Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team
Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team (DWMRT) has become a licensed CPG provider with the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC). This is an important development, as it will help DWMRT adhere to best practices in patient care. It also enables the team to provide advanced patient care, for the first time, during mountain rescue operations. This change means that DWMRT personnel who work as emergency medical technicians (EMT), paramedics, and advanced paramedics in their day jobs, can now operate to those same standards of care while volunteering with mountain rescue. Prior to PHECC approval these team members were not authorised to provide this level of care.
Mr Brian Power, Programme Development Officer (PHECC), stated that PHECC’s role is to protect the public through its regulatory process and that all organisations that provide pre-hospital emergency care whether voluntary, private or statutory should be PHECC approved. He congratulated DWMRT on their comprehensive application and expressed confidence that a professional approach will be taken by DWMRT in the provision of advanced care in the future.
Dr David Menzies, consultant in emergency medicine at St. Vincent's University Hospital and medical director with Wicklow Rapid Response, has taken on the voluntary role of medical director with DWMRT. Commenting on his recent appointment, Dr Menzies said: “Wicklow Rapid Response is delighted to work with mountain rescue. We have a common aim; helping people in the pre-hospital environment. It's a natural collaboration, as we've worked well together in the past.” Paul Butcher, DWMRT medical co-ordinator, said “Dr Menzies is a great addition to the team. He brings excellent knowledge and experience dealing with seriously ill patients in hospital and pre-hospital settings. Dr Menzies will also be a useful asset in developing the team’s clinical capabilities.” Wicklow Rapid Response is a voluntary group, and declared asset of the HSE National Ambulance Service (NAS), supporting emergency services when a serious incident occurs.
Shortly after becoming a licensed CPG provider, a callout for DWMRT and Glen of Imaal Red Cross Mountain Rescue Team resulted in rescuing an injured patient in severe pain. A DWMRT advanced paramedic administered a medication that reduced the pain to a tolerable level for the patient. The team’s licensed CPG provider status made this possible, according to Mr Butcher. “The callout required a 1km long stretcher carry over rough ground, descending from over 300 metres from the incident site to the road. We were able to give this patient more advanced pain relief than we’ve been authorised to in the past. This made the patient more comfortable during the evacuation.”
Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team (DWMRT) comprises of 50 dedicated, highly-trained volunteers. Its mission is to provide a professional-standard, volunteer, mountain rescue service for those who find themselves in need on our hills and mountains. The team is on call 24 hours per day, every day, in all weather conditions. DWMRT’s main area of operations is the Dublin and Wicklow mountains, but it also covers the Cooley Mountains in Co. Louth. In addition, the team will travel to other parts of Ireland to assist other mountain rescue teams when requested.
Wicklow Rapid Response is a voluntary organisation, which aims to provide near intensive critical care level treatment for their local communities in the pre-hospital environment, where there are life-threatening circumstances.
The volunteer doctor, Dr David Menzies is a consultant in emergency medicine at St. Vincent's University Hospital and specialises in pre-hospital emergency medicine and education.
He responds from home or from his places of work, at the request of the NAS Emergency Operations Centre.
Using the Skoda Yeti rapid response vehicle generously sponsored by Sinnott Autos, Wicklow, he responds as a declared NAS asset. The doctor is called simultaneously with the ambulance, when a serious emergency occurs.