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Red Cross or Order of Malta?

  • 13-10-2010 7:03pm
    #1
    Fuinseog
    Registered Users Posts: 5,371 ✭✭✭


    what are the basic differences if any?
    are there many units in Dublin? is recruitment open to all? do they cost anything, apart from time?
    would be grateful for any responses.


Comments

  • #2
    sgt.bilko
    Registered Users Posts: 456 ✭✭sgt.bilko


    Can't answer for the Order of Malta or Red Cross but I can offer my tuppence on St John Ambulance.

    We have Divisions spread throughout Dublin and are expanding with 4 new Divisions this year alone.

    We are extremely active and new members are always welcome. New members do need to complete a first aid course in order to join and details of which can be pm'd.

    No matter which org you may decide to join, best of luck and I hope that I have helped you.

    Bilko


  • #3
    blondie7
    Registered Users Posts: 582 ✭✭✭blondie7


    As a member of OMAC i would highly recommend it as an organisation to Join. We have units all over Ireland We have roughly 20+ units in Dublin alone. We train our members in Basic First aid and then they progress through the clinical levels, training as far as EMT. We provide first aid cover at major duties (the usual concerts, horse racing etc) We also provide community care work such as patient transports, briinging older people to mass and days out. Again its completly voluntary and no money is needed. All your training is provided free of charge. All we ask for in return is a committment to duties. If you want to PM for details on your local unit then please do.


  • #4
    Fuinseog
    Registered Users Posts: 5,371 ✭✭✭Fuinseog


    sgt.bilko wrote: »
    Can't answer for the Order of Malta or Red Cross but I can offer my tuppence on St John Ambulance.

    We have Divisions spread throughout Dublin and are expanding with 4 new Divisions this year alone.

    We are extremely active and new members are always welcome. New members do need to complete a first aid course in order to join and details of which can be pm'd.

    No matter which org you may decide to join, best of luck and I hope that I have helped you.

    Bilko


    thanks for that. I have done plenty of first aid courses. doing it in reality on a real person, even putting on a plaster is another matter.

    another thing that would be important for me is the age profile. while I have nothing against teenagers I would not want to the oldest one there (mid thirties). afterall the purpose of joining these things is also to meet people.

    how does it work with these organisations in terms of uniform, given that unlike garda and army reserve and CD, they are not state funded? do you have to pay for the uniform and for courses you do?


  • #5
    touge_drift
    Registered Users Posts: 382 ✭✭touge_drift


    Fuinseog wrote: »
    thanks for that. I have done plenty of first aid courses. doing it in reality on a real person, even putting on a plaster is another matter.

    another thing that would be important for me is the age profile. while I have nothing against teenagers I would not want to the oldest one there (mid thirties). afterall the purpose of joining these things is also to meet people.

    how does it work with these organisations in terms of uniform, given that unlike garda and army reserve and CD, they are not state funded? do you have to pay for the uniform and for courses you do?

    most units across the board have a healthy mix of young and old. the age bracket in the order of malta is 16 upwards in seniors.

    generally once you give your time you dont need to pay for anything, unless you want extra uniform bits beyond standard issue then its up to yourself to buy, but you'll get kitted out basicially for free.


  • #6
    maglite
    Registered Users Posts: 1,783 ✭✭✭maglite


    As above they are basically the same, I would say there is more of a spread across unit to unit compared to different organisations.

    Go for a location that's easyest for you and has what you want, people of the right age etc... Good luck


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  • #7
    lmmoonbeam1976
    Registered Users Posts: 207 ✭✭lmmoonbeam1976


    blondie7 wrote: »
    As a member of OMAC i would highly recommend it as an organisation to Join. We have units all over Ireland We have roughly 20+ units in Dublin alone. We train our members in Basic First aid and then they progress through the clinical levels, training as far as EMT. We provide first aid cover at major duties (the usual concerts, horse racing etc) We also provide community care work such as patient transports, briinging older people to mass and days out. Again its completly voluntary and no money is needed. All your training is provided free of charge. All we ask for in return is a committment to duties. If you want to PM for details on your local unit then please do.

    hi Blondie- What unit of OMAC are u in - im an ex member of OMAC Clonsilla:D


  • #8
    blondie7
    Registered Users Posts: 582 ✭✭✭blondie7


    lmmoonbeam1976 wrote: »
    hi Blondie- What unit of OMAC are u in - im an ex member of OMAC Clonsilla:D

    Im in Castleknock were neighbours :)


  • #9
    lmmoonbeam1976
    Registered Users Posts: 207 ✭✭lmmoonbeam1976


    blondie7 wrote: »
    Im in Castleknock were neighbours :)

    cool --- im thinking of applying to go back to it


  • #10
    blondie7
    Registered Users Posts: 582 ✭✭✭blondie7


    Im sure they will only be too delighted to have you back ;)


  • #11
    miju
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 8,486 ✭✭✭miju


    lmmoonbeam1976 wrote: »
    cool --- im thinking of applying to go back to it

    Castleknock or Clonsilla ?


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  • #12
    lmmoonbeam1976
    Registered Users Posts: 207 ✭✭lmmoonbeam1976


    miju wrote: »
    Castleknock or Clonsilla ?

    clonsilla


  • #13
    Conor Bourke
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 17,424 ✭✭✭✭Conor Bourke


    Sligo/Limerick OMAC head here, howdy all!

    Highly recommend OMAC (although having no experience of RC/CD/SJA I have nothing to compare against)

    I've made friends throughout the country from OMAC, still occasionally meet up with people I was in cadets with back in the day. I've been made welcome in other units when I left Sligo for strange towns. Recieved top class training up to EMT, have given back in return by training many young wans in home nursing skills.

    I think my proudest moment in my 10 years was last May in Lourdes. I was the nurse on duty for the evening, doing the night time meds. Had a bunch of young lunatics from Sligo on our team, it did my (decrepit, aging 26 year old) heart good to see them interacting with the patients- looking out for them and taking care of them, making sure they had enough water to drink with their tablets, offering toilet opportunities again before bed, feeding back to me what the patients needed. To be honest I was a bit worried that at the tender age of 16 they wouldn't be able for the demands of ward work or would lose interest and go skiving for most the shift, but they took to the tasks with gusto and enthusiasm. A few of them have even gone on to do nursing in college now. I'd have been lost without them that night.

    In any unit I've worked with there always seems to be a healthy mix of old and young, so I wouldn't worry about being out of place amongst youngsters.

    OP I wish you the best with whichever organisation you go with and if you get out of it even only half as much as I have you'll be a lucky person.


  • #14
    miju
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 8,486 ✭✭✭miju


    lmmoonbeam1976 wrote: »
    clonsilla

    Castleknock is better :p


  • #15
    lmmoonbeam1976
    Registered Users Posts: 207 ✭✭lmmoonbeam1976


    miju wrote: »
    Castleknock is better :p

    maybe be better but clonsilla is around longer than castleknock lol:p

    i believe that there is an awful lot for me to learn if i was to come back now


  • #16
    miju
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 8,486 ✭✭✭miju


    lmmoonbeam1976 wrote: »
    maybe be better but clonsilla is around longer than castleknock lol:p

    ah year of unit being founded means diddly squat :D


  • #17
    Benmalone31
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭Benmalone31


    Hi all. I'm in the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps.Its brilliant. I'm a fully qualified first aider and I go on duties all the time. It's not just a medical service it's a club that works for the community. My unit is Palmerstown Co. Dublin. There isn't too much members and there aren't too little. We have E.F.Rs ,EMTs ,CFRs ,paramedics , advanced paramedics,nurses , doctors and even surgeons!!Compared to the Red Cross we allow anyone from the age of 10 upwards join which is useful because we can teach them first aid and they can put into excellent use.


  • #18
    Benmalone31
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭Benmalone31


    Anyone from the age of ten upwards can join. The uniform is a once off lifetime payment of E65 which is excellent value. I'm in the order of Malta and it's brilliant


  • #19
    timmywex
    Registered Users Posts: 2,626 ✭✭✭timmywex


    Benmalone31 wrote: »
    The uniform is a once off lifetime payment of E65 which is excellent value.

    Not true - depends on the unit, some units provide free uniforms, some for a fixed contribution so you don't get it and never be seen again, and some have other more complicated ways.


  • #20
    drake70
    Registered Users Posts: 656 ✭✭✭drake70


    Benmalone31 wrote: »
    Hi all. I'm in the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps.Its brilliant. I'm a fully qualified first aider and I go on duties all the time. It's not just a medical service it's a club that works for the community. My unit is Palmerstown Co. Dublin. There isn't too much members and there aren't too little. We have E.F.Rs ,EMTs ,CFRs ,paramedics , advanced paramedics,nurses , doctors and even surgeons!!Compared to the Red Cross we allow anyone from the age of 10 upwards join which is useful because we can teach them first aid and they can put into excellent use.

    Not true, Any person between the age of 5 and 25 can join Irish Red Cross Youth.
    Source:http://www.redcross.ie/our-work-in-ireland/youth-services/join-the-red-cross-youth/


  • #21
    miju
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 8,486 ✭✭✭miju


    Personally I would say neither :)


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  • #22
    ectoraige
    Registered Users Posts: 2,100 ✭✭✭ectoraige


    One thing I know about the Order of Malta is they aren't centrally funded so I imagine the provision of equipment and uniforms varies considerably depending on each units ability to fund-raise. No idea if this can be said for IRC.


  • #23
    TheEdgeofGlory
    Registered Users Posts: 105 ✭✭TheEdgeofGlory


    Could anyone give me the contact details of an Order Of Malta unit in South Dublin? Would love to join one as I'm eager to volunteer and gain experience for studying medicine! I was in a St John Ambulance division for a while this year but quit as it wasn't well run and wasn't worth spending two hours of my time whilst not getting to do anything productive or relevant! Would I also be eligible to join the Adult Division as I'm 16 in a few weeks? I know that SJA's youth/cadet division runs until 17 and thus was wondering if it differs in Order Of Malta?.


  • #24
    timmywex
    Registered Users Posts: 2,626 ✭✭✭timmywex


    TheEdgeofGlory wrote: »
    Could anyone give me the contact details of an Order Of Malta unit in South Dublin? Would love to join one as I'm eager to volunteer and gain experience for studying medicine! I was in a St John Ambulance division for a while this year but quit as it wasn't well run and wasn't worth spending two hours of my time whilst not getting to do anything productive or relevant! Would I also be eligible to join the Adult Division as I'm 16 in a few weeks? I know that SJA's youth/cadet division runs until 17 and thus was wondering if it differs in Order Of Malta?.

    Just dropped you a PM there


  • #25
    Debzc
    Registered Users Posts: 15 ✭Debzc


    Quick question: are either of the organisations quite religious?


  • #26
    sgthighway
    Registered Users Posts: 1,530 ✭✭✭sgthighway


    Debzc wrote: »
    Quick question: are either of the organisations quite religious?

    The Order of Malta is very religious. It is a lay religious organisation. However the very fact that it is voluntary means you do not have to take part in any religious duty if you don't want to (in most units).


  • #27
    timmywex
    Registered Users Posts: 2,626 ✭✭✭timmywex


    Debzc wrote: »
    Quick question: are either of the organisations quite religious?

    OMAC is religious historically. Less so now a days. World wide it's religious, and the association is, less so the ambulance corps.

    Having said that it depends on the unit, some do alot of community care stuff alot of which tends to be trips to mass etc with elderly/wheelchair bound etc. Some units do virtually none.

    Ceremonies etc usually involve a mass but can be avoided if you please with no hassle.


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