Critical CFR - West Limerick

❤️‍🔥 Is it a Heart Attack – or Something Else?
Don’t take chances — knowing the signs can save a life! 🚑

✅ Common Signs of a Heart Attack:

🔴 Chest pain, pressure or tightness – like something heavy sitting on your chest
🟠 Pain spreading to arms, neck, jaw, back or stomach
🔵 Shortness of breath
🟡 Nausea, light-headedness or breaking out in a cold sweat
⚠️ Can come on suddenly or gradually – symptoms vary (especially in women)

⸻

🤔 Might It Be Something Else?

🌀 Heartburn or Indigestion?
– Burning in chest after eating
– Usually relieved by antacids
– No pain in arm or breathlessness

😣 Anxiety or Panic Attack?
– Rapid heartbeat
– Chest discomfort
– Feeling faint or shaky
– Usually comes with fear or emotional stress

💨 Asthma or COPD?
– Difficulty breathing, wheezing
– No chest pressure or radiating pain
– May respond to inhalers

⸻

🚨 When in Doubt — CALL 112 or 999!

Don’t wait to “see if it passes.” It’s better to be safe than sorry. Fast action can save heart muscle — and save a life. 🫀

🧑‍⚕️ Get trained in CPR and AED use — your quick response can make all the difference.

Are you looking to do something important in your community - what about becoming a community first responder ?

Critical CFR | West Limerick are holding a recruitment campaign and would love to hear from you. See contact details below.

Critical - Emergency Medical Response

Today is World Restart a Heart Day ⚡️❤️

Why not take a few minutes of your day to learn CPR which could save a persons life in your community.

The Chain of survival starts with YOU!

Find your nearest CRITICAL | CPR event on becomeacfr.ie/restartaheart

*CRITICAL | Blackwater
*CRITICAL | Carrick On Suir
*CRITICAL | Deansgrange
*CRITICAL | Macroom

Critical - Emergency Medical Response
" Empowering Communites to Save Lives ".

Take a look at this picture from a recent set-up at a training event with members of CRITICAL Macroom Community First Responders group.

These training events are vital and are supported by the members of CRITICAL staff and the National Ambulance Service (NAS) staff where some of the group members are EMTs/paramedics passing over their vital knowledge. 👏

We are deeply saddened to hear of the untimely passing of Micheàl. On behalf of the volunteer CFRs who respond on behalf of CRITICAL, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Micheàl's wife, children, family and wide circle of friends & colleagues.

We at CRITICAL are deeply saddened this morning at the news of the passing of our former CEO Micheál Sheridan. On behalf of the entire team and trustees at CRITICAL we would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Micheál’s family at this very difficult time.

Always at the core of what Micheál did during his time at CRITICAL was to ensure that lives were made better through the work of the charity. He put others before himself and made such a significant impact with his work here. Micheál led the CRITICAL team with professionalism, dedication and compassion and his work has helped to save the lives of hundreds of people across the country.

Micheál led the Irish Community Air Ambulance and then CRITICAL for three years, from January 2021 to January 2024. Under his leadership the charity showed how vital the helicopter service is, so much so that it is now fully funded and provided by the state. He was integral in the relaunch of the charity as CRITICAL and helped to expand the team of emergency response volunteers from three to 20 counties.

CEO of CRITICAL David Tighe said; “We are all shocked this morning to hear of the passing of Micheál Sheridan. He worked tirelessly to help communities in Cork and around the country and his work will be remembered by all the volunteers, staff and trustees of CRITICAL. On behalf of the team I would like to express our sincerest condolences to his wife, children, family, friends and his colleagues at the Mercy Hospital Foundation.”

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

📢 Calling all schools in West Limerick!!
Help support your community by hosting a fundraising day in aid of Critical - Emergency Medical Response and our lifesaving volunteer work across West Limerick 🚑.

www.criticalcharity.ie/get-involved/schools/

It was a pleasure to meet Ewan and his family recently, an honour to volunteer to help within the community of West Limerick.

Ewan aged 13, collapsed & suffered a cardiac arrest while playing with Newcastle West FC in February.
Football coaches Mícheál Reidy & Niall McEnery, immediately contacted the emergency services, & started CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on Ewan, kept him alive until emergency services arrived and took over.

🚨A massive multi-agency response was launched when Ewan’s coaches dialled 999 at the scene, which included our volunteers from Critical CFR - West Limerick who were first on the scene, the National Ambulance Service (NAS) , An Garda Siochana, Newcastle West Fire And Rescue, Templeglantine CFR , an off-duty Red Cross Emergency Medical Technician, as well as a paediatric team of medics which had been returning to University Hospital Kerry from Crumlin Children’s Hospital at the time.

The emergency teams were able to restart the boy’s heart and he was brought to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) where he was stabilised before being transferred to Crumlin Children’s Hospital in Dublin for further treatment.

CEO of the CRITICAL Charity, David Tighe said "This is a wonderful example of what is happening across the country every day of the year with our emergency services and volunteer responders working together to save lives, and it takes an incredible team effort to restart a heart when someone suffers a cardiac arrest.

“The quick action of Ewan’s coaches and the collaboration between CRITICAL’s volunteer responders, the paramedics, HSE doctors and nurses, the fire service and Gardaí has resulted in this young man walking out of hospital just a few weeks later."

📢Our immense thanks to our volunteers that responded to Ewan, who so frequently leave loved ones, family functions, dinners to help within the community.

Seàn Horgan, one of our said "It's days like this that are so rewarding as a Paramedic & a volunteer with CRITICAL CFR -West Limerick, we wish Ewan all the very best for the future"

For more information on our charity, visit www.criticalcharity.ie