Civil Defence

Mission Statement

"To promote, develop and maintain Civil Defence as an effective volunteer based professional organisation providing emergency response and community support services"

Kilkenny Civil Defence is a volunteer based organisation where its members are proud to serve as a high quality back-up service supporting the principle emergency services and the local community. Kilkenny Civil Defence is part of the Local Authorities response to Emergencies and Major Emergencies in particular.

 

Recruitment and Active Numbers

Currently Kilkenny Civil Defence has 55 active members (members who have attended 5 or more activities during the year) the total number of members in Kilkenny Civil Defence is 68. The average ages of the volunteer in Kilkenny is 35 and are based throughout the county. On average we are recruiting in the order of 1 volunteer per fortnight. The recruitment strategy for Kilkenny Civil Defence includes advertising at all events we attend, advertising in local papers (not required so far) and development of a website for Kilkenny Civil Defence (projected completion date Sept 2011)

 

Activities 2010

Activity	Number	Average number of Volunteers
Community Events - First Aid	11	5
Missing Person - Open Area	2	18
Missing Person - River	5	6
Fire Cover	1	6
Exercise	5	20
Severe Weather Event	3	18
Home Coming	1	12

Training 2010

Training Course	Level Achieved	No. of Volunteers
Induction for New Members	Attendance	22
Instructional Methods	Civil Defence Instructor	7
Radio Instructor	Radio Instructor	1
Cardiac First Responder	Cardiac First Responder	23
Occupational First Aid	Occupational First Aid	23
Powerboat Coxswain	Level 2	4
	Level 3	1
Food Safety	Induction Training	14
Marine VHF	Marine VHF Licence	3
Child Protection Awareness	Attendance	3
Manual Handling Instructor	Manual Handling Instructor	1

 

 

Objectives, Principles and Core Skills

Kilkenny Civil Defence operates multi-skill training out of its two training centres both located within the city of Kilkenny. The areas of training are broken into the following;
1. Casualty/First Aid Service
2. Rescue
3. Auxiliary Fire Service
4. Warden Service and Radiation Monitoring
5. Welfare Service
6. Civil Defence Communications

 

 

1. Casualty/First Aid Service

The Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) is the statutory body which develops and sets standards for all pre-hospital care in Ireland. They have developed standards which encompass all those who provide pre-hospital care; from voluntary / community groups to Advanced Paramedic standards.

The Occupational First Aid Assessment Agent (OFAAA) is the agent appointed by the Health & Safety Authority (H.S.A.) to manage the Occupational First Aid Standard, at both Responder and Instructor level.

The Civil Defence College is a recognised training institution by both PHECC and OFAAA for all relevant standards and currently provides training and assessment in the following standards:

• Cardiac First Responder
• Occupational First Aid
• Emergency First Responder
• Emergency Medical Technician
• Cardiac First Response Instructor
• Occupational First Aid Instructor
• Emergency First Response Instructor

Kilkenny Civil Defence in the past year have organised and completed two Cardiac First Responder Courses and Occupational First Aid courses for 23 members, we are currently running an Emergency First Responder course for an additional 16 members and hope to be completed for April/May 2011.

At present the Kilkenny Civil Defence have 2 Emergency Medical Technicians and 1 Paramedic who carry out the Casualty training.

Civil Defence volunteers provide a very high standard of patient care and interaction, when required, during community and other events.

 

2. Rescue

Rescue activity in Kilkenny Civil Defence can be divided into a number of categories:

• Open country search for missing persons
• Water based search and recovery
• Technical Rescue

 

These techniques require physically fit volunteer members with stamina to undergo long periods of sustained activity. The training has proven to be attractive to members as it may involve outdoor activity. Simulated emergencies such as aircraft crashes, open country searches and collapsed buildings are used to make the training as realistic as possible. Water based activity may take place on inland and costal waters.

Kilkenny Civil Defence search unit for the year 2010 have been activated on 7 occasions 5 of which were within the county of Kilkenny and on 2 occasions Kilkenny Civil Defence recovered the missing persons.

Training for the search units is on a continual basis and we are in the process of developing a training programme in open country search for missing persons in conjunction with other voluntary emergency services.

Training for water-based activities in Kilkenny is provided by external agencies. For example powerboat training is provided as per the syllabus of the Irish Sailing Association (ISA), by ISA approved agencies. Revised Boating Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG's) are being introduced to streamline and consolidate boating operations. In the past year Kilkenny Civil Defence have trained 4 extra members to powerboat level 2 and 1 member to powerboat level 3, this brings our total powerboat operators to 10. Our training programme for the year 2011 will include training 4 more members to powerboat level 2 and 5 more volunteers to powerboat level 3. In 2010 we secured partial funding for the purchase of a replacement boat for the Avon Rib (over 15 years old) from the Civil Defence Board.

Kilkenny Civil Defence in conjunction with the Civil Defence Training College have begun to roll out water awareness training for all of the members of Kilkenny Civil Defence, this process will continue for the next 2 years to ensure that all members of Kilkenny Civil Defence involved in any water-based activities will have a minimum of water awareness. In addition to the water awareness our training plan for 2011 includes training a number of members to swift water first responder.

Rope Rescue capabilities have been developed to provide facilities for raising or lowering casualties, when circumstances require this service. Kilkenny Civil Defence have decided that we do not require any technical line rescue instructors per say, but a training need has been identified in Urban Search and Rescue USAR and part of the USAR capabilities involves a limited knowledge of Knots and Lines, therefore Kilkenny Civil Defence's training programme for 2011 includes Rescue Access Technician certification for an external training company and will be completed for 5 members in June 2011.

 

 

3. Auxiliary Fire Service

The Auxiliary Fire Service was set up to act as a back up or auxiliary fire service to the front line fire service. Members are trained in certain areas of fire fighting such as pump and ladder drills. They are also trained in pumping floodwaters and supplying water and other emergency supports to the community. This will be particularly beneficial in assisting with flood relief efforts in County Kilkenny. Kilkenny Civil Defence have recently acquired a second hand fire tender from Kilkenny Fire Service and training for all activities in relation to the auxiliary fire service in ongoing. There are plans in place to examine and define the role of the Auxiliary Fire Service. Training for the auxiliary fire service at a national level is being developed at the moment and Kilkenny Civil Defence has been asked to contribute to this development.

Kilkenny Civil Defence for the first time in a number of years will be entering a team in the regional pump drill competitions and training for this event in ongoing.

 

4. Warden Service and Radiation Monitoring

The Civil Defence organisation has a nuclear radiation monitoring responsibility, defined in the National Emergency Plan for Nuclear Accidents, in the event of a nuclear accident, a nuclear war or potential terrorist nuclear detonation. To meet this commitment Civil Defence has trained a network of Wardens throughout the country on the operation of radiation detection and monitoring equipment. Currently in Kilkenny Civil Defence there is 1 active Warden, it is hoped to increases this number when the Civil Defence College roll out the required training.

Under the Government's National Emergency Plan for Nuclear Accidents, the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government is the co-ordinating body for the response of all Government Departments and Agencies. Under the Plan a number of important and specific functions have been allocated to Civil Defence and the warden service implements these. The functions include:

• Conducting radiation monitoring as required by Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII).
• Collecting samples of differing types including soil, water and vegetation, and transporting them to the laboratories of the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) and other designated laboratories for analysis.
• Conducting mobile monitoring in each of the local authority areas including at seaports and airports.
• Assisting, where required, in implementation of control measures.

 

At present Kilkenny Civil Defence do not have any Scientific Officers and until training can be provided by the Civil Defence College in the defined area of radiation monitoring Kilkenny Civil Defence will continue to provide training at a local level on the use of the monitoring equipment and sampling.

 

5. Welfare Service

Civil Defence is the only primary volunteer based organisation that is highly trained in this field and therefore provides unique services in times of emergency in support of front line organisations. There are two definite strands to this service, which are defined as:

• Food Hygiene & Food Safety
• Evacuation & Dealing with Displaced Persons

There can be considerable suffering and further loss of life in emergencies if proper aftercare is not provided for disaster victims. This can range from basic physical needs such as providing hot meals and drinks to psychosocial support.

Food preparation is carried out in accordance with HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) standards, training for which is provided by Kilkenny Civil Defence welfare instructor. In 2010 Kilkenny Civil Defence trained 2 of our members in HACCP and have completed a course for 16 of our members in Food Safety. It is not envisaged that Kilkenny Civil Defence will be involved in the preparation of foods, Kilkenny Civil Defence have established agreements with a number of local retailers in the food sector and should there be a need to distribute food to any disaster victims Kilkenny Civil Defence have the training and facilities to safely distribute the welfare to the needy.

The service members are also trained to respond to evacuation situations by establishing shelters, dealing with refugees and managing the evacuation and transport of persons from affected areas. Kilkenny Civil Defence have been identified in the Major Emergency Plan to assist with the establishment of the evacuation shelters.

 

6. Civil Defence Communications

Among the key resources necessary in providing the Civil Defence response to National Emergencies, Emergency Relief Support and Community Support activities are it's communications systems. These consist of the standard telecommunications networks countrywide, the Government VPN (Virtual Private Network) and the dedicated Civil Defence radio communications networks, which are licensed by ComReg (Commission for Communications Regulation)

It is primarily the radio networks that are utilized in support of the many operational duties conducted by Civil Defence units in the field. These systems are located countrywide in each Civil Defence local authority area and are made up of

• Very High Frequency (V.H.F.) Radio System
• Ultra High Frequency (U.H.F.) Radio System
• Marine V.H.F Radio

The V.H.F. system provides wide-area radio coverage over long distances, typically of a county area and beyond. The system enables direct radio communications between the base stations, located at the Civil Defence headquarters in each local authority and the various operational response vehicles, fitted with V.H.F. mobile radios, as they travel throughout the county area. In 2010 Kilkenny Civil Defence installed a new V.H.F. and U.H.F. system in the Newly established Storage Unit in Purcesllsinch, Kilkenny. The new system gives Kilkenny Civil Defence greater coverage of the county and enables direct radio communications between the base stations, located at the Civil Defence headquarters and other base stations located in other Local Authorities, Roscrea and Ratra House in Dublin. This system is further enhanced by the use of a network of hill-top radio repeater sites in the more mountainous areas of the country.

The second radio system is a U.H.F. system used principally for on-site radio communications at incident sites or in confined operational areas between U.H.F. mobile radios, fitted to vehicles and U.H.F. hand-portable radios, carried by Civil Defence personnel. This system provides for relatively short-range radio coverage such as search areas.

The UHF system is also used extensively in the main urban environments to provided radio communications, where it has better penetration in built-up areas.

Kilkenny Civil Defence also avails of Marine V.H.F. radio in support of its water based activities along the coast and on inland waterways. The system enables radio communications between Civil Defence boat crews and other Marine emergency agencies such as the Coastguard, the various Coast Radio Stations and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) when required. In order to utilise the marine V.H.F. Kilkenny Civil Defence have provided a certified training course and issued licences to use the marine V.H.F. through an external provider to 3 of it members bring the total of marine V.H.F. licences in Kilkenny Civil Defence to 6. this course was organised by Kilkenny Civil Defence in Kilkenny Civil Defences Training Centre and offered to other voluntary emergency services to which all availed.

All radio communications equipments operated by Kilkenny Civil Defence, throughout the county, are of similar quality and to the same standards as those used by the Principal Response Agencies.

 

Communications Training

One of the services within Kilkenny Civil Defence organisation is it's Communications Service which is made up of 2 qualified Radio Instructors one of which received her qualification in 2010.Radio Instructor training and qualification is conducted by the Civil Defence College.

Radio Operator training is conducted locally by Kilkenny Civil Defence Radio Instructors. This training is conducted in accordance with the Civil Defence Syllabus of Local Training - Radio Operation. This syllabus outlines the various levels of radio training as the operator progresses. Topics include equipment familiarisation and operation, Voice Procedures, Net Discipline, Net Operator, Net Controller etc. All procedures are to common international standards which allow integration with other organisations and agencies. Civil Defence U.H.F. radios integrated with the Fire Service and the H.S.E. U.H.F. radios which make them invaluable when conducting a coordinated response to a major emergency.

Kilkenny Civil Defence complies fully with the rules and regulations as laid down by ComReg (Commission for Communications Regulation) in relation to every aspect of radio communications.

 

Premises

In Nov 2009 Kilkenny Civil Defence acquired our Head Quarters Training Centre from Kilkenny Local Authorities. The room consists of a tea/coffee station, a WC and a large open plan area of apx 100m2. This area provides Kilkenny Civil Defence not only with the facilities to provide the high level of training and course that are required to maintain the level of competency of volunteer but also provides Kilkenny Civil Defence with a direct link to Kilkenny Local Authorities response to a major emergency. The training centre has 3 times been activated as the control centre for Kilkenny Local Authorities response to Severe Weather Events, Jan 2010 and twice in Nov/Dec 2010. The training room is equipped with multiple phone lines and computer outlets and is in very close proximity to County Hall, it is close enough to facilitate the movement of staff between County Hall and the Control Centre yet not so close as to interfere with the day to day operational duties of County Hall. The training centre has been used for Severe Weather Co-ordination group meeting, regional Civil Defence meeting, regional Civil Defence training, control centre for the regional exercise hosted by Kilkenny Civil Defence in June 2010, control centre for searches for missing persons in the city area and after hours and weekend training by Kilkenny Civil Defence volunteers.

In October 2010 Kilkenny Civil Defence received funding from Kilkenny Local Authorities and The Civil Defence Board for the renting of premises in Purcellsinch Industrial Estate, Kilkenny. The premises consists of a apx 250m2 area for the storage of the vehicles, a large store room for the storage of all ancillary equipment and clothing, two offices which will be converted into a communications room and changing room with toilet and shower facilities for both male and female volunteers. The premises are ideally located on the outskirts of the city on large industrial site with ample outdoor locations for all aspects of Kilkenny Civil Defence training.

 

Relationship with Fire Service

Relationship with Fire Service is generally quite good and in the last year key area have been identified where common training has found to be mutually beneficial. A number of accredited instructors in Kilkenny Civil Defence work full time in Kilkenny Fire Service and have developed additional competencies in areas outside their core skills which could be utilised more in Fire Service training and indeed training for employees of Kilkenny Local Authority.

One key area of training and coordinated response to an emergency is river rescue. Graiguenamanagh has been identified as an area with a high number of river incidents. On a number of occasions Graigurnemanagh Fire Service have been mobilised to persons in the water in need of rescue/recovery and are not equipped or trained to carry out a rescue or recovery.

Kilkenny Civil Defence have a long history with the area of Graiguenamanagh and Inistioge and at one stage had a unit in Graiguenamanagh. In our training program for 2011 Kilkenny Civil Defence have developed a solution to this problem, Kilkenny Civil Defence will train 5 members of Graiguenamanagh Fire Service in the use of Kilkenny Civil Defences inflatable rib for the use of river rescue. The rib will be relocated from Kilkenny Civil Defences storage facility in Purcellsinch and positioned in a newly acquired storage unit (given by member of the public in Graiguenamanagh to Kilkenny Fire Service) for use by Kilkenny Fire Service as an immediate response to a river rescue. The training will be to the syllabus of the Irish Sailing Association (ISA), by ISA approved agencies and certified to the same. Kilkenny Fire Service will adopt and use Kilkenny Civil Defence standard operating guidelines and launch and recovery procedures. All training and PPE worn by the Fire Service will be to the same standard as Kilkenny Civil Defence. Training on the river in Graigurnamanagh from now on will be a joint training exercise between Kilkenny Civil Defence and Graiguenamanagh Fire Service.

On mobilisation of a crew from Graiguenamanagh to a missing person in the river Kilkenny Civil Defence will also be activated and on arrival work side by side with the Fire Service. This operation will be on a trial basis for 1 year with the prospect of rolling it out to other Stations in Kilkenny Fire Service.

Another area where Kilkenny Civil Defence will be in a position to assist is radiation monitoring, one of the upcoming SOG's for the Fire Service will deal with radiation incidents and monitoring equipment. Nationally Civil Defence may assist with training and use of monitoring equipment.

 

Health and Safety

In that regard the Civil Defence Board has engaged the services of Phoenix Safety, experienced consultants in the area of health & safety, and drafted a Safety Manual Template which is particular to Civil Defence activities and which should reflect Civil Defence safety issues within a Local Authority.

Kilkenny Civil Defence are using this document as a broad template for use by the Safety Officer, working in conjunction with the Civil Defence Officer, to optimise the management of the safety of Civil Defence personnel operating under the control of the Authority.

This Safety Manual template document focuses on the key strategic requirements to allow Kilkenny Civil Defence to produce a Safety Manual for our division of the Civil Defence in line with statutory requirements. It defines the structure, content, risk assessment templates in support of Kilkenny Civil Defence producing a document and the key objectives that we have set ourselves. The Safety Manual template document sets out the broad objectives for Kilkenny Civil Defence so that it may continue to be an effective professional voluntary service in compliance with our legal requirements.

It is envisaged that by the end of 2011 Kilkenny Civil Defence's safety Manual will be completed and ready for adoption by Kilkenny Local Authorities. In order to facilitate this endeavour the Civil Defence Board have established sub committees to produce Standard Operating Guidelines for each of the activities entered by Civil Defence, in line with the SOG's currently being produced nationally by the Fire Service Directorate.

Kilkenny Civil Defence also, for the first time, has a volunteer representative on the Health and Safety Committee for Kilkenny Local Authorities.

The Civil Defence Board is also examining the possibility of providing FETAC Level 5 Safety Officer training for all Civil Defence Officers which would be of further assistance to Local Authorities in the management of Safety in Civil Defence activities at local level.

 

Severe Weather Events 2010

The snow fall and freezing temperatures of 2010 proved to be one of the harshest on record. In early January 2010 and late November 2010 a cold spell began with heavy snow fall over the entire county in November and night-time temperatures routinely falling to below -100C.  The cold spell caused widespread disruption of services affecting roads and most items of major infrastructure. Many people were stranded in their homes without food, medicines or fuel.

This hardship triggered Kilkenny LA to assemble a Crisis Management Team (CMT) to ensure that the LA core obligations were maintained and also to render humanitarian assistance. The CMT was assisted and supported at all times by the LA's fellow Principal Response Agencies (PRA's). These are An Garda Siochána (AGS) and the Health Service Executive (HSE).

 

Wednesday 6th January - Wednesday 13th January 2010
The winter of 2009 proved to be one of the wettest on record. In late December a cold spell began with night-time temperatures routinely falling to below -50C. A record low of -170C was recorded in Carlow on the night if the 09th / 10th January. The cold spell reached its nadir over the weekend of 08th to 11th of January 2010 and did not abate until the 14th.

Over the 8 days inclusive from Wednesday 6th January - Wednesday 13th January 2010 Kilkenny Civil Defence established an emergency call centre in Kilkenny Civil Defences newly acquired Training HQ. The emergency phone numbers were established and the phones were manned by Kilkenny Civil Defence volunteers and employees form Kilkenny Local Authorities. During the first 4 days the number of emergency calls dealt with was in excess of 900. Kilkenny Civil Defence distributed water and essentials to over 90 homes along with assisting in the transportation of Public Health Nurses, Home Care Assistants, Dialysis Patients, Cancer Patients, transportation of patients to rest-bite centres, delivered meals for the Meals on Wheels, distributed fuel and food for the Saint Vincent De Paul and transported Nurses to and from work in both Kilkenny and Carlow. In carrying out these civic duties we were aided by Wexford Civil Defence, Waterford City Civil Defence, South East Mountain Rescue, Snow Busters and members of Kilkenny Civil Defence in their own vehicles.

 

Monday 29th November - Saturday 11th December
Over 13 days from Monday 29th November until Saturday 11th December Kilkenny Civil Defence assisted in the transportation of over 17 Public Health Nurses each averaging 3/4 visits, numerous Home Care Assistants, Dialysis Patients, Cancer Patients, transportation of patients to rest-bite centres, delivered meals for the Meals on Wheels, distributed fuel and food for the Saint Vincent De Paul and transported Nurses to and from work in both Kilkenny and Carlow. In carrying out these civic duties we were aided by Wexford Civil Defence, Waterford City Civil Defence, South East Mountain Rescue, Snow Busters and members of Kilkenny Civil Defence in their own vehicles.

The volunteers of Kilkenny Civil Defence alone contributed in excess of 360 man hours over 13 days, all voluntary

 

28th and 29th December 2010
Kilkenny Local Authorities Water Service in conjunction with Kilkenny Civil Defence established an emergency call centre in Kilkenny Civil Defences HQ off County Hall, Johns Street, Kilkenny for members of the public with water and other related emergencies.

The volunteers of Kilkenny Civil Defence alone contributed in excess of 94 man hours over 2 days, all voluntary.