going to have the occasional breakdown, but we've never failed to respond to a call due to vehicle or equipment failure," the spokesman said.
A vehicle replacement programme is under way, he added. One new ambulance joined the fire brigade fleet two weeks ago, and another four are expected by the end of the year. By then, every vehicle in the "front-line fleet" will be less than four years old, he said.