Civil Defence
Civil Defence News & Events
Civil Defence News items are below. You can also view past news events.
Following very short notice the final regional Civil Defence competition for 2011 was held in Dublin on Sunday 20th November at Tallagh Stadium and Bohernabreena waterworks. The four competing counties from Cavan, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow faced five individual skill challenges on the day. All teams started with the footdrill element at Tallagh stadium where seven of the twelve member panel strutted their marching skills - always a sight to behold.
Two teams, Meath and Kildare them proceeded to Bohernabreena while Cavan and Wicklow remained at the stadium. The Meath team's first challenge was a flood pumping scenario where they also had to build a dam to contain contaminated water from the river. The exercise was completed in twenty five minutes with David Connor plugging the dyke and keeping the dam upright. It was onto the communications site next which proved to be less challenging than the team expected leading to a delay in closing the communications net in the expectation that something else was in store. Following the Dublin Welfare lunch it was back to Tallagh for the afternoon's two exercises of team challenge and Casualty rescue.
The team challenge was divided into three elements, recovering contaminated liquid into an initially upturned drum using ropes and poles, calculating the carparking capacity of the stadium pitch and constructing a mechanism to get the team over a ravine. In the recovery of the contaminated liquid, in common with all teams alot of liquid was spilled before the task was complete. Adam Cahill was entrusted with the task of calculating the carparking spaces while the remaining team members constructed two tri-pods which served as the basis of bridging the ravine with two poles attached.
The casualty/rescue site on and under the temporary stand proved to be a significant challenge with five casualties suffering varying degrees of injury. The team worked tirelessly on the site removing three of the five casualties and completing treatment on the other two.
At the presentation afterwards the team from Meath comprising Colin Coldrick (Leader), David Connor, Adam Cahill, Mark Beggan, Liz Williamson, Shane Hayes, Fiona Cassells, Kealan McMoreland, Mary Murray, Brendan Healy, Johnny Alwell and Peret Kavanagh were declared the winners and were presented with team prizes of a SKED stretcher and a bilge pump as well as individual prizes of a multi-tool.
Meath Civil Defence unveil new asset in its Search Management capability
Meath Civil Defence unveiled the newest addition to the organisations search management team in the form of PHOENIX, a golden retriever search dog. Phoenixhas been in training with his handler, Kealan McMoreland, assistant unit leader in the Trim unit for the past eighteen months and was formally placed on active availability for search operations at an induction seminar for over sixty new volunteers registered with Meath Civil Defence on Sunday 23rd October.
The event was attended by the chairman of the national Civil Defence Board, Mr. Brian Spain, Meath County Council Director of Services for Environment and Emergency Services Mr. Brendan McGrath and Garda Inspector Martin Smethers, Navan Garda station.
Speaking at his first visit to Meath as chair of the Civil Defence Board, Mr.Spainpraised the efforts of Civil Defence volunteers during the severe weather events of last year and welcomed the initiative of training a search dog for operational activities. Inspector Smethers said he looked forward to continued close working relationship with Civil Defence and said the search dog would be a tremendous asset to both Civil Defence and the Gardaí.
Having spent the past eighteen months working withPhoenix, handler Kealan McMoreland said “training a search dog is the most rewarding type of dog training that there is for both dog and handler. A dog that has a purpose in life is a happy and contented dog”.
Kealan said the training ofPhoenixhas been very much a community effort and paid tribute to fellow volunteers, neighbours children who played and pettedPhoenixand helped to socialize him and land owners who facilitated him in the arduous training regime which must continue to keep the dog’s drive for search active. He also thanked Mick McCarthy of Irish Search Dogs who provided their expert tuition and training that has brought Phoenix from a family pet to being a search utility for Meath Civil Defence as well as Civil Defence Officer Michael Fitzsimons and search commander John Crosby for their support and his wife and children for their patience and understanding during long hours of absence.
About Civil Defence in Meath
Civil Defence Mission:
“To support the emergency services and to provide community support by promoting, developing and maintaining Civil Defence as an effective volunteer based organisation”
Role of Civil Defence:
Civil Defence is a volunteer based humanitarian organisation dedicated to assisting the civilian population in time of crisis. Its secondary role is providing community support at local, regional and national events.
Establishment:
Civil Defence was established by the Government in 1950 under the Air Raid Precautions Acts of 1939 and 1946 and the Civil Defence Act of 2002
View information about How to Join Civil Defence and Civil Defence Training Classes.
