Dublin Fire Brigade has launched a new recruitment campaign and says it is “particularly interested” in attracting more women and other “diverse” candidates.
In a statement released today, the fire service said that the campaign was now open and encouraged applicants “of all ages and backgrounds” to consider applying. The campaign will run until midday on Friday, 30th May 2025.
“We are looking for a diverse team for a diverse job,” the statement said.
“We are particularly interested in hearing from all groups, including women, who may not have previously considered a career in the fire service.”
The recruitment drive aims to bring in 200 new firefighter/paramedics on a starting salary of approximately €50,000. Applicants are encouraged to apply through careers.dublincity.ie, with additional information being shared via the service’s social media platforms in the coming weeks.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer and Head of HR Greg O’Dwyer told RTÉ that one of the biggest barriers to attracting more women was the perception that firefighting might not be for them.
“It’s a big commitment,” he said.
“We work a 24-hour shift system, 365 days a year and so for some people they might think it might not suit into their lifestyle or for childminding and so on, so we’re bringing in new initiatives to try and to attract and to retain more females like work sharing pilots.”
He added that support structures were already in place for employees.
“Dublin City Council is a great organisation to work for as well, with regards to parental leave, maternity leave, and all of those entitlements,” he said.
O’Dwyer also highlighted the service’s efforts to recruit from ethnic minority communities across Ireland.
“We’ve a number of people from different ethnic backgrounds in the organisation,” he said.
“We’re looking to try and get the word out there to all of the various communities around the country, not just Dublin, to think about a career in the fire service. Dublin city is very diverse now…we want to represent those communities as well.”
A background in science or experience in a trade are among the skills Dublin Fire Brigade is seeking in new candidates.
While previous campaigns attracted as many as 10,000 applicants, recent drives have seen the number fall to around 4,000.
The number of female applicants has also historically been low. In the last campaign, around 20% of applicants were women, but just 8% of them went on to take up positions in the service.