New FSR Chairperson ‘honoured’ to lead city’s fourth emergency service

Pat Carlin, who has been volunteering for the city’s fourth emergency service for the last decade, said he is ‘committed’ to the role and to improving things for the 70 volunteers who devote their time to the organisation.

The Carrigans man said that being chairperson also carries a huge responsibility, something he was very aware of when he took on the role.

”It is a responsibility to all the volunteers, as they are the charity, and to the people in the community we are dealing with.

“Sadly, there is also the responsibility of engaging with the families of someone who has gone into the river, working with them and doing your level best being compassionate and understanding of what they’re going through.”
Pat said the numbers FSR have helped over the years are ‘huge’ and his time volunteering has led to many of the highs and lows of his life.
”The lows are obvious. The charity is all about preservation of life, and that is all life as we have rescued animals as well as people. We don’t want to lose anyone, but unfortunately that is not humanly possible.

“The highs come from the people who have been saved by the teams when they contact you afterwards, send you a letter or come and meet you. That is what it is all about and I hope to be part of FSR for as long as I can.”

Pat, who was born  in Glasgow to parents from Donegal, moved back to Ireland in the 1970s. He joined the Irish Army when he was 17 and spent over 30 years working in the Irish Military Police.

During his time in the army, Pat lost a colleague to suicide and he decided if an opportunity ever arose to volunteer with a suicide prevention organisation he would take it. That opportunity came along a decade ago, when Pat retired from the army and became an EMT (emergency medical technician). ”Within a few months of leaving the army I saw what at the time I called the guys with the orange jackets going up and down the Foyle. Then I saw an advert in a paper looking for volunteers. I applied and I have been there since. There is a lot of similarities with my old job - patrolling, observation, dealing with people and judging their behaviour and body language.”

Pat said his work experience has been a big help to him during his time in FSR.
”FSR is very much like a family. What we do isn’t what the normal member of the public would deal with on a daily basis, and all that has a certain stress on each individual. All the volunteers very much look after each other. We have a buddy buddy system in place and we can ring other agencies or a confidential helpline if we need to talk to someone outside the charity.”

After receiving his basic training, Pat progressed within the charity and took on a number of different voluntary roles within the organisation. As well as being chairperson of the committee, he is also the emergency response coordinator in charge of a team of 15 people who are on call 24 hours a day.

”My wife and three children are very much a part of my volunteering work. When they hear the radio or my phone they let me know there is a call out, they’re very well used to it. FSR wouldn’t exist without the volunteers and their families. My family are as much a volunteer as I am. I signed on the dotted line, not them, but they accept all the missed birthday parties, new years or celebrations. Without our families, none of the volunteers could do their job.”

Pat said the generosity of the people of Derry has been ‘fantastic’ over the years and he praised the local community for continuing to support the charity despite the difficulties they may be facing as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We depend hugely on public support and as long as that it there we will be able to continue doing what we are doing.”

During his tenure as chairperson, Pat hopes to expand some of the highly skilled teams, including the sonar team and swift water teams, and secure more modern equipment.

“We would also like more volunteers as the more people we can get in the better.”