THE GARDAÍ, COAST Guard, Defence Forces and Dublin Fire Brigade have joined forces with the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) to promote the importance of giving blood.

Stephen Cousins, IBTS national donor services manager, said emergency services “experience firsthand the importance of blood donation and many are committed donors”.

“The IBTS needs about 3,000 donations a week to keep hospitals supplied with blood. Over the Summer months, particularly when the weather is good, there can be a sharp decline in attendance at our clinics. This is why we urge people to give blood regularly as it has a shelf life of just 35 days and is in constant demand.”

Cousins said the IBTS would be unable to supply Ireland’s hospitals with blood “without the generosity of the public”.

Blood saves lives. Members of the emergency services are acutely aware of the impact a blood transfusion can make to someone in need, as they are part of the first response team to scenes of accidents or emergency situations. They know that their jobs would become significantly more difficult without a constant supply of blood to Irish hospitals.

Bevin Herbert of the Dublin Fire Brigade noted that firefighters “see the need for blood donations on a regular basis, particularly when responding to RTAs”.

“A car accident victim may require up to 30 units of blood. Firefighters are urging people to share their commitment to saving lives by giving blood this summer.”

Almost 200 transfusions are performed each day in Ireland.