Pictured at the unveiling of new additions to the Civil Defence fleet are (from left) Cllr Winston Bennett; Cllr Paddy McDonald; Cllr Peter McVitty; Tommy Ryan, Chief Executive, Cavan County Council; John Maguire, Civil Defence Officer; Hannah Martin, County Cavan Civil Defence; Fintan Cooney, County Cavan Civil Defence; Neil Doherty, Cavan Civil Defence; Cllr John Paul Feeley, Cathaoirleach Cavan County Council; Carmel Prior, Assistant Civil Defence Officer; Cllr Clifford Kelly; Cllr Trevor Smith; Cllr Patricia Walsh. PHOTO: Lorraine Teevan

Council signs €1M Civil Defence HQ refurb contract

The council has signed a contract, valued at just below €1 million, for the redevelopment of a new headquarters for Cavan Civil Defence.

Rodney Brady Contracting Ltd, Ardkilmore, Carrickaboy, has been appointed to carry out the works on three commercial units at Pullamore Business Park.

The premises were acquired by Cavan County Council back in July 2020, and are now being amalgamated and refurbished to provide a modern headquarters for Cavan County Civil Defence. The works will involve the demolition of all the current internal structures, and the redevelopment of one of the units for ancillary accommodation, to include welfare facilities, training rooms, offices, and stores.

The remaining two units will be combined for vehicle and large equipment storage.

Cavan County Civil Defence currently has 181 volunteers throughout the county, with 11 centres providing casualty teams, a boat team, a rope rescue team, a welfare team, a drone team, an auxiliary fire service team and a communications team.

Cavan County Civil Defence performed almost 1,000 duties in 2021.

County Cavan Civil Defence also unveiled new additions to its fleet of vehicles on Monday last, November 14, including an All-Terrain Vehicle, a new Ambulance, and two specially modified mountain bikes.

The All Terrain Vehicle was funded from the Dormant Accounts Fund through the Department of Defence, Civil Defence Branch at a cost of €35,000.

A replacement ambulance was meanwhile purchased with the Dormant Accounts Fund at a cost of €26,500.

The two new mountain bikes are modified to carry cardiac and medical response equipment. These bikes will be utilised at large crowd events and charity walks/runs to allow responders move within the crowd without endangering people or interrupting the event.