Emergency services training exercise

Thirteen volunteers at Lough Derg RNLI had a combined exercise with firefighters from Tipperary Fire & Rescue Service at their base in Nenagh last Tuesday week.

While RNLI volunteers are trained to rescue those in peril on or in the water, they do not fight fires on casualty vessels. Firefighting is a highly specialised field and is left to those with relevant expertise in the fire service. In the past Lough Derg RNLI and the Fire Service have responded to incidents in a multi-agency response and so it was beneficial for both teams to come together to meet with their colleagues in a training environment.

As part of the exercise, John Shinners, Senior Assistant Fire Officer, gave a classroom presentation on all safety considerations, fires, management and extinguishers.

It was followed by a question and answers session on the lifeboat’s emergency procedures and standard operation procedures.

Outside, on the base training area, Déaran O’Gorman, Sub-Station Officer, and firefighter Robert Fogarty gave a talk and a practical demonstration.

Billy George, Lough Derg RNLI Safety Officer, said: “We are very grateful to John, Déaran and Robert for giving us so much of their time and to Joe O’Donoghue, Lough Derg RNLI crew member, who co-ordinated and liaised with the fire crew to arrange this combined training exercise.”