Sunday 17 May 2009 The emergency services engaged in a series of practical medical response tests in the border region this weekend. The tests will help to ensure that the emergency services in the border region of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are well prepared to work together, in the event of a serious accident or natural disaster requiring a large-scale medical response. Magilligan Training camp in Co. Derry hosted the unique cross border ‘Advanced Life Support’ training and communication exercise, designed to test the ability of both ambulance services, North and South, to work co-operatively and to […]

Monday 28 April 2008 A large scale cross border exercise took place in the coastal area of Ballykinler in County Down this weekend.  The exercise was organised to test the ability of both the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and the Republic’s National Ambulance Service to respond jointly in the event of a major medical emergency in the border region. This is the first time that such an exercise has been co-ordinated in this area of the border and is a follow up an earlier test in 2007 in the North West. The exercise involved months of preparation by the ambulance […]

Saturday 21 April 2007 How would the ambulance services and hospitals respond if there was a major medical emergency which stretched the normal response capability of such services in the border region, for example in the event of a multiple vehicle transport accident or a large-scale industrial incident resulting in multiple injuries? Would the existence of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland reduce the effectiveness of an emergency services response? These were some of the uncertainties put to the test on Saturday 21 April 2007 in a major cross border emergency exercise held in the coastal […]