New Community Responders Scheme To Be Set Up In Tralee

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Tralee Community Responders

Tralee will benefit from a new ‘Community Responders Scheme’.

TRALEE is to get a new ‘Community Responder Scheme’ (CFR) to assist the Ambulance Service in various life threatening emergencies.

The scheme will be made up entirely of volunteers living or working within the coverage area who will be on a roster system. The scheme will be reliant entirely on public support and business sponsorship and it is estimated that the scheme will require €8,000 in order to ‘go live’.

The scheme will be linked to, and under the control of, the National Ambulance Service, who are supporting
the scheme for Tralee.

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Emergency calls for the scheme will be sent by ambulance control to the pagers of the responders on call. The scheme will attend calls for choking, stroke, chest pain and cardiac arrest within the 6km radius which is centered at the railway flyover on the Tralee Bypass.

The scheme will be managed on a local level by Scheme Coordinator Sean Horgan who also set-up and
continues to run the Ardfert & District Community First Responders which went live on 23rd February this year
and had attended 27 emergency calls as at 9th October.

“We are lucky enough in Tralee to have an ambulance station but the crews have a very large coverage area spanning from Kerry Head to Knocknagoshel. So what we intend to do, like the 120+ CFR schemes nationwide, is assist the National Ambulance Service where possible to ensure that assistance is given to persons choking, experiencing chest pain, a stroke or cardiac arrest,” said Sean Horgan, commenting on the setting up of the group.

Businesses and locals are asked to pledge their support to the CFR scheme in order to get it up and running.

“CFR schemes are worth their weight in gold and do tremendous work around Ireland. In times where ambulances are on other calls, you can still rest assured that a trained Community Responder is on their way to you. Taking Ardfert as an example, the members have assisted in many calls since going live and have genuinely made a difference and it would be great to follow suit in Tralee like other schemes in Kerry have – such as Ardfert, Killarney, Ballybunion, Sneem, Beale, Asdee and more,” Sean continued.

The responders will be local persons living or available within the 6km coverage area when on call. They will carry with them a kit bag containing all necessary supplies and a defibrillator when on call.

Full training will be provided and the only other requirements are that you are over 18, have a full driving licence, can pass a Garda vetting check, have access to an insured vehicle when on call and are not on call for any other
organisation whilst on call for the Tralee Community Responders.

The Tralee Community Responders website can be found HERE . A Facebook page for the group can be found HERE as well.

You will also be able to get in touch by e-mailing traleeresponders@gmail.com.

A public meeting will be held in a few weeks for those persons interested in getting involved.

One Comment

  1. hi I am intrested in joining the first responders in Tralee 0874462083

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