Critical - Emergency Medical Response

09/10/2026

💚 Across Ireland, 361 Community First Responder (CFR) groups are now actively supporting their communities, up from 344 this time last year. 👏

At CRITICAL Charity, we are incredibly proud to play a small part in a much bigger picture.

We are proud of every one of our CRITICAL CFR groups, but equally proud of every CFR group across Ireland who answers the call, day or night.

❤️ While most of us are sleeping, somewhere a volunteer is getting out of bed, leaving the comfort of their home and heading to help someone who could be experiencing the worst moment of their life.

They don’t do it for recognition. They do it because someone in their community needs them.

Behind every call is a volunteer, a family who supports them and a community that is safer because they are there.

To every CFR volunteer across Ireland, regardless of the badge you wear or the group you represent, THANK YOU. 💚

Is mór againn an obair a dhéanann ár CFRs ar fud na tíre. Go raibh maith agaibh go léir. 🇮🇪

At the end of September, we had 361 active Community First Responder (CFR) groups across the country, up from 344 at the same time last year.

That growth reflects the continued commitment of volunteers who give their time to support their local communities and provide vital assistance while an ambulance is on the way.

Is mór againn an obair a dhéanann ár CFRs ar fud na tíre, go raibh maith agaibh go léir. 💚

09/10/2026

We're experiencing a high volume of emergency calls this evening (Friday 9 October).

Our incredible ambulance crews, call-takers and support staff are working around the clock to respond to those who need us most.

You can help by only calling in a real emergency. If your condition is not life-threatening, consider contacting your GP, local pharmacy, GP Out of Hours service or attending an Injury Unit where appropriate.

If you do need to call 999 or 112, please stay calm, answer the call taker's questions and follow any instructions they provide. This helps us get the right care to the right patient as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as our teams continue to provide emergency care across the country.

08/10/2026

Yesterday, representatives from CRITICAL Charity travelled to Dublin for a positive and constructive meeting with David Cullinane TD, Opposition Spokesperson on Health.

The meeting provided a valuable opportunity to highlight the important work of CRITICAL Charity, the growing impact of our organisation nationwide, and most importantly, the incredible contribution of our dedicated volunteers who give their time to help save lives.

We were delighted to share our experiences, discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead, and highlight the importance of continued support for community-based emergency response.

Pictured (L–R): David Tighe, CEO of CRITICAL Charity | David Cullinane TD | Edward Walsh, Head of Operations & Standards, CRITICAL Charity.


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07/10/2026

217 incidents attended in September 🚨

Since the beginning of the year CRITICAL responders have attended 2,092 incidents across Ireland.

Throughout the month of September, our responders were tasked to 183 medical emergencies and 34 trauma incidents, providing vital care and support to people in their communities.

Behind every response are our CFR groups, volunteer doctors and volunteer emergency medical responders, who give their time and expertise to be there when urgent help is needed.

A huge thank you to every responder this month and every month 👏

06/10/2026

This October, CRITICAL is taking CPR awareness beyond Restart a Heart Day and making it a month of action.

Throughout October, we’ll be bringing CPR awareness into communities across Ireland through live demonstrations, practical information and opportunities to learn life-saving skills.

🏠 Get your CPR Awareness Fridge Magnet
Our new magnets include a space to write your Eircode, helping you keep this important information somewhere easy to find if you ever need to call 999 or 112.

Make a donation and request yours here:
https://critical.beaconforms.com/form/8b46ce9b

❤️ Want to get involved?
Follow us throughout October for details of upcoming FREE live CPR demonstrations in communities across Ireland.

Find out more about the campaign:
https://criticalcharity.ie/be-cpr-aware/

Be Prepared. Know Your Eircode. Be CPR Aware.

03/10/2026

🥾❤️ It’s almost time for the Gougane Barra Walk! 🌿 We can’t wait to see you all there! 🙌

Don’t forget to look out for the red registration tent outside the Gougane Barra Hotel ❤️⛺ You can register for the walk there before you set off.

See you at 2pm! 🥾🌳❤️

30/09/2026

A new way of tasking Community First Responders is now helping volunteers get the information they need faster when responding to an emergency.

The National Ambulance Service (NAS) CFR app gives responders clearer incident details, location information and visibility of whether another CFR is already on the way.

It’s a big change from the old text message system and has been shaped with direct input from CFR volunteers across Ireland.

Since launching, the app has already been used in more than 2,900 incidents.

In this video, Ger O’Dea from the National Ambulance Service and Glen Barton from Carrigaline CFR talk about how the app works and the difference it is making for responders and the communities they support.

Watch it here!

For over 10 years, Ireland's 4,500 Community First Responders were ...

24/09/2026

A brilliant initiative from Douglas local Dee Kennedy, who is fundraising to have an AED installed outside the Grange Bar in Cork.

Having an AED available in the community can make a vital difference in an emergency, so this is a really worthwhile fundraiser to support if you can.

Dee has also very kindly chosen Critical CFR - Douglas to receive any funds raised beyond the cost of purchasing the AED, which we are extremely grateful for.

Every donation, big or small, will help support this fantastic local initiative and could make a real difference in the community.

Hi This is Dee's story. My dad recently had a heart attack. I didn't feel he was in safe hands … Kieran k needs your support for Local community AED

22/09/2026

🥾☕ Join us for a Ready, Set, Respond! Community Walk & Coffee Morning in Gougane Barra!

Get outdoors, enjoy the beautiful surroundings of Gougane Barra and come together in support of CRITICAL’s volunteer emergency responders.

📍 Gougane Barra
📅 Saturday, 3rd October 2026
⏰ 02:00 PM
☕ Coffee & refreshments after the walk

The walk is completely free to join and everyone is welcome - simply come along, move at your own pace and enjoy the morning with us!

Donations are welcome in support of CRITICAL’s Ready, Set, Respond! campaign, helping our volunteer responders continue providing life-saving pre-hospital emergency care in communities across Ireland.

📱 Planning to join us? Register for free here:
https://register.enthuse.com/ps/event/ReadySetRespondGouganeBarraCommunityWalk

20/09/2026

Yesterday’s CFR Irelands Conference was a great reminder of what can be achieved when organisations, volunteers and the wider pre-hospital community work together.

For CRITICAL, our relationship with the National Ambulance Service Community Engagement Team is an important part of supporting our Community First Responder groups nationwide.

The conference gave members from across our CFR network the opportunity to come together, share knowledge, train, learn from others and, importantly, build relationships with fellow responders who all have the same goal: being there for their communities when it matters most.

While CRITICAL supports multiple CFR groups across Ireland, we recognise that strong CFR schemes are built through collaboration. We work closely with the National Ambulance Service (NAS) Community Engagement Team headed by Ger O'Dea to support the development, governance and ongoing training of our responders.

It was particularly good to catch up with Craig Wade, NAS Community Engagement Officer for the Midwest, who works closely with CRITICAL and many of our volunteers in the region and to also welcome Kieran Minihane to the NAS Community Engagement Team.

Events like are about much more than training. They bring people together, strengthen relationships and remind us that regardless of the badge or organisation, we are all working towards the same purpose: stronger communities and better outcomes for patients.

A big thank you to CFR Ireland, the NAS Community Engagement Team and everyone who contributed to another valuable conference.

But the work doesn’t stop when the conference ends.

Community First Responders are ordinary people who choose to step forward, train and be ready to help when someone in their community needs them most. The stronger our network becomes, the more communities we can support.

If you’ve ever thought about becoming a Community First Responder, now is the time to take that first step.

Get involved with your local CFR group, learn lifesaving skills and become part of a nationwide community making a real difference every day.