New community first responder group established in Limerick town

CRITICAL has announced the establishment of another community first responder (CFR) group based in West Limerick.

Critical is one of Ireland’s leading emergency medical response charities and over saw the establishment of the new CFR group in Newcastle West and the surrounding areas.

The group is made up of seven volunteers who are available to respond to life-threatening emergencies including cardiac arrest, chest pain, stroke and choking incidents, providing essential first aid until the emergency services arrive at the scene.

The Critical West Limerick CFR group has attended more than 20 medical emergencies since it launched on September 19.

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Critical has supplied the group with the necessary equipment including basic life-support bags and defibrillators at a cost of €5,000 which is entirely funded by donations to the charity.

They are working closely with the National Ambulance Service (NAS) on the project.

Community First Responders are dispatched at the same time as the other emergency services when an emergency call for certain categories of incidents is received. The on-call volunteers either live or work in the area and can respond within minutes.

CEO of Critical, Michéal Sheridan said: “Every second counts when a person suffers a cardiac arrest or choking incident. Community first responders play a vital role, they can start treatment while an ambulance is on the way, increasing the person’s chances of recovery.

“We are calling on the people of Limerick to support our charity in the knowledge that their donations will save lives in Limerick. It’s the first of what we hope will be many Critical CFR groups in Limerick and across Ireland. We want to work with communities and to provide them with the training and equipment so they can take immediate action in an emergency.”