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Emergency Services

Inter-Agency Emergency Response Drill Tests National Preparedness

January 8, 2026 4 min read Dublin

A large-scale inter-agency emergency response drill involving Fire, Ambulance, and Gardaí tested Ireland's disaster preparedness capabilities. The exercise simulated a major incident scenario to evaluate coordination between emergency services.

Multi-Agency Coordination

The drill, codenamed "Exercise Unity," brought together over 500 personnel from Dublin Fire Brigade, National Ambulance Service, An Garda Síochána, Civil Defence, and the Defence Forces. The scenario simulated a major transport incident requiring mass casualty response.

The exercise tested communication protocols, resource deployment, command structures, and the ability of different agencies to work seamlessly together under pressure. Volunteer actors portrayed casualties to add realism to the scenario.

"Exercises like this are essential for ensuring our emergency services can respond effectively to major incidents. The coordination demonstrated today shows Ireland is well-prepared."

— National Emergency Coordination Group

Key Objectives

The drill evaluated several critical capabilities including initial response and scene assessment, establishment of incident command, triage and casualty treatment, inter-agency communications, and resource management under pressure.

Lessons Learned

Following the exercise, all participating agencies will conduct thorough debriefings to identify areas for improvement. Findings will be incorporated into updated emergency response protocols and future training programmes.

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