Wexford Civil Defence provided emergency cover for the opening of Wexford Festival Opera Fireworks Display. A total of 37 Volunteers provided the following support Incident Control Vehicle for communications support, a medical triage tent, 3 ambulances and 2 boats to ensure the firing zone was kept clear of pleasure craft. The Incident control vehicle operated our own UHF radios and mapping system to ensure we could track and locate first aid teams on the ground, the mapping element is particularly useful as it enables us to dispatch an ambulance to a specific location. First Aid cover was provided over the Quay front area and in Ferrybank. We worked along side Wexford RNLI, Wexford Order of Malta, Event Management Staff and Wexford County Councils Health & Safety Staff.

The opening concluded with only one medical incident which was looked after by our colleges in Wexford Order of Malta.

Wexford Civil Defence ran a Manual Handling & People Moving Course on the weekend of the 17th of October. Volunteers from Wexford, New Ross and Gorey attended the training weekend. The course covers manual handling and skills for people moving working with patients. The skills allow our volunteers to work safely with patients that have limited or no mobility requiring transport from community events we would cover during the year.

Training covers the use of slide sheets, patient slides, evacuation stair chairs, ambulance lift and stretchers.

Wexford Civil Defence boat crew attended the naming ceremony of Wexford RNLI’s replacement D CLASS Alfred William Newman on Saturday 26th September 2015. Wexford RNLI’s last lifeboat  the Philip Robert Booth launched 112 times, saved eight lives and rescued 86 people.

Act F.A.S.T. Campaign 2015

The F.A.S.T. acronym was created as a helper for people to remember the main warning signs of stroke so that they can act immediately in the case of a stroke by dialling 999.

 F.A.S.T. stands for:

F – Face – has their face fallen on one side?  Can they smile?

A – Arms – Can they raise both arms and keep them there?

S – Speech – is their speech slurred?

T –Time to call 999 if you spot any single one of these signs.

 F.A.S.T.  can help you to rapidly recognise when a stroke is taking place and then act quickly to get medical treatment and prevent serious damage.