CRITICAL launches partnership with National Ambulance Service to help save lives 

An emergency response charity has launched what it hopes will be a life-saving partnership allowing off-duty first responders to assist with local emergencies.

The organisation, known as CRITICAL, announced it will be joining forces with the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and providing NAS off-duty responders with the chance to volunteer through the charity locally.

As part of the partnership, CRITICAL will provide vital equipment to off-duty emergency medicine technicians and paramedics.

They will be called upon to assist with incidents such as road traffic collisions, cardiac arrests, farming accidents and other medical emergencies. Volunteers will respond to these taskings as part of the NAS Staff Off-Duty Response Scheme which has been in operation for almost 20 years.

The charity will allocate a total of €1,500 to equip each volunteer.

Working closely with the NAS, CRITICAL is now focused on establishing a network of volunteer emergency medical responders in every county in Ireland over the next two years. 

Mícheál Sheridan, CEO of CRITICAL reiterated the importance of the initiative.

“Community-based and medically trained first responders are an integral part of how we as a society respond to emergencies and traumatic accidents.

“This partnership with the National Ambulance Service will initially see 150 off-duty NAS personnel also volunteering with CRITICAL, starting treatment while an ambulance is on its way and increasing a person’s chances of survival or improving their outcomes,” he said.

“Initially, we are committing €220,000 in rolling out volunteer emergency medical responders to communities across Ireland. 

“Every cent that we spend on advancing a community-based response to medical emergencies has to be fundraised or donated.

“We rely 100% on fundraising to achieve our mission ‘To Save Lives’.”