Virtual red alert summons lifesavers to Limerick

ON a week of major emergencies, a red alert went out in Limerick yesterday.

Broken bones, burns, cardiac arrest, asphyxiation and a host of hazards hit the campus of the University of Limerick when a virtual disaster of epic proportions unfolded at daybreak.

And — unlike most disasters when you’re told to “move along there now” — the public were allowed to attend this free event.

In one of the biggestvirtual emergencies everorganised, teams from 26 countries competed to see who could best deal with a disaster. The finest lifesavers in Europe competed in a series of rigorous first aid challenges in the annual European First Aid Convention, which was staged in Ireland for the first time.

Irish Red Cross vice-chairman Tony Lawlor said: “This event involves teams from right across Europe, where there are more than 100 million medical interventions every year. Here in Ireland parents, motorists and neighbours could greatly increase their abilities to save lives in a crisis by picking up a few of the basic first aid techniques that they will see at this competition.”

More than 1,000 competitors and their supporters from across Europe came to UL for the event.

On Saturday, the competitions ran from 8am to 6pm, with 28 tests andactivities set along a 7km circuit.

Demonstrations of basic first aid were provided for people who came to learn more about what they saw at the competitions.

Mr Lawlor said: “Death rates from cardiac arrest in Ireland are among the highest in Europe so we put on two free workshops in CPR specially for people with no other first aid skill. This will be of great benefit to everyone who came along — and to their family and friends.”

Free shuttle buses were laid on to take members of the public to the competition from O’Connell Street, Limerick to the competitions site at UL.