*Pictured at the signing of contracts for the development of the Clare Civil Defence Headquarters: (Front L-R) Carmel Greene, Head of Property Management, Clare County Council; David McInerney, Jada Projects Ltd.,; Cllr. Cathal Crowe, Mayor of Clare; Leonard Cleary, Deputy Chief Executive of Clare County Council; Larry Swift, Kelly RAC.; (Back L-R) Michael Corey, Project Design Team, Clare County Council; Adrian Kelly, Chief Fire Officer, Clare County Council; Liam Conneally, Director of Economic Development, Clare County Council; Carmel Kirby, Director of Physical Development; Noel Carmody, Civil Defence Officer, Clare County Council; David Buckley, Department of Defence.
Work on the delivery of a €2.7m upgrade and refurbishment of the new location of the Clare Civil Defence Headquarters has begun.
Contracts were signed between Clare County Council and Jada Kelly RAC Joint Venture earlier this month for the upgrade and refurbishment of a building in the Quin Rd Industrial Estate which will become the new HQ of the Clare Civil Defence.
Currently there are ninety active volunteer members of the Clare Civil Defence, the Quin Rd campus will incorporate a modern Civil Defence HQ with full facilities for the volunteers plus training facilities and an area to store and manage the fleet of operational vehicles used by Civil Defence. The fleet currently includes three ambulances, three 4×4 jeeps, a communications vehicle, Search & Rescue van, Mini-bus and Operational Support Van, as well as two Boats, one Rescue Watercraft and a Rescue Raft. The building will also house a Records Management Centre for Clare County Council.
Phase one of the overall development will be completed during the first quarter of 2020. Mayor of Clare, Cllr Cathal Crowe said the contribution made by Clare Civil Defence and their volunteers to the county was “significant. The total number of operational duties carried out in 2018 was 157. This new building will allow it to be delivered at the highest level.”
Leonard Cleary, Deputy Chief Executive of Clare County Council, said, “The partnership approach adopted by Clare County Council and Department of Defence in delivering this project will strengthen the capacity of Clare Civil Defence to build on their brilliant service to the people of Clare during all events, such as festivals and severe weather which we have experienced in recent years.”
“This new campus will complement our objective of increasing the services that we can provide to the people of Clare, it will attract new volunteers and allow training to be delivered to the highest possible level. In particular the training facility will provide scope for collaboration with other parties in the facility,” commented, Chief Fire Officer with the County Council, Adrian Kelly.
According to Clare Civil Defence Officer, Noel Carmody the development “has the potential to become the most modern Civil Defence Headquarters in the country, with significant potential as a training site. We anticipate that building works will be substantially completed within 6 months with the opening taking place in spring 2020.”
