Rebrand for Irish Community Air Ambulance as focus shifts

The Irish Community Air Ambulance is changing its name to CRITICAL, and is stepping back from the provision of its helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS).

CRITICAL will expand its network of volunteer emergency medical responders.

The charity was established in 2009 as Irish Community Rapid Response, and in 2019 it launched Ireland’s only charity air ambulance. It has been tasked to more than 1,500 emergencies.

CRITICAL will continue to provide the HEMS Air Ambulance until February 28, and then pass the baton to the new State-funded HEMS service in the South West.

Micheál Sheridan, CEO of CRITICAL, said: “We have consistently shown how vital the service is, so much so that it is now set to be fully funded by the State. 

"We would like to thank all of those who helped keep HeliMed92 flying for the past three years and the HSE for its support over the last 10 months.”

CRITICAL is working with the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and has volunteer emergency doctors and volunteer emergency medical responders. These volunteers provide pre-hospital emergency care.

The charity’s rapid-response vehicles have carried doctors to 1,800 incidents since 2020. The vehicles’ specialist medical equipment includes defibrillators, chest-compression systems and suction units, as well as advanced medical and trauma kits. This allows the medics to perform complex, and often lifesaving, medical procedures.

Mr Sheridan added, “One in every four calls was to a cardiac arrest, often happening in rural and isolated areas far from hospitals. There are highly skilled and qualified people in every city, town, and village in Ireland and our aim is to provide them with the vital equipment so they can respond to medical and trauma emergencies in their local communities.”

The organisation fundraises to kit out its volunteers so they can continue their lifesaving work. It costs an average of €25,000 to establish an advanced-level volunteer doctor in the community, and €120,000 to put a new critical-care response vehicle on the road.

The charity will launch a new website in the coming weeks.