Creeslough paramedic wins inaugural Dara Fitzpatrick award
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A paramedic who was one of the first responders at the scene of the explosion in Creeslough, Co Donegal has won the inaugural Dara Fitzpatrick Award.
The award was launched by the Irish Paramedicine Education and Research Network (IPERN) at the University of Limerick on International Women's Day to honour the memory of one of Ireland’s first female search and rescue pilots who lost her life in 2017 while on a rescue mission.
Frances Griffin said it was an “honour” to accept the award.
“Captain Fitzpatrick was an inspirational female leader in her role with the Irish Coast Guard — she left behind a powerful legacy which has inspired me and my female colleagues in pre-hospital care,” she said before thanking her colleagues and management in the National Ambulance Service.
IPERN chairwoman Niamh Cummins said that Ms Griffin’s nomination was “particularly powerful” out of the “five amazing finalists”.
“She’s just been fabulous across her career, she’s done so much work in the community and supporting her colleagues and particularly Creeslough,” Dr Cummins said.
A Creeslough local, Ms Griffin was among the first on the scene of the explosion in October which claimed 10 lives.
Commending the paramedic's strength and bravery, Dr Cummins said: “She knew it was likely that someone she knew would be involved and was completely focused and professional. She was involved in removing the most seriously injured patient from the rubble,” she said.
Ms Griffin also treated and stabilised another seriously injured patient at the scene.
“Both of those patients survived and she did actually personally know everyone involved,” Dr Cummins said, adding that, following the explosion, Ms Griffin had reached out to and supported colleagues.
A paramedic with the National Ambulance Service since 2002, Ms Griffin was nominated for the award by her work partner, Roddy Smith.
The Dara Fitzpatrick Award which aims to pay tribute to Ms Fitzpatrick’s legacy will be presented annually on International Women’s Day to an inspirational woman within Ireland’s pre-hospital care community.
Captain Dara Fitzpatrick flew over 800 missions with the Irish Coast Guard before her death in March 2017.
During a rescue mission, Captain Fitzpatrick and her three crew members Captain Mark Duffy and Ciarán Smith and Paul Ormsby lost their lives off the North Mayo coast following a crash.
Her sister, Niamh Fitzpatrick, outlined the values associated with the award, emphasising that compassion and kindness were among the most important qualities valued in a nominee.
Among those nominated was Eithne Davis who, over 25 years, has launched on service 164 times and trained at sea for over 396 hours. Ms Davis has been directly involved in saving nine lives while assisting in bringing 131 people at sea to safety.
• Eunice Langley was also nominated for the Dara Fitzpatrick award having founded Defibrillation and Resuscitation Access (DARA) in 2007.
• Finola Lafferty was nominated for her leadership in overseas deployments and compassion in civilian care during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Michelle O’Toole, an advanced paramedic, was nominated for her work on supporting the mental health of first responders and their families.
Dr Cummins said paramedicine is traditionally male-dominated, with less than a third of practitioners being women while just 16% of advanced paramedics are female.
“Progress is absolutely being made and diversity is improving across the ambulance service but we felt it was important to mark the contribution that women have made and continue to make to the profession.”