In a week that has seen the dramatic arrival of winter weather across the country, Dublin & Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team is delighted to announce that they have secured funding for two new 4x4 rescue vehicles for use in the Dublin and Wicklow hills.
 

A significant part of the funding comes in the shape of a €45,000 grant from the National Lottery which was approved by Department of Health Minister James O’Reilly. Andrew Doyle, Fine Gael TD in Wicklow, a long term supporter of the work of mountain rescue in Wicklow, had this to say about the good news: “This shows a genuine commitment and appreciation on the Governments part to acknowledge the vital work that is being carried out on a daily basis by those who volunteer on Mountain Rescue teams to assist those in need.”

 

The other main source of funds was from the fantastic fundraising efforts of our Walk The Line Participants who raised €38,000. The level of support and generosity from participants and the local community was overwhelming and the event will be run again in June 2012.

 

DWMR Team Leader, Chris England, said “The team is hugely grateful to the National Lottery Good Causes fund. Combined with the fantastic local fundraising efforts of our Walk the Line participants the team is now in the lucky position to be able to secure these vehicles. This is just in time for the busy winter rescue period.”

 

The two sources of funding will now be used to purchase two rescue vehicles for use in the Dublin and Wicklow hills. The team has already purchased the first, a Land Rover Defender 110, a vehicle which has been proven again and again in a Mountain Rescue role throughout Ireland and the UK. This vehicle will be soon kitted out with specialist rescue equipment, radios, appropriate livery and fittings to secure a casualty on a stretcher. This means the team will now be able to carry a casualty on a stretcher from remote mountain tracks and upland areas during adverse weather conditions. It will be operational in the coming weeks, just in time to deal with the worsening weather conditions.
 

A final decision on the specification of the second new vehicle will be made shortly and it is hoped to have this in place in the new year, ready to serve the local and mountaineering communities that helped to fund raise for it.
 

These vehicles represent a greatly enhanced operational capability for the team. This comes at a time when the team is experiencing a record number of incidents as interest in outdoor pursuits continues to soar and unpredictable weather patterns continue to make such pursuits challenging. In the last five years alone the number of callouts has nearly doubled. The purchase demonstrates the high level of support the team continues to enjoy as well as a commitment on behalf of the team to continue to provide an excellent and professional service to the community.