Emergency Response Boost For Kildare As Firefighter-Paramedics Join Forces With First Responder Charity

Tuesday, 6 January 2026 15:45

By Martin Osborne

Dublin Airport Fire and Rescue Service (DAFRS) has joined forces with the National Ambulance Service and the charity CRITICAL.

People in Kildare could now get faster help in a medical emergency.

Dublin Airport Fire and Rescue Service (DAFRS) has joined forces with the National Ambulance Service and the charity CRITICAL.

The deal allows off-duty fire service staff to respond to emergencies in their own communities.

That includes Kildare, along with several other Leinster counties.

The volunteers are trained paramedics and advanced paramedics.

A team of 20 responders have signed up including eight Advanced Paramedics and 13 Paramedics.

An additional five responders are expected to join in the coming months.

When they are nearby, they can be alerted to serious incidents such as cardiac arrests, crashes or severe injuries.

They are equipped with defibrillators and life-saving medical kits and are sent out by the National Ambulance Service.

Dublin Airport Fire and Rescue Service says staff often return home to places like Kildare after work and can now use their skills to help locally.

The emergency medical charity CRITICAL says the scheme will help save lives by getting trained responders to patients more quickly.

Chief Fire Officer Jim Moore from DAFRS said: “At the end of their shift, our team members go home to their communities and respond to emergency calls across Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Carlow, Kilkenny and Cavan. Through CRITICAL charity, they now have the opportunity to put their expertise to work in their communities when it matters most. This partnership is vital as it connects our team to the growing CRITICAL network of responders supporting the National Ambulance Service and other emergency services".