Emergency system risks lives, say fire crews

LIVES are at risk because of serious problems with a new system of dealing with 999 emergency calls, firefighters warned last night.

SIPTU said fire crews in Cork have catalogued a string of potentially fatal flaws in the new Regional Mobilisation System during its first major trial in an urban area.

The system, which is used mostly in rural areas, was introduced in Cork on May 31 for a three-month trial period with a view to rolling it out nationally.