Irish Red Cross/Order of Malta/St. John Ambulance

blondie7

Delicate_Dlite wrote: »

Thanks, I'm looking to get involved with one of them, if I can. I checked the websites but I'm still not sure the difference in how they're run. Sorry to be a bother.

I see your in Dublin, there are 20 OMAC units or so in the dublin Region. There are also 6/7 SJA units in Dublin. Im not sure about the Red Cross. OMAC trains there members as far as EMT level (this takes a minium of 3 years) we cover various different events like the O2, Oxygen, gigs in Marley park, the phoenix park, croke park. We cover many Horse events like leopardstown, fairyhouse. There are local events such as rugby matches, GAA matches. We also offer a wide range of Community Care work, we have our annual pilgrimmage to knock and lourdes. We have our international camp for young disabled (place changes yearly). At a more local level there is simply bringing old people on day trips, going to visit them in there nursing homes and just chatting with them. Most Units have a cadet unit and are always looking for new leaders to help train them in First aid, home nursing and footdrill. I can only tell you about OMAC and i would strongly recommend it ive been a member for 13 years now and love every minute of it. If anyone from SJA or IRC want to add about there organisation id be greatful as i would myself like to know if there are any differences.

star gazer

mod
mood, you have taken the thread off topic. If you have real concerns about an incident communicate that to the organisation involved. Be careful what you say about people with disabilities you don't want to be banned for discriminatory comments. Consider this a warning. Please dont post on this thread again.
mod

sgt.bilko

blondie7 wrote: »

I see your in Dublin, there are 20 OMAC units or so in the dublin Region. There are also 6/7 SJA units in Dublin. Im not sure about the Red Cross. OMAC trains there members as far as EMT level (this takes a minium of 3 years) we cover various different events like the O2, Oxygen, gigs in Marley park, the phoenix park, croke park. We cover many Horse events like leopardstown, fairyhouse. There are local events such as rugby matches, GAA matches. We also offer a wide range of Community Care work, we have our annual pilgrimmage to knock and lourdes. We have our international camp for young disabled (place changes yearly). At a more local level there is simply bringing old people on day trips, going to visit them in there nursing homes and just chatting with them. Most Units have a cadet unit and are always looking for new leaders to help train them in First aid, home nursing and footdrill. I can only tell you about OMAC and i would strongly recommend it ive been a member for 13 years now and love every minute of it. If anyone from SJA or IRC want to add about there organisation id be greatful as i would myself like to know if there are any differences.

Mods , can you have a look at this post.

I was under the impression that events hosted by a certain concert promoter were not to be mentioned on this forum.

sgt.bilko

There are currently over 20 Divisions of SJA in County Dublin (all with youth Divisions (under 18) and while the organisation itself is smaller than OMAC on a national basis, SJA is a extremely busy organisation and currently expanding with new Divisions opening in Dunshaughlin and Drogheda this year.

SJA primarily provides personnel and/or Ambulance coverage at events rather than community care but we will not refuse to provide assistance if and when required.

We provide cover at events in Croke Park (even joint cover with OMAC at concerts ) ,most large events in RDS including 24 hour cover at Dublin Horse Show, Aviva Stadium, Dalymount Park, Richmond Park, Dublin Marathon and a large selection of local community events such as sports days, parish fetes etc.

Our training is on an ongoing basis and members are able to qualify as EMTs through SJA in house. New members are encouraged to train and qualify as CFR-p (phecc approved) as quickly as possible.

Feel free to pm me if you wish

miju

sgt.bilko wrote: »

Mods , can you have a look at this post.

I was under the impression that events hosted by a certain concert promoter were not to be mentioned on this forum.

Apologies for the back seat modding but theres nothing in the Volunteerism charter about it and the ban on discussion on MCD was lifted sometime around May 2009.

sgt.bilko

miju wrote: »

Apologies for the back seat modding but theres nothing in the Volunteerism charter about it and the ban on discussion on MCD was lifted sometime around May 2009.

Cheers, thanks for the advice.

I wasn't aware that the ban on MCD was lifted so that's the reason for my comment. No insult intended to the OP.

Ernie

Fredrik

I couldn't find any information on which organization is most active in the
Cork area from the previous replies. I'm from Sweden originally, so I dont know that much about the different organizations and what they stand for.

I normally don't judge an organization from comments from others, but it looks from the sound of the comments I've found here and elsewhere that Order of Malta is more relaxed than SJA, which I would prefer. When saying relaxed, I'm meaning it in a good way. I like organizations where you can speak to everybody within reason, and it looked that OMAC was more of this kind of organization than SJA.

Also the major organization in Sweden would probably be the red cross, and since both my sister and brother in law are active members of a red cross unit in my hometown, I feel it more or less my duty to seriously consider them as well, without knowing to much of how they operate.

Both organization looks to give good first aid training courses, so I'm not to worried about the level of training I would be able to get.

But which of OMAC and the red cross in Cork would you recommend? Which would be more active?

Also, would there be any problems joining when you're not native irish? I've lived here for almost 6 years now having a steady job that will keep me here, so I'm almost calling myself resident

lily lou

I'm interested in joining Order of Malta, I work in the disability sector so I'm very interested in doing volunteering in the community.

Just a few questions:
Do I need a valid first aid certificate to join or is this training provided?

Is there a membership fee or is there much cost involved?

Will I be allowed take part in community care straight away or do you have to be involved for a certain amount of time?

What is involved in the weekly meetings?

Thanks:)

miju

lily lou wrote: »

I'm interested in joining Order of Malta, I work in the disability sector so I'm very interested in doing volunteering in the community.

Just a few questions:
Do I need a valid first aid certificate to join or is this training provided?

Is there a membership fee or is there much cost involved?

Will I be allowed take part in community care straight away or do you have to be involved for a certain amount of time?

What is involved in the weekly meetings?

Thanks:)

Hi lily-lou training is provided but if you have a relevant cert from PHECC that will do the job

There is no cost involved in most units and units weekly meetings range from training to general social gatherings it really depends. If you want to PM me your area I can put you in touch with your local unit and answer any other questions in more detail.

Della Digby

If your interested in knowing about the Irish Red Cross and how it really operates and how dissatisfied many of its members are, have a look at the Blog !

http://governancereformatirishredcross.blogspot.com/ they are a shame to any humanitarian group !

Oscail

Della Digbi above is correct. For the truth on the Irish Red Cross read the blog http://governancereformatirishredcross.blogspot Its a matter for any individual to decide which organisation to join and the Irish Red Cross has hundreds of genuinely committed volunteers trained to a high standard but you must know how the organisation is run and operated before joining. What goes on in the Irish Red Cross would make Fianna Fail look like a bunch of angels. Fine Gael, Labour, Transparency International, former board members and former staff have all formerly called for an independent investigation into the Irish Red Cross and Prime Time investigated the organisation in 2010. The Prime Time program aired on August 26th 2010 (available on RTE website) and was a shocking revelation on the reality of the Irish Red Cross.

Oscail

Also check out the commentary on boards.ie about the scandals at the Irish Red Cross:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056016355&highlight=Irish+Cross

rescue16

Hi people its great to see so many people wanting to get involved in helping people i am a member of the Civil Defence for the past seven years. My unit is search and rescue but i am also trained in fire and ambulance my first aid training has come in useful as i have assisted in many R.T.A and have also prevented a women drowning if you have the time then join anyone of these great services personally i think it is whatever you are into civil defence have a welfare unit were we can go out a feed people on site and we have assisted in many areas like flooding and transporting nurses and doctors to places were the hse could not get too in the snow or search and rescue unit has the most up to date equitment and the best of instuctors. We are on call 24/7 and have responded to many high risk searchs and have being involved in very bad flooding. But it is great when we team up with the likes of the Red cross and Order of Malta as we can talk about dutys we have been on. Civil Defence have more units but with the first aid part we are all trained to the same standerd no matter what service you are in. Hope ye all remember whos saftey is no 1 Your own always !! Dont be a hero if it means putting yourself at risk ! Hope i might be meet a couple of ye someday on a duty

star gazer

<Mod> I see the opinions critical of the Irish Red Cross and the issues involved but I do not wish to see this thread taken over by them. I'll leave what has been posted and people can make up their own minds about it but further discussions on that specific area should go to that thread on the boards politics forum. <Mod>

star gazer

Recruitment Information Meeting announced for March 2011

Picture of Recruitment Information NightSt. John Ambulance Brigade of Ireland is delighted to announce a series of information nights in 2011. The events will be held at Brigade Headquarters at Lumsden House, 29 Upper Leeson Street, Dublin. It is open to anyone who is interested in obtaining information about joining our organisation. Our next information night is the 29th of March, 2011, at 8:15PM. Please contact our Headquarters office for further details.

The purpose of the information nights is to give participants an idea of who we are and what we do. We will outline the requirements for membership, and the type of training that is available should you choose to join.

St John Ambulance information night on this month if you are interested.
Also: Order of Malta Red Cross

patrickrushe

St. John, IRC, OMAC and Civil Defence were on duty for Obama's visit. Click Here. It'll give you an idea what these organisations are all about

Increasingly, all four organisations are working together to cover events and to back up the statutory service through the JVCC approach. So, it is becoming less important which organisation you actually pick. Just pick the closest one, or else try out all four for a few weeks until you see which fits.

The most important thing though is to learn first aid. Even if you only do a basic course, and don't volunteer afterwards, it is still worthwhile.

Basic first aid saves lives. It also reduces the risk of long-term disability or illness. Personally, I can't understand why it is not part of the curriculum in primary and secondary schools. It really should be.

Looking at it from a somewhat callous economic viewpoint, if everyone knew first aid it would actually save the Irish State a truck load of money. It would also reduce the amount of people presenting at Emergency Departments with minor wounds and illnesses that could easily be treated with first aid and do not require definitive care.

The best way to keep your first aid skills up to date is to actually practice them by volunteering. Helping others is a really rewarding experience. (Attending sporting events, concerts and other public events for free is rewarding too ;););) ). Also, you can get involved in all the logistics; fundraising, duty planning, duty and event management, teaching courses, radio operations, ambulance driving, vehicle maintenance, equipment resupply, even web-design..

I highly recommend volunteering, regardless of which uniform you decide to wear.

miju

patrickrushe wrote: »

. Just pick the closest one, or else try out all four for a few weeks until you see which fits.

The most important thing though is to learn first aid. Even if you only do a basic course, and don't volunteer afterwards, it is still worthwhile.

DON'T DO THIS. Joining all four to see which one fits will not exactly have you seen in the best light by any of the orgs as none of them are really in the business of tolerating that kind of stuff.

As for joining doing a first aid course and then not volunteering thats just wasting everyone in any of the orgs time & resources. If you just want to learn first aid pay for it privately.

conorod

miju wrote: »

As for joining doing a first aid course and then not volunteering thats just wasting everyone in any of the orgs time & resources. If you just want to learn first aid pay for it privately.

All of the organisations mentioned offer first aid courses to the public, so it's not wasting anyone's time and resources to do one.

miju

conorod wrote: »

All of the organisations mentioned offer first aid courses to the public, so it's not wasting anyone's time and resources to do one.

Re-read my post and what Im saying in it I'm perfectly aware all the orgs do public training.

Blue Badger

Hey, I was thinking about joining the red cross or one of the others. What I was wondering is what are the differences between them all. Is one, eg the red cross better for somethings and the others for other things etc. Also how much does it cost to volunteer with them (I'm assuming I'd have to pay for some of the training), any info would be great. If location matters, I'd be volunteering in Mayo.

Thanks in advance for any replies!


Sorry everyone, I only just noticed the thread beneath this one

TylerIE

Blue Badger wrote: »

Hey, I was thinking about joining the red cross or one of the others. What I was wondering is what are the differences between them all. Is one, eg the red cross better for somethings and the others for other things etc. Also how much does it cost to volunteer with them (I'm assuming I'd have to pay for some of the training), any info would be great. If location matters, I'd be volunteering in Mayo.

Thanks in advance for any replies!


Sorry everyone, I only just noticed the thread beneath this one

Nowadays the differences are Minimal. All organisations train to the same standards, all are PHECC Registered. All have some excellent members. All have areas which have fantastic equipment, all have areas where units are operating on a shoestring.

-Civil Defence offer additional Services as well as First Aid. However you dont have to get involved in those activities, so you could just do First Aid.
-The Order of Malta in some areas have cadets and youth group style activities.
-The Red Cross provide "Hand Care" to elderly people in some areas. Both of these are optional extras.
-St. John Ambulance are not active in Mayo or any neighboring counties that I am aware of.

The only real consideration may be to see which is busier in your area, which is located closer to you, the times and days of training, and the nature of the events you want to cover. (e.g. Red Cross may cover Rugby while Order of Malta cover GAA so perhaps if you prefer GAA you may as well join the Order). Mayo Civil Defence are very active on a National Level in assisting with major events like Oxegen, Tall Ships, etc so that may interest you either.

Increasingly there is more and more co-operation between the organisations - with them passing duties they cant cover on to sister organisations in the area or working together for larger duties.

miju

miju wrote: »

DON'T DO THIS. Joining all four to see which one fits will not exactly have you seen in the best light by any of the orgs as none of them are really in the business of tolerating that kind of stuff.

Just out of curiousity, why would they care if you want to try them all out?

Surely SJA won't turn you away for being a member of Malta (and vice versa)?

miju

Deleted User wrote: »

Surely SJA won't turn you away for being a member of Malta (and vice versa)?

I'd have no probs if someone came up to a meeting to see if the unit / org suits them happens alot and most stay after popping up, same would go for people who have left an org and moved to another org.

I'm talking about people who join one org then another while still in the original etc and it does happen, its a waste of everyones time to be frank. I'm aware of at least 3 seperate occasions of this happening in SJA

miju

miju wrote: »

I'm talking about people who join one org then another while still in the original etc and it does happen, its a waste of everyones time to be frank. I'm aware of at least 3 seperate occasions of this happening in SJA

That's what I'm talking about, too, though.

Why would SJA care if you're a member of Order of Malta already?

For example, if I'm in Order of Malta a couple of weeks and I like it, i'm getting into it and I look forward to the weekly meeting, etc. whats the harm in popping along to SJA aswell? I get more experience from being with more people, and also I'm hearing/learning the same things again, so i'm more familiar with them, SJA have gained a member who isn't completely clueless and has something to offer them right away, and both units have an additional member anyway.


I don't see how it's a problem?

limericklad87

its a waste of everyones time to be frank.

+1
I would think any of the organisations would be reluctant to invest time and money in training you if they knew you were a member of another voluntary first aid organisation at the same time
Lets not forget that these are voluntary organisatons that depend largely on donations and money recieved from duties done. I for one could not see a member of another organisation on top of the list to recieve a uniform.

both units have an additional member anyway.

Most of the duties covered by the vol orgs are at weekends. Therefore you would not be able to commit fully to either. I know you could say that other people who volunteer work at weekends part time or whatever,thats perfectly accpetable but to be volunteering with someone else is different.

I don't see how it's a problem

But to recieve free training from one organisation on a wednesday while another benefits from you the following saturday is just wrong i think

With all that said and done you can easily move from one organisation to another if thats what you want if lets say you don't like certain people or that they meet on a night not suited to you just don't do it multiple orgs at the same time, you'd be wasting your own time as well.

geraldine70

i would love to do some volunteer work!! im looking at gaining some experience as i am hopefully going to get accepted on a nursing studies course,im not accepted as such but i am high on the waiting list. any type of volunteer work at all!! im in the waterford city area

miju

OMAC have a unit in Waterford City all the details of the unit are on this page

IvySlayer

I'd love to do some Volunteer work! Order of Malta sounds very appealing to me. If anyone could PM me details about joining, I'll be very grateful.

limericklad87

pm sent,

Anyone else with any questions regarding OMAC....work away

Iceuil

I would love to do that too. Could you send me the info, please?