A new Community First Responder (CFR) group in Carrick-on-Suir has been established by the emergency medical response charity CRITICAL. Spanning 10km outside of Carrick-on-Suir, the CFR group will cover areas in counties Tipperary, Waterford and Kilkenny.
Set up in May, the new group has already responded to 21 emergency 999 calls including cardiac arrests, stroke, heart problems, and breathing difficulties. The group currently has 11 active responders from all walks of life and the team may soon be expanding. Volunteers include local businesspeople, personnel from the National Ambulance Service, members of the financial sector, and a retained firefighter.
CRITICAL has provided the group with the lifesaving equipment needed to respond to medical emergencies in their local areas, including defibrillators, diagnostic equipment, and airway kits.
Emergency medical kits were presented to the group during training in April. Pictured (l-r): Pat McCarthy, NAS; Greg and Ryan Nolan, Ethan Devereau, Carrick CFR Scheme Co-ordinator Adam Hunt, Anita Duffy, Paramedic and Trainer Danny Dowdall, Nicola Long, Michael Hunt, Angela Casey, CRITICAL Operations & Standards Manager Edward Walsh and CRITICAL Logistics & Fundraising Officer Donie Lucey.
David Tighe, CEO of CRITICAL, said: “We’ve already seen the impact the CFR Carrick-on-Suir group has had in such a short space of time, providing a vital service to the community.”
Adam Hunt, Co-ordinator of the CFR Carrick-on-Suir group, has volunteered with similar organisations and initiatives for over a decade. He has 12 years of experience with the Irish Red Cross and brings extensive pre-hospital experience to support the group’s members and the wider community.
He stated: “We’re so grateful to CRITICAL for bringing together this group of volunteers who now have the necessary training and equipment to assist in our local area. We’re delighted with the response so far and we think our community is too. Over time, the town of Carrick-on-Suir and the surrounding areas will really see the benefit of our group.
“We are always looking for more people to get involved with the group. Regardless of background or skill set, we would love to hear from people willing to join us as first responders or help with fundraising initiatives and raising awareness about CRITICAL and the work we do here.”
CRITICAL’s Newcastle West CFR Group demonstrates lifesaving CPR techniques at a recent fundraising event in Limerick.
The CFR Carrick-on-Suir group has joined CFR Newcastle West and CFR Blackwater, in responding to medical emergencies within their respective communities and working with the National Ambulance Service. Meanwhile, three additional CFR groups in Macroom, Ballina/Killaloe, and Deansgrange, Dublin are currently in training to go live later this year.
Click here to get involved and to donate or call 021-4190999.
