‘I would do it all again in a heartbeat’
AFTER 36 years of service to Dublin Fire Brigade, the district officer for Tallaght and Dolphin’s Barn, Peter Navan, clocked out for the last time on Thursday, July 8, and began his retirement.
Peter, 57, who grew up in Walkinstown and is a past pupil of Greenhills College, became a firefighter in July 1985, when he was 22-years-old.
“I always wanted to be a firefighter and a pilot,” Peter told The Echo. “And after I joined Dublin Fire Brigade, I got my pilot’s licence.”
When asked what motivated him to join Dublin Fire Brigade, Peter said: “I just always had a grá for it, and my brother had joined the Dublin Airport Fire Service.”
District officer for Tallaght and Dolphin’s Barn, Peter Navan retires after 36 years service to Dublin Fire Brigade
When Peter completed his training, he was in a class of 42 new recruits and he said this was the first “big intake” of new recruits in Dublin Fire Brigade following the Stardust fire.
He can still remember how eager and nervous he was on his first shift as a fully-fledged firefighter in Tara Street Fire Station.
“I remember when the first call came in, the phone rang and we all jumped.
“The very first call we got turned out to be a fairly big scrap fire not far from Tara Street.”
Peter with Grandchildren Ruby and Evey
Over the years, Peter has attended thousands of call-outs and delivered 13 babies.
With the exception of stints in Tara Street and Blanchardstown, Peter has spent most of his career serving the communities of Tallaght and Dolphin’s Barn.
“I think it’s amazing to work in the community where you live,” explained Peter. “I’ve seen Tallaght grow from a main street surrounded by fields, to what it is now.”
One of the more memorable experiences from Peter’s tenure in Dublin Fire Brigade was in the late 1980s, when an unexploded bomb was found at Tallaght Fire Station – which is built on an old WWII airfield. The army carried out a controlled explosion of the device at the site.
However, Peter said the most fulfilling part of his work has been making a difference to the people he helps.
“The most fulfilling thing is probably seeing the smiles on people’s faces after we’ve helped them,” he said.
“We’re seeing people in their hour of need and when they really need help.”
Peter added that sometimes people that he and his colleagues have helped call into the fire station afterwards to thank the firefighters, which “makes it all worthwhile” for him.
Neal Dempsey with Carmel and Peter
During his time in Dublin Fire Brigade, Peter rose through the ranks from firefighter paramedic, to sub officer, station officer and then district officer.
He capped off his decades-long service and impending retirement with a presentation from DFB’s chief fire officer, Dennis Keeley, on Thursday, followed by a celebration with his family and friends after he finished his shift.
When Peter was speaking to The Echo over the phone, he was packing up his belongings in his Walkinstown house in advance of a move to Galway, to what he said will be his new “forever home”.
“I’ll be leaving behind all of the mud and blood and going fishing, and spending more time with my family and friends,” he said.
“I’d like to say thank you to the people of Tallaght and Dolphin’s Barn for their assistance and help over the years, and to the people I’ve worked with.
“I’ve never been in doubt about the career path I followed, and I’ve made fantastic friends in Dublin Fire Brigade that I’ll keep forever.
“I would do it all again in a heartbeat. It’s a fantastic job.”
