Wicklow Rapid Response called out almost 12 times during snow
WHILE County Wicklow was buried under a blanket of snow, emergency medical callout still took place and the services of Wicklow Rapid Response and a Community First Responders were still in demand during the past week.
Spokesperson for Wicklow Rapid Response Colm Dempsey said that almost a dozen calls were responded two over a three-day period at the height of Storm Emma and during the aftermath.
‘ The doctor responded to nearly a dozen calls over the period of Friday to Sunday some of the calls were of a critical nature where his senior clinical skills were put to use with lifesaving interventions. This is a prime example of what Wicklow Rapid Response is about in bringing the hospital to the patient. This was only possible through the kind support of Sinnotts Skoda Wicklow, who sponsor our 4x4 Yeti which allowed the doctor to access locations that would not normally passable. During the weekend, the doctor worked alongside staff of the national ambulance service and volunteers from mountain rescue, order of Malta, coast guard, civil defence and community responders,’ he said.
In Blessington, the volunteer Community First Responders attended calls where possible – on foot if necessary.
‘For us, the snow made it more difficult to respond and we responded, if necessary on foot, as none of us have 4x4 vehicles. We did had an offer from the other emergency services to contact them in the event of a call and between us we got to where we needed to go,’ said a group spokesperson.
Arklow Community First Responders, another completely voluntary group, was able to provide restricted cover during the big snowfall.
‘We provided First Responder cover over last weekend, albeit restricted cover,’ said group coordinator John Summers.
‘In anticipation of the big snowfall we put a plan in place to distribute our kit bag defibrillators to our responders all across town and took in to account the Public Access Defibrillators to gain maximum coverage. Driving conditions were extremely hazardous and we advised that driving was not recommended until weather conditions improved. The safety of our responders has to be paramount. All our volunteer responders respond to calls in their own vehicles, using their own insurance cover and must obey the rules of the roads at all times,’ he said.
‘Fortunately, it was mostly a quiet weekend for us, however we were dispatched twice by the National Ambulance Service and we did attend when required. Thankfully the snow seems to have past now and we’re back to normal service. I’d like to express sincere thanks on behalf of the group to all our volunteer responders who gave up their weekend to attend any cardiac emergencies that might have occurred in their areas,’ he added.