by Alan Jacques
Picture: Alan Place
OVER a hundred Civil Defence volunteers are set to benefit from the organisation’s new headquarters on Limerick’s Dock Road which was officially opened last week.
The new Limerick base at Docklands Business Park includes multiple training/lecture rooms and storerooms, operations and communications rooms, CISM debriefing room, offices, canteen facilities and water rescue equipment stores.
Last Thursday, Mayor of Limerick City and County, Cllr Liam Galvin, was on hand to open the facility, replacing the old base at Thomas Street, which has operated since 1986.
The new building was acquired by the Council at a cost of €310,000 while the Regional Civil Defence headquarters in Roscrea has also provided funding for the retrofitting of the building.
“I have every confidence that this new facility will make an excellent organisation even better by allowing the Civil Defence volunteers to undergo multi-skilled training that will benefit them in their work,” said Mayor Galvin.
“As a volunteer-based organisation, Civil Defence members give freely of their time to acquire skills that will be vital to the local community in times of need,” he added.
The Limerick Civil Defence facility at Annacotty, which formerly operated at the organisation’s County Headquarters, will continue to operate as a training centre as well as complement operations conducted from the newly opened Docklands facility.
Council deputy chief executive, Pat Dowling, pointed out that the local authority is committed to ensuring that Limerick Civil Defence is best placed to carry out its multitude of services and activities.
“The involvement of the Civil Defence in the ongoing flood response efforts along the Lower River Shannon and during search and rescue operations highlights the importance of ensuring that members are given access to the proper training facilities and the best equipment,” Mr Dowling commented.
Project manager and joint Limerick Civil Defence officer, Cecilia O’Flaherty, described the opening of the new Dock Road facility last week as a “very proud moment”.
“During the past seven years in my current position and in the preceding two decades as a Civil Defence volunteer, I have witnessed the enormous contribution made by Civil Defence members and the changing role of the organisation. This new facility responds to the changing needs and roles of the Civil Defence and will be of benefit to all volunteer members as well as the general public into the future”, she said.
