NI Water Provides Radio Towers for Foyle Rescue Service
12 February 2020 15:17
NI Water’s Telecoms Facilities Manager Bertie McShane says, “NI Water has provided radio tower facilities to support the valuable work of Foyle, Search and Rescue. The charity has a radio network which is essential to life saving operations and enables instant communications for pager volunteers who respond from home and work to emergency calls. The network allows for volunteers to be co-ordinated as soon as pagers are activated and save vital minutes which could be the difference between a life lost or life saved. NI Water is delighted to play a role in this valuable service.”
Foyle Search and Rescue’s Operations Officer, Sean Edwards says, “Technology has moved on significantly in the 26 years since Foyle Search and Rescue was first founded, and mobile radio technology now gives us direct access to statutory services for calls of assistance. We would like to thank NI Water for their help in enhancing the radio facilities.
“Having this new radio system and improved radio tower facilities at three NI Water sites, will allow to us to communicate more efficiently, and travel further afield in times of emergency. The charity can be called on at any time to assist in an emergency, not only in the North West, but across Northern Ireland, assisting in flooding and other rescue and recovery operations, in areas such as Strabane and Limavady but even as far afield as Belfast if requested. Having a modern and up to date form of communication is absolutely essential to the volunteers at Foyle Search and Rescue, who give up their time to selflessly help others.
Mr Edwards added: “With the support from St Eugene’s Parish in the city, which provided funding towards the radio licenses, we were able to get the radio tower facilities enhanced, much more quickly than we had planned. We rely heavily on the help and support of local people, so to have the community support us, has been incredibly humbling for us all.”