CIVIL DEFENCE
Carlow County Council, is the Civil Defence Authority for the administrative area of County Carlow. The 2003 Civil Defence Act sets out a number of roles for Civil Defence and these include providing a backup service to the Primary Emergency Services, Community Service, Training in Casualty, Radio Communications, Rescue, Welfare, Fire Fighting and Boating Skills (search and recovery).
Civil Defence also provide service to the Local Authority, HSE, and Gardai in the event of severe weather conditions such as flooding and snow.
Nationally since January 2013 The Civil Defence Board has been dissolved and Civil Defence is under the Department of Defence, Civil Defence Branch.
The new Major Emergency Management Framework document also sets out roles and responsibilities for Civil Defence, such as setting up Welfare Centres, Registration of Casualties, responsibility for casual volunteers and Secondary Line back up to the Primary Emergency Services. The members of Civil Defence are all volunteers with the exception of a part-time Civil Defence Officer employed by Carlow County Council. At present we have over 70 volunteer members ranging from locations such as Carlow town, Muinebheag, Borris and Rathanna. Weekly training on subjects such as First Aid to CPR level, Occupational First aid,( OFA), Emergency first Responders, Emergency Medical Technician, Fire Fighting skills, Rescue techniques, Technical rescue, Search Skills, Welfare etc., are taught and practised. On our training schedule at weekends the subjects taught are exercised and the skills resulting from this are pitched against other counties in competition at various venues.
Also our training at field days are used for searching in open country, AFS fire fighting events, and Search Skills training on land and with boats in the river Barrow and Slaney. The new Civil Defence building is fully operational since September 2009, this is making our operation more efficient and gives a much more effective and quicker response.
2014 also saw new Search Skills Training Course rolled out for our members and taught in the Garda College. Carlow members were one of the first to embrace this activity and we gained status to Instructor level. Since 2015 we also have Search Managers trained in this Field Skills course. Since mid 2014 we also have Instructor level at Water Awareness and Swift Water Flood First Responder. We also Water and Search Management Training which was carried out in Wales.
Civil Defence Boat units provides back up assistance to the Fire service and Gardai in River Search and Recovery (RSR) situations. Volunteers are trained in Boating skills, River and land search and recovery techniques for back up situations to Gardai.
Water awareness and Swift Water Flood Response courses are run throughout the year.
Civil Defence set up a Multi Agency Day and Night Searches on different sections of the River Barrow which included Gardai and Fire Service to test various skills which include River search techniques in hours of darkness, Lighting equipment, Access points to River edge, Control of Boating, Communications, and Body Recovery.
Civil Defence Assisted PRA with flooding at the End of December.
Grants
Carlow County Council obtained the following grants from the Department of Defence. Civil Defence Branch.
Civil Defence also provide service to the Local Authority, HSE, and Gardai in the event of severe weather conditions such as flooding and snow.
Nationally since January 2013 The Civil Defence Board has been dissolved and Civil Defence is under the Department of Defence, Civil Defence Branch.
The new Major Emergency Management Framework document also sets out roles and responsibilities for Civil Defence, such as setting up Welfare Centres, Registration of Casualties, responsibility for casual volunteers and Secondary Line back up to the Primary Emergency Services. The members of Civil Defence are all volunteers with the exception of a part-time Civil Defence Officer employed by Carlow County Council. At present we have over 70 volunteer members ranging from locations such as Carlow town, Muinebheag, Borris and Rathanna. Weekly training on subjects such as First Aid to CPR level, Occupational First aid,( OFA), Emergency first Responders, Emergency Medical Technician, Fire Fighting skills, Rescue techniques, Technical rescue, Search Skills, Welfare etc., are taught and practised. On our training schedule at weekends the subjects taught are exercised and the skills resulting from this are pitched against other counties in competition at various venues.
Also our training at field days are used for searching in open country, AFS fire fighting events, and Search Skills training on land and with boats in the river Barrow and Slaney. The new Civil Defence building is fully operational since September 2009, this is making our operation more efficient and gives a much more effective and quicker response.
2014 also saw new Search Skills Training Course rolled out for our members and taught in the Garda College. Carlow members were one of the first to embrace this activity and we gained status to Instructor level. Since 2015 we also have Search Managers trained in this Field Skills course. Since mid 2014 we also have Instructor level at Water Awareness and Swift Water Flood First Responder. We also Water and Search Management Training which was carried out in Wales.
Civil Defence Boat units provides back up assistance to the Fire service and Gardai in River Search and Recovery (RSR) situations. Volunteers are trained in Boating skills, River and land search and recovery techniques for back up situations to Gardai.
Water awareness and Swift Water Flood Response courses are run throughout the year.
Civil Defence set up a Multi Agency Day and Night Searches on different sections of the River Barrow which included Gardai and Fire Service to test various skills which include River search techniques in hours of darkness, Lighting equipment, Access points to River edge, Control of Boating, Communications, and Body Recovery.
Civil Defence Assisted PRA with flooding at the End of December.
Grants
Carlow County Council obtained the following grants from the Department of Defence. Civil Defence Branch.
- €25,000 towards the purchase of 4WD Toyota Hi-Lux to add to our fleet for severe weather work.
- a special Raft for Flooding at the value of €4,000.00
| Date | Activity | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 09/01/2016 | Operation Transformation - Safety and First Aid | Rathwood, Tullow, County Carlow. |
| 19/01/2016 | Debrief on Flooding incidents over the New Year period. | River Barrow, Tinnahinch and St. Mullims. |
| 24/01/2016 | Training for Swiftwater First Responders. | River Barrow, Carlow Town. |
| 31/01/2016 | Swiftwater First Responder Course Part 2. | Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. |
| 14/02/2016 | Boat Operators Course. | Carlow Town Slip at Graiguecullen |
| 21/02/2016 | 5 Km Walk VEC First Aid and Traffic. | Muinebheag / Leighlinbridge |
| 15/02/2016 | Raft Training | Goresbridge /and Bagensltown weir. |
| 28/02/2016 | Rope and Casualty operators training Bagenalstown Fire Station. | Bagenalstown Fire Station |
| 06/03/2016 | Recruit Boat Training | County Carlow. |
| 17/03/2016 | Stewarding at St. Patrick's Day Parades. | Carlow Town and Myshall, Muinebheag and Leighlinbridge. |
| 27/03/2016 | Easter Parade and reading of the proclamation. | Bagenalstown ONE plot. |
| 31/03/2016 | Boat Certification Course | Dublin |
| 03/04/2016 | Duty Cycle Race | Carlow Rugby Club. |
|
09/04/2016 10/04/2016 same 17/04/2016 |
Recruit Boat Training by ISA Ireland Unveiling Ceremony at Beecher`sHill, Bagenalstown |
River Barrow Carlow Cork. For 1916 -2016 Commemoration Ceremony |
| 24/04/2016 | Rope Operatories Training | Clashganny, Carlow |
|
07/05/2016 08/05/2016 15/05/2016 22/05/2016 29/05/2016 04/06/2016 05/06/2016 |
Duty Darkness into Light walk Rope Operatory Training Unveiling of Plaque, Commemoration Swiftwater Training Rope operators Course. CFR Course Carlow Regata, Duty Carlow Regata, Duty |
Carlow town Clashganny, Carlow. Regent Street, B.town. B.town Slipway Bagenalstown CD. HQ. Carlow Carlow |
12/06/2016 14/06/2016 18/06/16 04/07/2016 |
Dragon Boats Safety Boat Duty Duties for Barges on the River Events Duty fire Works display Stewarding Cancer Charity Walk, Mt Leinster. |
Duty on the River Various locations on the River Barrow. Carlow Cathedral grounds. Myshall to Mt. Leinster. |
| 09/07/2016 to 12/07/2016 | Bagenalstown festival | Bagenalstown various locations |
| 17/07/2016 | Boat Training | Fenniscourt Lock / Weir |
| 31/07/2016 | Community Event | Swim, River Barrow |
| 07/08/2016 | Carlow Car Vintage Rally | Casualty duties. |
| 15/08/2016 | Borris Fair - First aid and stewarding. | Borris. |
| 13/08/2016 | RSA. Vehicle Inspection Course. | Bagenalstown HQ. |
| 22/08/2016 | Dawn Walk Cancer Fundraiser | Mt. Leinster. |
| 27/08/2016 | Walk for Autism | Casualty Duties. |
| 11/09/2016 | Boat Training, Radio Training All Comms. GPS. | River Barrow. |
| 25/09/2016 | Leighlinbridge Race - Half Marathan | Casualty duties. |
| 02/10/2016 | Credit union Fun Run. | Bagenalstown |
| 09/10/2016 | Swiftwater Training | Milford Lock. |
| 16/10/2016 and 23/10/2016 | Day and Night search Skills | Mount Leinster. Forrest area. |
| 06/11/2016 | Swift water Flood First Responder Course | Civil Defence HQ. |
|
13/11/2016 |
Tetra Radio Training National Radiation Exercise. |
Phoenix Park, Dublin. Counties Laois & Carlow |
| 27/11/2016 | Search Skills Course 2. | HQ and Mt. Leinster area. |
| 11/12/2015 | Mapping and Radio Comms. | Carlow. |
|
Carlow County Council, Athy Road, Carlow. R93 E7R7 Tel. +353 59 9170300. |