Over 4% of CRTICAL’s call-outs, a charity that provides an emergency response service, were tasked to Kerry this year.
The service is made up of volunteers and relies solely on donations as it receives no State funding.
The charity was first established in 2009 as Irish Community Rapid Response and in 2019 it launched Ireland’s first and only charity air ambulance.
The air ambulance is now funded by the State, and CRITICAL consists of a network of volunteers that respond alongside the National Ambulance Service to road traffic collisions, cardiac arrests, farming accidents and other major traumas.
CRITICAL provides each responder with an emergency backpack containing a defibrillator and resuscitation and medical diagnostic kits at a cost of €1,500.
From June 1st to December 4th, the charity responded to 20 calls in Kerry; there were 420 calls throughout the country.
Operations and standards manager with CRITICAL, Edward Walsh says they have expansion plans for Kery next year:
CRITICAL is made up of over 70 medical responders including EMTs, paramedics and advanced paramedics.
They volunteer with the charity while off-duty to ensure care is provided at the earliest opportunity to those who are ill or injured.
Among the team are 12 doctors who are based in Letterkenny, Mayo, Cork, Waterford and Dublin.
Operations and standards manager with CRITICAL, Edward Walsh says their next doctor will be based in Kerry:
