This weekend, St John Ambulance, Cork City, Ireland, provided first aid and ambulance cover for the Cork County Hurling Final between Sarsfield and Bride Rovers at Pairc UI Chaoimh. Twenty volunteers tended to the first aid needs of players and approximately twenty thousand spectators, and four St John Ambulance vehicles were standing by on site for the duration of the event.
 
St John Ambulance, Cork City, has a proud history of working at Pairc UI Chaoimh since the current stadium opened in 1974. During that time, our members have tended to many casualties, including some who have been revived by our members after suffering cardiac arrest.
 
In total, 7 automatic external defibrillators were onsite allowing our members to provide immediate care to those who need it most. Research has shown that early defibrillation is a key to survival for those who suffer cardiac arrest. St John Ambulance, Cork City, will continue to ensure that an adequate allowance of defibrillators, and members who are trained to use them, will be sent to each and every duty we cover. Only earlier this year, we saw how essential an adequate provision of defibrillators is at sporting events when members from St John Ambulance, Cork City, successfully deployed a defibrillator and saved the life of the casualty at Thomond Park in Limerick. As recently as two weeks ago, members of St John Ambulance, City of Dublin Division, deployed a defibrillator and saved the life of a participant in the Dublin Half Marathon. 
  
For this duty, St John Ambulance, Cork City, allocated a Crusader Ambulance, an off-road vehicle, an emergency response car, a cycle responder unit, and a minibus. Members also had access to a Lifepak300 Defibrillator/ECG, 2 Dinamap Monitors, a dedicated ECG unit and 3 resuscitation grab bags. Communication on the day was catered for through the use of the Division’s handheld radios and base units.

 As for the match, Sarsfields eventually won through with a score of 2-14 to 2-13. It was a closely contested final through-out the game. This is the first time that Sarsfields have won the championship in 51 years.