Fire crew were told to LEAVE injured cyclist to wait for ambulance coming from 35km away
FIREMEN were told to leave the scene of an accident 500m from their station – because an ambulance had been dispatched from a hospital 35km away from the scene.
The Irish Mail on Sunday understands that a member of the Oldcastle, Co. Meath, fire brigade defied National Ambulance Service protocol to stay with an unconscious cyclist who had been in a collision with a car.
At least one firefighter remained with the stricken woman until an ambulance from a different county arrived half an hour after the 999 call.
The incident happened in the Meath town at 9.10pm on Thursday, April 6, when 25-year-old Isobel Farrelly fell from her bike after a collision with a car while cycling close to her home on the Millbrook Road in the town.
Oldcastle’s fire station is on the same road, and the firemen on duty became aware of the accident when they saw a crowd begin to gather.
A senior fire brigade source said: ‘The lads had a fair idea how long the ambulance would take so they decided to ignore the instruction received and wait until the ambulance arrived.
‘They didn’t have to use their medical training as a doctor had come on the scene.
‘However, they felt that if the girl needed to get to hospital in a hurry then they would have taken her there as it was the best course of action.’
The source said: ‘Strictly speaking our members ignored protocol but they took the humane course of action, and nobody can understand why, especially as they have training in how best to deal with situations like this, they were ordered away in the first place.’
Isobel Farrelly said she doesn’t have much recollection of the crash, but paid tribute to the firemen’s efforts.
Ms Farrelly said: ‘I was out cold for 20 minutes or so. I have no idea what happened during that period apart from what I have been told, but fair play to the fire brigade lads – they did the decent thing and stayed with me and I really appreciate that.
‘I was lucky I was wearing a helmet. That saved my life. Apart from a few bruises and a badly battered helmet I’m recovering well.
‘I took a hard fall and definitely the helmet saved me. I just remember waking up outside my house – that’s
‘Fair play to the firemen – they did the decent thing’
the first thing I can recall.
‘I find it hard to understand why people with some medical expertise were directed to stop helping me. That doesn’t make much sense at all. But I have to say the ambulance personnel were superb when they arrived.’
A National Ambulance Service spokesman told the MoS that it sent the firemen to the scene in the first place to gather more information.
The firemen were asked to stand down, the spokesman said, when extra information about the incident was received via a phone call. He said: ‘The fire service was stood down following receipt of the up-todate information from the scene.’