Civil Defence is a statutory volunteer-based organisation that supports the front-line emergency services in dealing with severe weather, flooding, major accidents, emergency evacuation and searching for missing persons.
The service also supports hundreds of community events throughout the year including events organised through the Local Authority, large events such as air shows, tall ships, concerts and street festivals, sporting events as well as smaller local events such as parades.
There is currently approximately 2,500 volunteer members throughout Ireland, of which 55 are active in Donegal on a weekly basis. There is a Civil Defence Unit in each local authority area. The Department of Defence, through its Civil Defence Branch, is responsible for the overall policy direction of Civil Defence with the Local Authority having responsibility for the operational side of the service through the Civil Defence Officer and Assistant Civil Defence Officer.
Civil Defence services are delivered through the Civil Defence Officer (CDO) of Donegal County Council, who is a full-time employee of the local authority and is responsible for the day-to-day management of Civil Defence matters under the overall direction of the Chief Executive.
The Assistant Civil Defence Officer (ACDO) is a full-time employee of the Local Authority and is responsible for assisting the Civil Defence Officer in the day to day management of the Civil Defence Unit. He/she will generally report to the Civil Defence Officer and will, from time to time, be required to deputise for the Civil Defence Officer and must be willing to take on this challenge.
The International symbol for Civil Defence is worn by all members; to show they are part of a worldwide network of committed people, prepared to serve in their own country or overseas as part of practical disaster relief assistance. The international sign of Civil Defence is defined under Article 66, paragraph 4 of Schedule V to the Geneva Conventions Act.
Roles Duties & Responsibilities
The duties may include but are not limited to the following and the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.
The post, which involves administrative duties, will also involve manual work
The ACDO will assist the Civil Defence Officer in carrying out the following tasks:
- To assist in the preparation and submission in a timely manner and in consultation with Local Authority management, of the three-year Civil Defence Plan as required under Section 12 of the Civil Defence Act, 2012.
- To co-ordinate the arrangements necessary for the implementation of the Civil Defence Plan.
- The day-to-day facility management of Civil Defence HQ and all Donegal Civil Defence training sites.
- To represent Civil Defence within local emergency planning structures and to promote good relations with key personnel with each of the local Principal Response Agencies.
- To provide support to the Principal Response Agencies (Local Authority, An Garda Siochána and Health Service Executive (HSE)) in emergency and non-emergency situations in accordance with both the 2015 White Paper on Defence and the Framework for Major Emergency Management.
- Develop and build relationships with voluntary organisation within County Donegal to provide an effective emergency response.
- To formulate, and periodically review, such Civil Defence Plans as are required to comply with its statutory responsibilities.
- Provision of support in relation to community, charitable and Local Authority events.
- To implement / comply with the policies, circulars and guidelines as set out by the Local Authority and Civil Defence Branch of the Department of Defence.
- To attend training provided by the Department of Defence and Donegal Local Authority. These will be arranged ‘out of hours’. See section 5.(i) below for more information.
- To arrange for the recruitment, organisation and management of Civil Defence volunteers.
- To arrange and work with, the Civil Defence volunteers weekly, to ensure they are appropriately trained including mandatory training and facilitate progression of training for volunteers, including completing an annual training needs analysis.
- To carry out instructions issued by the Department of Defence in relation to the processing of the annual operational grant and any other grants that are provided.
- To carry out instructions issued by the local authority/Department of Defence for the purchase, care, maintenance, issue and control of Civil Defence uniforms, vehicles and equipment.
- To maintain adequate records, in the manner required by the relevant authority, and any other reporting requirements as may arise.
- Develop the use of emerging technological systems (e.g. Drone capacity, communications, etc.) to enhance Civil Defence Volunteers in their role of supporting local Principal Response Agencies
- To promote Civil Defence as a community resource within the Donegal Local Authority area.
- To assist the Civil Defence Officer in the Management of the Civil Defence Training Centres and the Civil Defence Vehicle Fleet.
- To assist the Civil Defence Officer in arranging and ensuring that all necessary equipment is readily available for training, for non-community events, and emergency response by the volunteers. This will require an element of physical and manual work.
- To attend where necessary, all appropriate Civil Defence training which is deemed necessary to ensure the teams are in a state of preparedness to respond to the Principle Response Agencies. This will periodically, involve night-time and weekend work, recoupable through time off in lieu.
- Such other duties appropriate to the office as may be determined from time to time including out of hours emergency duties and duties in relation to the area of any other local authority. The ACDO will have specific responsibility for the following tasks:
- Population and upkeep of the new Volunteer Equipment Management system (VEMS)
- Management of the Civil Defence Health and Safety System.
Donegal County Council
