IRISH EMERGENCY MEDICS FLYING HIGH IN ENGLAND 
The opportunity to gain experience in pre-hospital emergency medicine as flight doctors with charity air ambulances in England, was the main reason for two Irish medics to move across the water. They spoke to 'Emergency Services Ireland' about their journey to date, also pointing to the need for similar structures to be set up by helicopter emergency medical services in this country. DCU PANDEMIC PROJECT LISTENS TO FIRST RESPONDERS’ CONCERNS
A Dublin City University report has revealed that contracting the coronavirus and passing it to loved ones is a primary concern for first responders, while a lack of facilities and equipment needed for protection and sanitisation is also causing distress. €61M CAPITAL PROGRAMME ROLLED OUT FOR FIRE SERVICES
A new €61 million Fire Service Capital Programme (2021-2025) will see six new fire stations built, continued support for the construction of a further 12 new fire stations, nine fire station refurbishments, in addition to the allocation of 35 new fire engines. TAPPING INTO MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT ONLINE
A free new mental health service to support people working at the frontline during Covid-19 is being provided by turn2me – the first organisation in Ireland to provide professional mental health support services entirely online, with funding from Sláintecare. MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAM PLANS CENTRE AROUND NEW TRAINING BASE
Dublin and Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team (DWMRT) has big plans in place to future proof the service it provides over the next few decades. The team recently submitted a planning application to Wicklow County Council for a proposed new 6,000 square foot two-storey mountain rescue centre and training facility. IRISH CHARITIES LAUNCH GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS APPEAL
Six of Ireland’s leading international aid charities have joined forces to form the Irish Emergency Alliance in response to the worsening global Covid-19 pandemic and in a bid to save lives in some of the poorest countries in the world. TELEMEDICINE ZOOMS IN ON A NEW DIGITAL AGE OF PATIENT CARE
Telemedicine may now well become part of the ‘new norm’ and looks set to continue into the future, since the pandemic propelled the Irish healthcare sector into a new digital age, by creating an upsurge in the use of video solutions for medical consultations.
‘FRONTLINE TO FINISHLINE’ RELAY RAISES €15,000 FOR TWO CHARITIES
Gardaí, fire and ambulance service personnel, community first responders and members from other frontline services who participated in ‘Frontline to Finishline’ charity relay walk recently raised up to €15,000 in aid of Pieta House and ALONE. ‘SHADOW WARRIORS’ LIFTS THE LID ON IRELAND’S SPECIAL FORCES
A new book ‘Shadow Warriors: The Irish Army Ranger Wing’ is the first and only authoritative account of this special forces unit that looks at their inception, advanced training and operations at home and overseas, without breaching operational procedures or tactics, writes co-author Sgt Wayne Fitzgerald. ‘VIRTUAL RESPOND’ COMES TO CFR IRELAND’S RESCUE
Following the postponement of ‘Respond 2020’ in April and cancellation of the rescheduled event due to the Covid-19 pandemic, CFR Ireland has decided to host a ‘Virtual Respond’ on Saturday 24 October instead, to be live-streamed on Facebook. IRISH MEDIA PARTNER OF ‘EENA CONFERENCE’ 2021
‘Emergency Services Ireland’ is delighted to be the Irish media partner of the EENA Conference & Exhibition, which has been deferred until next spring due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and will take place in the Latvian capital of Riga on 28-30 April 2021.
IRISH AIR CORPS OPERATIONS WING – WATCHFUL AND LOYAL
The Irish Air Corps’ Helicopter Wing, initially formed to focus mainly on Search-And-Rescue operations during the ‘Big Freeze’ in 1963-64, has since developed to provide air medical and support roles to protect and serve communities throughout Ireland, making this small force one of the most modern institutions of its kind in the world. MAIN FOCUS AREAS FOR A SUCCESSFUL EMERGENCY RESPONSE
The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated that effective co-ordinated emergency planning and preparedness is crucial in minimising casualty numbers, mainly fatalities. Dr Trish Markham, Dr René Gapert and Paul Rock claim that public health requirements and ethical treatment must be upheld throughout the process. WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO KEEP THE CURVE FLAT?
With a growing use of healthcare apps, wearable sensors and electronic healthcare records, HSE’s National Ambulance Service is adapting technology to improve the services it offers, while allied health professionals have stepped up to expand their scope of practice to provide a safe high-quality service. AIR AMBULANCE RETURNS TO SEVEN-DAY OPERATION
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, a steady stream of donations and virtual fundraisers has enabled Ireland’s first Charity Air Ambulance Service return to a seven-day operation, and the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service can now continue its mission to save lives. ORDER OF MALTA COUPLE AT THE FRONTLINE OF COVID-19 RESPONSE
Dr Lisa Guthrie and her husband, Bernard, took on new roles within the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps in January and within the space of two months they found themselves in the middle of a pandemic. Based in Ballina, Co Mayo, the couple have been at the heart of the national response to the Covid-19 pandemic. SUMMIT TO SAY ABOUT IRELAND’S FUTURE SECURITY NEEDS
There’s a huge appetite for a serious debate on Ireland’s future security needs, demonstrated by the wide ranging discussions from all sectors of the emergency services not to mention the very large attendance at the inaugural National
Security Summit, according to Dr Gerry Waldron, Director of Slándáil. WHO SUPPORTS FRONTLINE EMERGENCY RESPONSE WORKERS?
‘Emergency services at scene of accident’. Before the Covid-19 pandemic restricted essential travel, these headlines were read regularly, but often thought no more about. However, what about those people who respond to such horrific scenes time and time again, what effect does it have on them and who can they turn to when they need help? LIFESAVING 24/7 CRISIS TEXT SERVICE NOW IN OPERATION
A new free text-based mental health service funded by the HSE is the first of its kind for Ireland to provide everything from a calming chat to immediate support for people going through a mental health or emotional crisis. It is expected that ‘50808’ will support over 50,000 people each year once it is fully operational. ‘WORLD SLEEPWALKING INTO DISASTER OF COVID-19’ – CONCERN
Humanitarian aid agency Concern Worldwide is calling for a greater global response to both the health and economic impacts of Covid-19 in the developing world, amid fears that the pandemic will leave over one billion people without sufficient food. RETIRED US ARMY GENERAL SHARES CRISIS LEADERSHIP LESSONS
As world leaders fight to bring their organisations through the current pandemic, retired US Army General Stanley A. McChrystal recently outlined at an exclusive webinar how the lessons he learned during his high-profile career with the US Armed Forces are still as vital today.