A senior official with Mayo County Council has urged householders to ensure they are not left significantly out of pocket if they have to call on the services of their local fire brigade.
The charge for such a call-out stands at a hefty €750 per hour.
“The fee of €750 an hour wouldn’t be long building up,” said Joe Loftus, director of services for Mayo County Council, at a special policy meeting on emergency services. “Homeowners should ensure they have adequate insurance for fire.”
He also advised homeowners to have their chimneys cleaned as calling out the fire services to put out a fire of this nature is very costly and largely preventable.
At the same meeting, strategic policy committee member Tony Deffelly paid tribute to Mayo’s 121 firefighters.
“They go out to save property but more importantly, to save lives. Their work is very heroic and very often unsung,” he said.
