AIR raid precaution services were about to be put in place in Castlebar in January 1941, on the recommendation of Mr. O’Connell, assistant county surveyor, who brought a scheme before Mayo County Council, which approved the plans.
In the course of his report, as published in The Connaught Telegraph on January 11, 1941, Mr. O’Connell said 16 men should be trained in fire-fighting for Air Raid Precaution (ARP) purposes.
The trailer pump the council received on loan from the Department of Defence required a crew of four men. It was, he said, proposed to train four crews - 16 men. In addition to the pump, the urban council had an escape ladder which should prove useful at fires, and if permission was obtained for the use of this at any fire in the town eight men would turn out to each fire - four to man the trailer pump and four to man the escape.
In the case of a long fire where reliefs became necessary, there would be eight men available for relief work.
The names of the men selected were: Newantrim Street: Thomas Devereaux and James Cooney; Station Road: Michael Murray and Thomas Clarke; Upper Thomas Street: James Gannon and Frank Rabbett; Thomas Street: Sam McCormack; Main Street: David Clarke and John Kenny; McHale Road: William Basquill, James Dunne and Christopher Cresham; The Green: Jack Mellett; Spencer Street: Thomas Walsh Junior; Newtown: Con O’Driscoll; and Castle Street: Martin Marley.
Mr. O’Connell said: "Officers will be required to be appointed, and I beg to suggest that Mr. T.J. McGowan, B.E., town surveyor, should be appointed First Officer. In my opinion the county council should make these appointments.
"Training has started, the first lecture was given last night in the Bar Room of the Courthouse, all members with one exception being present."
Lectures were to continue on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday nights every week and Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning would, as far as possible, be devoted to practical work with the pump, hose and ladders.
Mr. O’Connell went on: "At a later date, when the brigade has been fully trained, it will be necessary to maintain fire posts at three points in the town. The purpose of these posts will be to deal with small fires, incendiary bombs, etc., in their immediate neighbourhood, for which it will be necessary to turn out the fire brigade.
"In the event of hostilities they will need to be in communication with the fire station so they can report any big fire in their district with which they are unable to deal.
"The fire posts will be each manned by three men and will be equipped with extinguishers, stirrup pumps, buckets, etc.
"With regard to the equipment required and to repairs required to the fire station I am appending a schedule setting out the different items. The only item in the repairs to the fire station, which, in my opinion, calls for comment is item number 7, e.g.: install two plugs for electric fires. It is essential the station be heated so that the pump can be started at any time - day of night - at a moment’s notice, and also for the proper storage of the hose and other fittings."
He went on: "It was my original intention to install a small coal stove in the fire station, but this has many disadvantages: On frosty, cold nights it would have to be left alight in the station unattended, with consequent risk of fire.
"No flue is available in the station and one would have to be built; It would need constant attendance. So for these reasons, in my opinion, it would be more satisfactory to install two small electric fires in the station.
"The running expense would not be great as it is only in wet or cold weather that they would be required to be used, and as the station is purely temporary, I think the best means of heating it is electrically.
"With regard to equipment, it is essential we get suitable clothes immediately. Even training is very severe on the clothes, and if a fire occurs probably every man turning out will have his clothes ruined.
"The equipment I have suggested in items 10 to 13 inclusive will be costly, but in view of the fact that under the Fire Brigade Act, 1940, the Board of Health is about to form a Peace Time Brigade, for which it will require identical equipment, I suggest the county council purchase the equipment immediately and then the Board of Health buy it from the council when the Peace Time Brigade is formed.
"I have included for such things as ropes, practice incendiary bombs, buckets, etc., in addition to clothing, all of which are essential."
Mr. O’Connell continued: "I have indicated the approximate cost of each item in so far as I can estimate it. I have endeavoured to put in enough money to cover it, but it is very difficult at the moment, without getting quotations, to give even approximate prices; but I hope the total amount mentioned will be sufficient to cover all the items in the schedule.
"I beg to apply for permission to have all these repairs to the fire station carried out and to purchase all the equipment mentioned in the schedule.
"I have not at this stage included equipment required for the fire posts, but as soon as the brigade is trained I will deal with this part of the matter."
The engineer's list of items had an estimated expenditure at £217.