Garda Reserve Experiences

i-digress

No I don't think so. I thought it might have been, because you've already had background checks done, but they probably have to be up to date.

redsurfer

hi any one know what the story is in relation to speeding points and joining the reserve, i got a few,

redsurfer

o yea on thing i forgot to ask, about a year ago i got stopped and did not have my licence on me so i had the usual ten days, i brought it in the next day, but it was never sorted out by the gardas in the station, so i end up getting a summons, a few months later, i called the station and got it sorted in 2 sec s, is there need to but this down on the vetting froms ?

doingmybit

redsurfer wrote: »

o yea on thing i forgot to ask, about a year ago i got stopped and did not have my licence on me so i had the usual ten days, i brought it in the next day, but it was never sorted out by the gardas in the station, so i end up getting a summons, a few months later, i called the station and got it sorted in 2 sec s, is there need to but this down on the vetting froms ?

No, once you don't have a court conviction or penalty point issue.

The almighty me

How do u know there is a recruitment slow down, surely the budget would stand as its free labour after the cost of training, doesnt sound good.Although the numbers are rising now maybe they want time to review how it is going ? could make changes in future training maybe...who knows. Anyone know if GR can drive patrol cars after graduation ???

i-digress

I thought the budget showed that the Garda Reserve would have the same amount as last year? And do they not have to get numbers up to 5,000? Or am I way off track here?

ZoneAlarm

No GR can not drive any vehicles as i am aware but dont know if that will change or not

The cost of the training is the problem that is what i have been told but i dont know could or could not be true

Its only what the Sargent told me at the station but that could be just for the Christmas period but im sure we will know when there is no more news of any more going to Templemore for training

All we can do is wait and see if that is what is happening as it will be well after Christmas before any more new training starts i would say

doingmybit

The almighty me wrote: »

How do u know there is a recruitment slow down, surely the budget would stand as its free labour after the cost of training, doesnt sound good.Although the numbers are rising now maybe they want time to review how it is going ? could make changes in future training maybe...who knows. Anyone know if GR can drive patrol cars after graduation ???

No, GR can't drive Patrol cars, you need to do a course on that and it depends on the cc what course you do, and that course is only open to regular members. You may be asked to drive a car that is impounded at the side of the road once you have a D.L (full) for that car/motorbike and the car is roadworthy. My advise is follow the instructions of your full time member, he wouldn't ask you to do nothing wrong or illegal and if he is unsure, air on the side of caution and don't do it until you check it out with the powers that be. Maybe, you should contact your training Seg. that did your legal studies with and ask him/her, they are in a much better situation then all to answer most questions in relation to G.R. As for the new intakes of the G.R. I do know that all training for G.R.'s are done on overtime for regular members (and overtime is been scaled back) that is the guys in templemore and the seg. that does the legal studies, but nobody knows when the next intake is, even the training staff up in templemore until maybe a month before that intake is taking place. So, i would believe that they aren't stopping the intakes because on average there is approx 200 - 250 persons a year doing the GR and that isn't that big to affect the overtime issue. I hope that info helps:D

freddiew

All Drivers of Patrol Cars DO NOT take courses at least in my station they don't, they just apply for permission from their Super (Fact), I believe GR's can now apply to do duty with the Traffic Corps.

doingmybit

freddiew wrote: »

All Drivers of Patrol Cars DO NOT take courses at least in my station they don't, they just apply for permission from their Super (Fact), I believe GR's can now apply to do duty with the Traffic Corps.

Maybe more feedback from regulars is needed here on this

doingmybit

freddiew wrote: »

All Drivers of Patrol Cars DO NOT take courses at least in my station they don't, they just apply for permission from their Super (Fact), I believe GR's can now apply to do duty with the Traffic Corps.

Driver Training

The Garda Driving School was established in 1954 to train Garda drivers. Since its foundation the Driving Schools instructors in Garda Headquarters in Dublin and at the Driving School at the Garda College have gained considerable knowledge, skill and experience through the years of driving under all types of conditions and participation in external courses both at home and abroad.

The Driving School has steadily expanded during the last forty six years.

The courses conducted include Standard and Advanced motor car and motor cycle, rigid truck, four wheel drive and trailer, personnel carriers, bus courses and V.I.P. driving courses. Courses are also conducted on the use of vehicle stopping devices and speed detection equipment.

This was taken from the Garda Website.
I only can speck for the station (main large station in city) i am stationed in and yes, they do have to do that course in the Garda college. I confirmed that this morning with a friend who is a regular and has the courses done for driving cars overs 2000cc. He confirmed that he wouldn't like to be the Garda who would crash into someone and not have the course done as there would be insurance issues and with the GSOC investigating all incidents he said the grief you would have to put up with would be too much from all angles.
As for the Traffic corps section and GR's being deployed into that, this was talked about before and i believe the issue was also talked about with the commiss in charge of the GR, but as the GR was set up for community policing it was decided to put back that issue for another time. Now, in saying that the GR has been involved in routine check points, speed traps etc and even went out in a traffic corp car, but they are not attached to that division of AGS.

cmcsoft

One of my friends was stationed in a small town and he got special permission from his SUPT to drive the patrol car until he had the course done in Templemore. When you have a two guard station I guess it doesn't make much sense not to be able to (ie if one guard is off sick the other is grounded)

doingmybit

cmcsoft wrote: »

One of my friends was stationed in a small town and he got special permission from his SUPT to drive the patrol car until he had the course done in Templemore. When you have a two guard station I guess it doesn't make much sense not to be able to (ie if one guard is off sick the other is grounded)

Ya, the small stations get away with a bit more than the larger stations, but as you said until he completed the course in Templemore which is the important thing here, you need to have applied for the course and the super knows that you are not eval keneval and going to wreak the car, you need a course completed and passed to drive a patrol car / motorcycle / van etc full time. So, you can take it a reserve can not drive AGS vehicles.

KIERAN61

freddiew wrote: »

All Drivers of Patrol Cars DO NOT take courses at least in my station they don't, they just apply for permission from their Super (Fact), I believe GR's can now apply to do duty with the Traffic Corps.

Some drivers are sanctioned to drive patrol cars without having done the prescribed course but the intention is that it should be done at some time in the future.
Yes Freddiew ,Gr's can work with the traffic corp and indeed do ,as we do have some road traffic powers.But that said our main duty should be in community policing as I think that that is where we are best utilized.
Grs are precluded from driving Garda vehicles but are covered if it is deemed absolutely necessary that we drive one under exceptional circumstances.

KIERAN61

ZoneAlarm wrote: »

No GR can not drive any vehicles as i am aware but dont know if that will change or not

The cost of the training is the problem that is what i have been told but i dont know could or could not be true

Its only what the Sargent told me at the station but that could be just for the Christmas period but im sure we will know when there is no more news of any more going to Templemore for training

All we can do is wait and see if that is what is happening as it will be well after Christmas before any more new training starts i would say

It was said on some post here during the summer that intakes for the Garda Reserve has been limited to two per year.I dont know how true that is all I do know is that there are big publicity drives for it on in the south east shopping centres etc.

donman

has the garda reserve been disbanded and nobody told me?:eek:where did everybody go?.:D

doingmybit

donman wrote: »

has the garda reserve been disbanded and nobody told me?:eek:where did everybody go?.:D

No, just undercover at the mo:cool:

donman

fantastic news.didn't take that long for reserves to get those extra powers they were talking about.now we'll see the country start to take shape.:D:D

doingmybit

donman wrote: »

fantastic news.didn't take that long for reserves to get those extra powers they were talking about.now we'll see the country start to take shape.:D:D

Are you postwhoring?

donman

wow,wow.howl the horses doingmybit.my security clearance isn't thru yet.they might be monitoring the boards.i can't afford a blemish like that on my record you know.ha ha:D:D

red rebel

Hi all, I can not see why anyone would want to go out at the weekends and help thhe gardai for free, are you all hoping to eventually get paid as it progresses ?
I do not disagree, but do not understand, do you think the pay will come as numbers are so low, are you all accepted ?
Thanks.

doingmybit

red rebel wrote: »

Hi all, I can not see why anyone would want to go out at the weekends and help thhe gardai for free, are you all hoping to eventually get paid as it progresses ?
I do not disagree, but do not understand, do you think the pay will come as numbers are so low, are you all accepted ?
Thanks.

The numbers can only be maximum 10% of the regular force and with well over 400 attested members so far and 50 more in training at the moment that isn't as low as you think. Explaining why people go out and help the force for free isn't as simple as it may sound as the people who do this have all their different reasons for doing so. Some might want to join the regular AGS and want to help their application form and might want a feel for the job before committing, other well feel duty bound as citizens of this state and there are many other reasons for doing this for people. I ask myself the same question about doctors / surgeons who go to the 3rd world to do voluntary work for up to 1 year at a time where they can earn well in excess of 250,000 euro by staying at home doing their job, so they lose money while the reserves only receive 1,000 euro per year in expenses but lose no money by doing this service. The numbers that applied for the reserve to-date are over 22,000 applications but as the process isn't easy to go through and get into the reserve the exceptence rate is only 2% of all applications received. You have a written exam, an interview, another interview, get through the same vetting process as a regular member wanting to join, a medical (same also as a regular members medical), then you have 5 phases of training to go through also of which you have legal exams to complete and pass on phase 2, physical exams on phase 3 to complete and pass, on the job experience to complete and pass in phase 4, so between phase 1 and phase 5 (been attested) there is approx 8 months training, so it isn't as straight forward as most people think, you just can't fill in a form and join the reserve, you only have a 2% chance in been successful in your application. I hope that answers some of your questions.:)

on standby

doingmybit wrote: »

The numbers can only be maximum 10% of the regular force and with well over 400 attested members so far and 50 more in training at the moment that isn't as low as you think. Explaining why people go out and help the force for free isn't as simple as it may sound as the people who do this have all their different reasons for doing so. Some might want to join the regular AGS and want to help their application form and might want a feel for the job before committing, other well feel duty bound as citizens of this state and there are many other reasons for doing this for people. I ask myself the same question about doctors / surgeons who go to the 3rd world to do voluntary work for up to 1 year at a time where they can earn well in excess of 250,000 euro by staying at home doing their job, so they lose money while the reserves only receive 1,000 euro per year in expenses but lose no money by doing this service. The numbers that applied for the reserve to-date are over 22,000 applications but as the process isn't easy to go through and get into the reserve the exceptence rate is only 2% of all applications received. You have a written exam, an interview, another interview, get through the same vetting process as a regular member wanting to join, a medical (same also as a regular members medical), then you have 5 phases of training to go through also of which you have legal exams to complete and pass on phase 2, physical exams on phase 3 to complete and pass, on the job experience to complete and pass in phase 4, so between phase 1 and phase 5 (been attested) there is approx 8 months training, so it isn't as straight forward as most people think, you just can't fill in a form and join the reserve, you only have a 2% chance in been successful in your application. I hope that answers some of your questions.:)

SPOT ON.

doingmybit

red rebel wrote: »

Hi all, I can not see why anyone would want to go out at the weekends and help thhe gardai for free, are you all hoping to eventually get paid as it progresses ?
I do not disagree, but do not understand, do you think the pay will come as numbers are so low, are you all accepted ?
Thanks.

Just to answer your last question about been accepted. Yes, all but a few but you will get that in every job, even when you are in school there are always some people who will disagree with things and people, but 98% the lads in the regular are brill, they threat you with respect, but must important of all threat them with the respect they deserve and follow their lead, they do know best.:)

donvito99

doingmybit wrote: »

Just to answer your last question about been accepted. Yes, all but a few but you will get that in every job, even when you are in school there are always some people who will disagree with things and people, but 98% the lads in the regular are brill, they threat you with respect, but must important of all threat them with the respect they deserve and follow their lead, they do know best.:)

Hey doingmybit, you're great, watch it...:D

doingmybit

donvito99 wrote: »

Hey doingmybit, you're great, watch it...:D

:mad:

KIERAN61

I was just wondering if any of the attested members have been invited out on the regular units Christmas night outs.This would surely be a sign that the Reserves have been fully accepted and integrated into the force.

The almighty me

good question...no in my case.

Bored-Stupid

Was wondering that myself.....Have to meet the superintendent tomorrow afternoo....bit nervous! Have I much more to do after this??

Murphy(Cork)

KIERAN61 wrote: »

I was just wondering if any of the attested members have been invited out on the regular units Christmas night outs.This would surely be a sign that the Reserves have been fully accepted and integrated into the force.

Yes I have and I regularly go out with them the odd weeks too. Can see no hassles where I am stationed.