Chief fire officer is honoured in Germany
A PLEASANT surprise awaited Mayo's chief fire officer, Seamus Murphy, during his recent visit to Castlebar’s twinned town in Bavaria, writes Johanna Blum.
The Mayor of Höchstadt, Gerald Brehm, gave a reception for him to honour the great service that Seamus has accorded the partnership of Castlebar with Höchstadt through his work in the fire brigade. He was in Höchstadt for a week as a member of the four-man delegation from the County Mayo Fire Service.
Accompanying Mr. Murphy was Tony Shevlin, senior assistant chief fire officer, Peter McDonnell, station officer, and Seamus Joyce, sub-station officer.
The mayor extolled the extraordinary commitment and the personal positive influence that Seamus Murphy has had on the work of the Höchstadt fire fighters during the 20 years of partnership between the two communities. The sustained professional contact between the Irish and German fire brigades has been exemplary.
After 38 years active service, Seamus is on the point of retirement. Höchstadt wished to thank him and honour his dedication to the partnership with a small celebration.
At the formal signing of the partnership between Castlebar and Höchstadt in 2000, Seamus Murphy met Dieter Püttner, his opposite number in the German voluntary fire brigade. Their contact developed into a close friendship and an active liaison between the two fire fighting forces.
A continual reciprocal series of mutual training and involvement with real emergency situations over 20 years has brought positive developments to both fire brigades.
Seamus presented the Irish perspective to modern fire-fighting standards, many of which have since found their way into the training documentation for Bavarian fire fighting forces.
“I had never thought that our relationship would provide us with such sustainable and dynamic results. What we have experienced here is quite unique,” Seamus Murphy declared with pride.
“But it has only been possible because of the dedicated commitment of individuals on both sides. Without their dedication it would have failed,” he added.
He continued by thanking the mayor for his continual personal engagement and support, and expressed the hope that the partnership would continue to flourish well into the future.
In Mr. Murphy’s words, the partnership between the Höchstadt and Castlebar communities is very successful. An important factor, apart from the formal declaration of intent by the administrations, has been the numerous contacts and friendships built by societies, organisations, families and individuals of the two communities.
Although Seamus Murphy is about to start enjoying a well deserved retirement, he gave the assurance his friendship will continue to exist. “I am certain that I will return to visit friends and stroll through the streets of Höchstadt.”
The Society of the Friends of Castlebar also had an opportunity to thank Seamus Murphy. At a dinner, to which Theresa and Helmut Zaby travelled far especially to see Seamus, there was a hearty exchange of memories of the early days of the contact.
That Höchstadt showed a sixth sense in establishing contact with John Condon, and convincing the Castlebar Town Council of the idea of twinning, was a stroke of luck which changed Seamus Murphy’s life.
To assist him in passing on his passion for the fire brigade to a younger generation of fire fighters, Dagmar Wennmacher, the president of the Society of Castlebar Friends, presented him with a Playmobil fire engine.
Deike Potzel, the German Ambassador in Dublin, has announced that she will visit Castlebar in November.
Having enjoyed the Franconian-Irish evening in April, at which a Höchstadt group were also present, and hearing more about the Castlebar-Höchstadt connection during the Day of German Unification festivities on October 4 in Dublin, she has resolved to come to Castlebar to learn more about the secret behind this very vital partnership.
Seamus will be very proud to have an opportunity to tell of the part played by the two communities' fire brigades.