On last week’s podcast, Jack Mullen, our Council editor had the pleasure of being joined by Cavan Civil Defence Officer, Mr. John Maguire C.D.O.
Cavan County Civil Defence was set up in 1950 and is a voluntary organisation which comes under the control of Cavan County Council.
The Cavan Civil Defence plays a very important role in assisting the front line services with trained personnel to respond to emergencies in addition to supporting and facilitating community activities.
Annually Cavan County Civil Defence attend approximately 50 community events including:
- Pony Shows
- Local Community Festivals
- Slane
- Various GAA and Athletics fixtures
The volunteers are also involved at Flooding incidents, water shortages and search and rescues.
The main disciplines in Cavan County Civil Defence could broadly be described as:
- Casualty
- Search and Rescue
- Fire Fighting (Auxiliary Fire Service-AFS)
- Boating Techniques
- Radiation Monitoring
- Radio Communications
- Welfare.
In this Q&A, John spoke candidly about the impacts that Covid-19 had on the Civil Defence, and moreover, how the Civil Defence has navigated the pandemic. In addition, Mr Maguire spoke in great detail about how the Civil Defence works with and alongside councils in order to improve their operations.
John highlighted the need for continued financial and societal support for the civil defence, particularly in pandemic times. Furthermore, John discusses the role that the Civil Defence plays for the community.
Lastly, towards the later part of this discussion, John talked about what the future may hold for the civil defence.
To find out more and listen to the full podcast here or click below:
Feature image courtesy of LCD
