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Limerick Civil Defence Donate Two Ambulances to Ukraine

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Cecilia O’Flaherty Limerick Civil Defence Officer (CDO), Leann Curtis Assistant CDO, James Fitzgerald, Paramedic and Tracey Ryan, Emergency Medical Technician on site getting the ambulances ready to go. Picture by: Kieran Ryan-Benson

Limerick Civil Defence have donated two fully equipped ambulances to provide medical support in Ukraine

James Fitzgerald Paramedic and Tracey Ryan Emergency Medical Technician o site getting the ambulances ready to go.  Picture by: Kieran Ryan-Benson
James Fitzgerald, Paramedic and Tracey Ryan, Emergency Medical Technician. Picture by: Kieran Ryan-Benson

The two ambulances were recently decommissioned after the medical response service took delivery of two new purpose-built ambulances in January.

On Friday, 19 July members and volunteers transported the decommissioned ambulances to Dublin and presented them to the charitable foundation Gurtom UA. It follows an appeal for ambulances and other medical equipment issued by the foundation earlier this year.

The decommissioned ambulances have been with Limerick Civil Defence since 2008 and 2017.  The replacement vehicles have been purpose built and delivered after many delays caused by global events including Covid 19, and the war in Ukraine.


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The new vehicles are B class licenced ambulances, which eliminates the need for staff and volunteers to undergo advanced driver training to obtain a C1 licence.

The two donated vehicles will be given to paramedics in Ukraine for the evacuation of wounded soldiers and civilians in the war zone. One of the vehicles will be transferred to ASAP Rescue Ukraine, the second will be transferred to National Guard of Ukraine for paramedics in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Limerick City and County Council is responsible for delivering the services of Limerick Civil Defence. Director General of the Council, Dr Pat Daly says the ambulances can begin providing medical assistance as soon as they arrive in Ukraine:

Cecilia O’Flaherty Civil Defence Officer (CDO), Leann Curtis Assistant CDO, James Fitzgerald Paramedic and Tracey Ryan Emergency Medical Technician on site getting the ambulances ready to go. Picture by: Kieran Ryan-Benson

“Limerick Civil Defence staff and volunteers were instrumental in setting up emergency rest centres when Ukrainian people fleeing the war first arrived here. The donation of these two ambulances is an extension of their desire to offer assistance to Ukraine and as a Council we are delighted to support this initiative. The two ambulances may have reached the end of their use for Limerick Civil Defence but they have a full service history and are fully stocked with medical equipment, so they can be fully operational on arrival in Ukraine.”

Cecilia O’Flaherty, Civil Defence Officer, Limerick City and County Council added, “The two ambulances are equipped with stretchers, pillows, blankets, suction units, an ECG monitor, helmets, backboards and we are looking through our stores for other items that we can include.

“These ambulances have provided great service to the Limerick public and being able to donate them to Ukraine is really rewarding for the staff and volunteers. I am sure they will do a lot of good work in Ukraine.”

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Limerick Civil Defence has donated two fully equipped ambulances on Friday, July 19, to provide medical support in Ukraine
Limerick Civil Defence donates 2 of their ambulances to Ukraine after taking delivery of two new ambulances at their base in Annacotty. Picture by: Kieran Ryan-Benson

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