THE IRISH Red Cross volunteers in both South and East Limerick got an early Christmas present this year when they took in the delivery of two new state of the art ambulances to fuel the vital community services they provide throughout the county.
The new ambulances will provide a more comfortable experience for patients and require less manual lifting for the volunteer crew.
Irish Red Cross ambulances are used to provide community support and first aid response at events throughout the country. Red Cross volunteers at local Limerick branches provided first aid support at almost 80 events alone last year.
Funding for the new community first responder vehicles was awarded through the CLÁR programme, on behalf of the Department of Rural and Community Development.
The six Irish Red Cross branches nationally were awarded a total of €400,000 to help with the purchase of vehicles in response to identified local need. The CLÁR programme is focused on helping rural communities to thrive.
Irish Red Cross Secretary General Deirdre Garvey that the organisation’s branches and volunteers “provide an invaluable service to their communities – helping people in times of crisis, and enabling our communities to attend events safely”.
“We know that first aid when given quickly and effectively results in a better outcome for the person. That’s why it’s fundamental that we equip our volunteer teams with the quality equipment they need to respond in an emergency and support pre-hospital care.”
A voluntary spokesperson for the Irish Red Cross Limerick branches said the local volunteers were “delighted to drive our new ambulance to its new home Limerick”.
“We have many volunteers who are committed to doing their best to help people and communities in times of emergency and crisis. With this ambulance we can help to deliver better outcomes for the people of Limerick.”
