IT was former American astronaut Buzz Aldrin that said to appropriately respond to an emergency requires a very clear mind, to cooly analyse what the observations are and how to fix it.
These are lessons well-learned in the life-saving work of CRITICAL, a Croom-based community rapid response organisation that successfully launched Ireland’s first and only charity air ambulance in 2019.
Over a 36-month period, the charity was tasked to more than 1,500 serious incidents and emergencies including cardiac arrests, road traffic accidents, farm accidents, and other serious medical emergencies and traumas.
CRITICAL’s team of emergency medical responders have responded to over 1,800 calls in the past three years, an average of 600 responses annually.
Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan and Senator Joanne Collins recently met with David Tighe, CEO of CRITICAL, and his team to discuss the role the organisation plays within our emergency services sector.
“This charity does amazing work within our communities saving lives by empowering our communities to become first responders. From their Croom base, here in County Limerick, they are supporting both our National Ambulance Service on the one hand and community first response groups on the other. This is a vital emergency health space between the National and Local, which CRITICAL is committed to filling with knowledge, support and expertise,” Senator Collins said.
She deemed it “inspiring” to meet with the small team making a big impact throughout Ireland.
“The support which they offer local communities setting up and maintaining first responder groups is saving lives across the country every day. Their goals of ’empowering communities to save lives’ and ‘providing equal service no matter where you are’ are both ambitious and commendable,” she said.
“From providing kit bags including AED units to governance supports to community groups, emergency vehicles for doctors to support for emergency service call outs, CRITICAL’s remit is wide and important. I am delighted to see first hand what they have achieved so far and I have no doubt but this charity’s impact will become ever greater into the future.”
