End of an era as Omagh's Willie Clements hangs up his fire helmet after 33 years of service

IT'S the end of an era at Omagh Community Fire Station as one of its most familiar faces, William “Willie” Clements, has retired after an incredible 33 years with the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.

A proud Omagh man from Hospital Road, Willie joined the retained (part-time) crew back in 1992 - never imagining that more than three decades later, he would still be answering the call to help his community, day or night.

“I heard about it from a colleague at the hospital who was already in the fire brigade,” he recalled. “I decided to give it a go - and it turned out to be one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.”

From that moment, Willie was hooked. He was one of six new recruits who joined together that year - today, only one other, Ben McGarrigle, remains in service.

“It’s hard to believe 33 years have passed so quickly,” Willie reflected at his retirement presentation on Tuesday of last week. “It’s been a very good time. You make lifelong friendships and get to help people when they need it most. I’ll miss the camaraderie more than anything.”

As a retained firefighter, Willie balanced his full-time hospital job with his fire service duties, responding whenever his pager sounded - whether it was in the middle of the night or during a busy day.

“You could be at home with the family, or in the middle of your hospital shift, and once the bleep went off, you were away,” he said. “You never knew what the next call would bring.”

Over the years, Willie experienced a huge range of incidents - from chimney fires and road traffic collisions to floods and animal rescues. He also trained as part of a specialist large animal rescue team, one of only two in Northern Ireland.

“You could find yourself on a farm anywhere in the country, lifting cows or pigs out of slurry pits,” he laughed. “It wasn’t glamorous work, but it was satisfying when you saw the animal safely back on its feet.”

When Willie joined, Omagh’s old fire station was a far cry from the state-of-the-art facilities of today.

“Back then, the lockers were right beside the engines, and you could hardly breathe for the fumes,” he remembered. “Training was basic - we used to do our ladder drills at the leisure centre. Now the new station has everything: space, training areas, a gym, meeting rooms. It’s a lovely place to work.”

While firefighting has changed a lot, Willie says the spirit of teamwork remains the same.

“It’s not a job you do on your own - you depend on your crew. Whether you’re wearing breathing apparatus or driving the appliance, everyone looks out for each other. That’s what makes it special.”

Over the years, Willie faced many challenging moments, particularly during road traffic collisions and local tragedies, but he takes pride in knowing that the work he and his colleagues did made a difference.

“Unfortunately, there were tough days,” he said. “But thankfully, we’ve also seen great improvements in fire safety. We do a lot of home fire safety checks now, and that’s helped prevent so many accidents. It’s so important that people keep their smoke alarms working.”

To mark his retirement, colleagues past and present gathered for a small presentation night at Omagh Fire Station, where Willie received service medals and heartfelt tributes.

He still meets regularly with a group of retired firefighters, affectionately known as ‘The Old Flames’, who get together every fortnight to share memories and laughter.

“There’s a great bond among us,” Willie said. “We went through a lot together, and we still enjoy a bit of craic. That friendship doesn’t end when you retire.”

At 62, Willie says he’s looking forward to spending more time with his family - especially his granddaughter - but he’s not quite hanging up his boots entirely. He still helps out with the occasional shift at the Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex, where he previously worked before retiring from his full-time role there.

Looking back on both careers, he said simply: “I’ve had a great run. I’ve met wonderful people, learned so much, and had the privilege of helping my community. I’ll miss it - but I’ve loved every minute.”