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9 January 2026
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Fire stations of the world: Dublin’s Kilbarrack Fire Station introduced a wide range of sustainability initiatives, becoming Dublin’s first carbon-neutral fire station, Ireland
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Dublin’s Kilbarrack Fire Station introduced a wide range of sustainability initiatives to become Dublin’s first carbon-neutral fire station. Spearheaded by local fire fighter Neil McCabe and Kilbarrack’s fire fighters, this was a collective effort to drive change with local leadership and to realise a wide range of environmental benefits. In 2007 Kilbarrack Fire Station, located on Dublin’s northside, was in dire need of a complete overhaul. It had poor insulation, single-glazed windows that had lost their sealing, and inefficient boilers feeding an old heating system that was running around the clock. Kilbarrack Fire Station was selected by Dublin Fire Brigade for the ‘Green Plan’ and began the GreenPlan initiative in 2008 as an idea to use behavioural change to tackle Climate Change.
The crew used the GreenPlan to reduce energy usage and emissions, water intake and return, waste in all its forms including air leakage, build allotments and engage the local community as champions of sustainable development.
The knock-on effects improved morale and made the station a better place to work in.
A range of measures were implemented at the station to reduce energy consumption. These included installation of a high efficiency gas boiler with heating controls, light upgrading, pipe replacement lagged to the highest standard and solar panel installation. In addition to these measures, waste land around the station was used to develop a biodiversity project with four dedicated gardens, working beehives and a vegetable plot where vegetables are grown and used by the stations crew. The plan has also helped the local fire fighters to interact with the local community and local school children now come to the station to learn about sustainability and wildlife.
By 2012 Kilbarrack Fire Station was recognised internationally as the world’s first carbon neutral fire station and had reduced its energy spend by over 80 percent: that’s almost €50 000 per year. The savings were reinvested in other fire stations across Dublin and by 2016 Dublin Fire Brigade had reduced its total energy spend by 44 percent. That’s €11 million in utility savings.
The station's downpipes were removed and all the water from the roof space is collected through a pumping system and sent to a 3 000-litre storage tank. The tank fills the fire engines’ 1 800-litre tank and is used to tackle local fires, reducing their water consumption by 14 000 litres a week.
A total of 40 micro wind turbines now produce all of Kilbarrack Fire Station's electricity.
The entire plan was drawn up and overseen by Neil McCabe, who kept working his normal shift hours as a fire fighter.
Minister Deenihan said, "This is a remarkable achievement brought about by the hard work and dedication of the team here in Kilbarrack, in particular Firefighter Neil McCabe who has been the driving force behind this initiative since writing the plan in 2008. I understand that all concerned have bought into this idea as a shared responsibility for their Fire Station. Indeed, Dublin Fire Brigade has a vision to become world leaders of sustainability and be recognised for their championing of energy and water consumption reduction, waste prevention and biodiversity protection," added Minister Deenihan.
The success of Kilbarrack is now being replicated across other Dublin Fire Stations and indeed is being championed via the GreenPlan© as an exemplar for sustainability objectives.
Sources: Smart Dublin, Dublin People, Construction Ireland
The crew used the GreenPlan to reduce energy usage and emissions, water intake and return, waste in all its forms including air leakage, build allotments and engage the local community as champions of sustainable development.
The knock-on effects improved morale and made the station a better place to work in.
A range of measures were implemented at the station to reduce energy consumption. These included installation of a high efficiency gas boiler with heating controls, light upgrading, pipe replacement lagged to the highest standard and solar panel installation. In addition to these measures, waste land around the station was used to develop a biodiversity project with four dedicated gardens, working beehives and a vegetable plot where vegetables are grown and used by the stations crew. The plan has also helped the local fire fighters to interact with the local community and local school children now come to the station to learn about sustainability and wildlife.
By 2012 Kilbarrack Fire Station was recognised internationally as the world’s first carbon neutral fire station and had reduced its energy spend by over 80 percent: that’s almost €50 000 per year. The savings were reinvested in other fire stations across Dublin and by 2016 Dublin Fire Brigade had reduced its total energy spend by 44 percent. That’s €11 million in utility savings.
The station's downpipes were removed and all the water from the roof space is collected through a pumping system and sent to a 3 000-litre storage tank. The tank fills the fire engines’ 1 800-litre tank and is used to tackle local fires, reducing their water consumption by 14 000 litres a week.
A total of 40 micro wind turbines now produce all of Kilbarrack Fire Station's electricity.
The entire plan was drawn up and overseen by Neil McCabe, who kept working his normal shift hours as a fire fighter.
Minister Deenihan said, "This is a remarkable achievement brought about by the hard work and dedication of the team here in Kilbarrack, in particular Firefighter Neil McCabe who has been the driving force behind this initiative since writing the plan in 2008. I understand that all concerned have bought into this idea as a shared responsibility for their Fire Station. Indeed, Dublin Fire Brigade has a vision to become world leaders of sustainability and be recognised for their championing of energy and water consumption reduction, waste prevention and biodiversity protection," added Minister Deenihan.
The success of Kilbarrack is now being replicated across other Dublin Fire Stations and indeed is being championed via the GreenPlan© as an exemplar for sustainability objectives.
Sources: Smart Dublin, Dublin People, Construction Ireland
