Cork City Branch
The Cork City Branch of the Irish Red Cross was founded in 1939, with the foundation of the Irish Red Cross Society. Currently the Cork City Branch operates one uniformed unit, based at St. Finbarr's Hospital. This Unit offers members aged 18 and over a chance to volunteer at events, and achieve training up to Instructor level. We currently have approximately 30 volunteers in the Cork City Unit, delivering first aid and ambulance services to events in Cork City and County.
Cork City Unit
The Unit is led by Unit Officer Vincent Morrissey. Vincent has 4 assistants to help with the running of the Unit - Assistant Unit Officer Liam O'Connell, Sub Officer Peter McDaid and Assistant Sub Officers Grainne Kent and Antoinette Geaney.
Our Unit meeting night takes place every Wednesday evening. A varied, and well planned training programme takes place every week, ensuring that members are ready to deal with all aspects of emergency work. Examples of training include ambulance procedures, bike training, resuscitation, radio operations, stress management, major incident management, guest speakers and more. Membership of the Unit varies from students, IT professionals and managers to bus drivers, engineers, and others.
The majority of Unit volunteers are trained to Intermediate First Aid Level and are certified BLS AED Operators. All Unit members are trained in Ambulance Procedures and Basic Life Support. We also have 3 Instructors and 6 Emergency Medical First Responders (EMFRs) in the Unit. During the summer months we regularly train outdoors. This training prepares members for emergency situations that they may face whilst on duty. Members of the Unit also instruct and assist on First Aid courses run by the Cork City Branch.
We currently have 2 AED Instructors and over 20 AED Operators within the Unit, ensuring that we can provide a high quality AED response service at events.
The Irish Red Cross uses the Survivalink FirstSave AED Unit. We also maintain a highly equipped ambulance and maintain the Cork Area Red Cross mini-bus. These vehicles must be ready at all times for emergency deployment, as we form part of the HSE Southern Area's Joint Cork Major Emergency Plan. We also have 1 MIMMS Team Provider in the Unit.
The Unit operates under a rank structure, and on joining you become a Unit Member. You have the opportunity to progress to Assistant Sub Officer, Sub Officer, Unit Officer and higher to Staff Officer ranks within County Cork. New members are always welcome to join, as volunteers and as drivers, and full training will be provided.
Mountain Bike First Response Unit
We also operate two highly equipped mountain bikes for use at large events and events where ambulance access is difficult. This is an integral part of our unit structure. First Responders and Intermediate members with AED training man these bikes, and carry a full range of life saving equipment, including the FirstSave AED, oxygen, resuscitation equipment and general first aid equipment.
These bikes allow us to respond quicker and more effeciently to situations that arise in dense crowds, and help us to get rapid care to the patient's side. All selected members manning the bikes undergo specialist bike training, as well as intensive first aid and BLS training.
