For 17 months, the full-time firefighters usually based out of Enniskillen Fire Station have been co-located in Omagh.

When the announcement was made for the amalgamation of the Enniskillen and Omagh stations, it was in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The amalgamation was understood to be a short-term measure related to contingency planning; however, sources within Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) have claimed that a return date is continuously being pushed back, with senior officers and union representatives not answering questions.

The Impartial Reporter asked some questions of the NIFRS about the current status of Enniskillen Fire Station, including the number of times full-time firefighters were stationed in Enniskillen since the amalgamation.

In response, a NIFRS spokesperson said: “There have been no permanent changes made to Enniskillen Fire Station at this time.

“Since April 6, 2020, in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic, we temporarily amalgamated a number of fire stations in line with the risk profile in the local community.

“Currently, wholetime crews previously based at Enniskillen, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, are co-located at Omagh Fire Station, where they provide a regional operational response, for the same periods, to emergency incidents with the support of neighbouring fire stations when required.

“As with all actions related to the management of our operational resources, the arrangements will be kept under review.”

In follow-up questions, when asked to provide how many times firefighters from Enniskillen, co-located at Omagh, were called to assist an incident in Fermanagh, the reason why there has been no permanent changes made at Enniskillen, and the possibility of full-time firefighters returning to Enniskillen at the end of the pandemic or any stage, NIFRS responded: “As part of the management of our resources, NIFRS will routinely deploy firefighters from various locations to ensure a regional response is maintained across Northern Ireland.

“These deployments may not necessarily be from the nearest station.

“A review of our service delivery model, including how we crew our stations, is ongoing. Any proposals resulting in a permanent change to fire stations as a result of this review will be subject to full public consultation.”

A full-time service at Enniskillen Fire Station was announced by Health Minister Jim Wells in 2015, and while it is a full-time station in status, Fermanagh is the only county in Northern Ireland to have no full-time cover.