Voluntary spirit to the fore during Storm Emma
LOCAL volunteers were out in force to provide assistance wherever it was needed during the recent atrocious weather conditions.
Kilmacthomas men Nicky Butler and James Power are members of the Civil Defence and Kilmacthomas Cardiac First Responder Group and were among those involved in such duties in Waterford.
They were on the frontline during Storm Emma and its aftermath, providing assistance throughout Mid-County Waterford.
Their duties ranged from transferring dialysis patients to University Hospital Waterford (UHW), to transporting maintenance workers to water pump stations, to checking in on elderly people to ensure they had adequate supplies.
The enthusiastic volunteers were constantly engaging with a number of different contacts and were responding wherever they were needed.
Nicky explained that he was active from 7.30am on Friday last to 12am on Saturday.
James, who has extensive experience with the Fire Service, said he never experienced such a busy day.
A local dialysis patient, Ray Byrne from Brenan, needed to get to UHW and was brought by tractor into Kilmacthomas by local farmer Jack Walsh where Nicky and James were ready to meet him. Ray attends dialysis treatment at UHW four days a week.
Liz McCue in Hillview, Kilmacthomas is also a dialysis patient. She normally attends UHW for dialysis treatment on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for four hours each week.
Grateful: Dialysis Patient Liz McCue
The men called to Liz on the off-chance that she may require assistance.
“I was in such a panic. I was going out of my mind,” she told The Munster Express.
Liz was carried from her house and into a 4×4 vehicle and both patients were then transported to UHW.
“I’m ever so grateful for their assistance,” said Liz. (See News 4 for more)