Clare Civil Defence Commence Undercover Operations

12 December 2011

Clare Civil Defence this week received two inflatable tents which will be used by service members and volunteers when responding to major emergencies and participating in river, lake and coastal area search and recovery efforts.

The Civil Defence acquired the 5x4m tents on receipt of a €12,000 Severe Weather Grant from the Civil Defence Board, which is managed by the Department of Defence. 

According to Liam Griffin, Civil Defence Officer for County Clare: “The tents, which can be fully inflated within forty seconds, will be used during search and rescue operations, at public events and during periods of severe weather. For example, the tents will be used as water distribution points during any future periods of water shortages, as experienced last winter.”

Meanwhile, Clare Civil Defence also has acquired three bicycles, each equipped with first aid units, which will be used during large public events.

“The bicycles will prove to be particularly useful during any event that requires crowd management, such as homecoming celebrations and sporting occasions”, explained Mr. Griffin. 

He added: “Civil Defence members will be able to attend to incidents and travel through crowded streetscapes with much greater ease. This would be particularly advantageous in the event of a medical emergency where our members, unlike ambulance staff, would be able to quickly travel to any given location and administer first aid.”

“These recent investments will greater enable our ability to respond more efficiently to incidents when they occur”, Mr. Griffin concluded.

Mayor of Clare Councillor Pat Hayes acknowledged the year-round sacrifices made by Civil Defence members and volunteers to ensure the safety of members of the public

He continued: “The responsibilities of Clare Civil Defence are wide ranging and extremely important. They include responding to major emergencies, such as flooding, forest fires and environmental problems and participating in river, lake and coastal area search and recovery efforts. Therefore, I am delighted to see that efforts are made on an ongoing basis to further enhance the ability of Civil Defence members to respond to various incidents.”

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