A FIREMAN who was allegedly bullied and ridiculed because he asked for breathing apparatus to fight fires became so depressed about his job that he took his life, it was claimed at an inquest yesterday.
Mr David Kane (24) was twice refused breathing apparatus when fighting fires with Ballincollig Fire Brigade in Co Cork, and was ridiculed about it by his superiors, his father claimed.
"They used to say to him: `Afraid of smoke, David? Perhaps you better watch the way the wind is blowing, David. Perhaps you should stay at the fire station, David'," said Mr Francis Kane.
The inquest heard Mr Kane, from Haddington Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin, had suffered smoke inhalation when fighting a barn fire in August 1996 and a fire on a lorry carrying computers in December 1996.
A colleague, Mr Paul Coomey, said that after the second case of smoke inhalation Mr Kane came back to the fire station trying unsuccessfully to retch. He was agitated and dizzy and very confused. Mr Coomey said the normal practice when someone was injured or became ill fighting a fire was that they were taken to hospital.
Mr Coomey said Mr Kane was later summoned by his superiors to make a statement about the incident but refused when they would not allow him bring in a witness or make a phonecall.
The senior officers trivialised the incidents and suggested that it was Mr Kane's own fault that he suffered smoke inhalation, Mr Coomey claimed.
"They told him he had a problem with smoke and that he wasn't capable of becoming a fireman and he became very upset about that."
Mr Coomey said he got a call from Mr Kane on the morning of February 18th last at around 12.55 a.m. He was at the fire station and very upset.
He told Mr Coomey he had lost his job and lost the girl he loved and he was just ringing to say goodbye. Mr Coomey tried to calm him but he hung up. Mr Coomey rang a colleague and they went to the fire station and forced the door. They found Mr Kane hanging from a balcony. They tried to resuscitate him.
He was taken to Cork University Hospital but died later that day - on his 24th birthday - from cardio-respiratory failure secondary to asphyxia due to suspension by a ligature.
His flatmate, Mr Terry O'Brien, said Mr Kane had been depressed about his job when he and his girlfriend split up. "She wanted her own space and Dave was very possessive. He couldn't handle the rejection."
Mr Francis Kane said his son had wanted to work in the emergency services since he was a child. But after the smoke inhalation incidents, he feared he was going be dismissed.