Swords Ambulance to be removed - Time to Take Action!

sdanseo

The ludicrousness of this arrangement is so stunning to me though. One government agency contracting another to do the same job?

One government agency should not be in debt to another. That's just plain crazy.

johnnyrotten

sdonn wrote: »

The ludicrousness of this arrangement is so stunning to me though. One government agency contracting another to do the same job?

One government agency should not be in debt to another. That's just plain crazy.

You are right. The DFB have been doing this for over 110 years and are dependant on the HSE handing over funds each year to fund it - Madness

johnnyrotten

Well hows everyonre getting on with the lobbying of public representatives

johnnyrotten

Folks take a look at the Headline of this weeks Fingal Independent

http://www.fingal-independent.ie/premium/news/ambulance-cut-could-cost-lives-2403908.html

johnnyrotten

http://www.facebook.com/pages/SAVE-the-swords-ambulance/164219980267074

johnnyrotten

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/ambulance-saved-me-and-my-baby-keep-it-2407215.html

johnnyrotten

Johnny, I was wondering if I could ask you a question.

Not directly related to the saving of an ambulance, but a general DFB question (that does kinda tie in with the thread).

Your opening post said...

johnnyrotten wrote: »

The consequence of this will be that the fire cover in the area will obviously be reduced also.
E.g. A man collapses at his home in Malahide with a heart attack...The nearest available ambulance is coming from North Strand or Phibsboro... The Swords fire tender is dispatched to Malahide, being the nearest available medics....Whilst there a house fire occurs in Swords Manor...the nearest fire appliance may be Finglas, Balbriggan ( Retained) or Kilbarrack, at least 15 mins away.

Without trying to sound smart or anything, why do they deploy a fire tender if they know it is a medical issue they are responding to?

I've never been to DFB's station, but I would assume that ye guys have cars, jeeps etc. equipped with lights and sirens, would it not make more sense to send out one of these, than an actual fire truck?

Thus, the fire service wouldn't take as much of a hit?


Is it normal procedure to send out a truck, even if the call is medical in nature?


Just curious.

Cheers

johnnyrotten

Deleted User wrote: »

Johnny, I was wondering if I could ask you a question.

Not directly related to the saving of an ambulance, but a general DFB question (that does kinda tie in with the thread).

Your opening post said...





Without trying to sound smart or anything, why do they deploy a fire tender if they know it is a medical issue they are responding to?

I've never been to DFB's station, but I would assume that ye guys have cars, jeeps etc. equipped with lights and sirens, would it not make more sense to send out one of these, than an actual fire truck?

Thus, the fire service wouldn't take as much of a hit?


Is it normal procedure to send out a truck, even if the call is medical in nature?


Just curious.

Cheers

Good question. That would mean more cost as the car etc would need to be manned. The fire appliance is made available immediately after each case not when back in station . Therefore to man a car or jeep the fire appliance would come off the road which is not feasable.
All Dublin firefighters are paramedics and do both fire and ambulance duty in rotation. If there is no ambulance available or if the nearest ambulance is some distance away and the case is serious, the nearest fire appliance is sent. Also if the case is a cardiac arrest ( Heart Stopped ) the fire appliance is sent to assist the ambulance paramedics because the pre-hospital care given requires more than 2 paramedics.

johnnyrotten

Folks this is an important issue. Has anyone contacted TD's or councillors and if so what was their response?

Beasty

Just got the following information in response to an e-mail I sent to one of the local councillors:

The matter was raised by way of emergency motion at the Fingal Co.Council meeting yesterday and hereunder is the report of same

"Dublin City Council operates Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) as a full time Fire, Ambulance and Emergency Rescue Service for the four Dublin Local Authorities; Dublin City, Fingal, South Dublin and Dun Loaghaire / Rathdown County Councils serving an area of 356 square kilometers with a population of 1.5million and 467,749 households.

All aspects of the fire and rescue service are currently being examined with particular regard to the significant increase in the cost of the service and its impact on the diminishing level of financial reserves available to the Local Authorities to fund this service. The Health Service Executive (HSE) have recently indicated to Dublin City Council that the fire service ambulance which covers Swords and the North County is surplus to requirement, as an adequate level of cover is already provided by the HSE. Dublin City Council are in discussions with the HSE and have asked them to confirm that this is the position or alternatively if the Dublin Fire Service provide an ambulance service that the cost must be met by the HSE. Dublin City Council has also sought assurance that nothing will be done to reduce the level of ambulance service in the North County"

Not sure it adds much to what has already been said here, although the councillors I have heard from have been supportive of keeping this service

johnnyrotten

"The Health Service Executive (HSE) have recently indicated to Dublin City Council that the fire service ambulance which covers Swords and the North County is surplus to requirement, as an adequate level of cover is already provided by the HSE"
The above statement is absolute rubbish!
The Swords DFB ambulance is averaging 4800 calls a year. In 2008 the HSE refused to deal with over 11,000 emergency calls citywide, in 2009 that figure was over 9,000 emergency calls. Couple that with the avaerage of 4,800 calls, How can they cope?

johnnyrotten

Todays Fingal Independant has a no. of articles (3 pages) today
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fingal-independent.ie%2Fpremium%2Fnews%2Fambulance-threat-branded-a-disgrace-and-a-scandal-2412761.html&h=36b37