Portlaoise Community First Responders

03/09/2026

Throughout September, we want to raise awareness of Public Access AEDs alongside our current campaign to install more Public Access AEDs across Portlaoise.

We’re encouraging all local Businesses, Sports clubs, Schools and Community Groups to considering registering their AED with the National Ambulance service.

Here are some important facts to know to highlight the difference registering your AED can make in a cardiac arrest :

👉🏻 The survival rate of a cardiac arrest increases to 50-75% when an AED is used in within 3 minutes.

👉🏻A bystander using an AED increases the survival rate to 38-50% percent in cases of cardiac arrest.

👉🏻For every minute without using an AED, the survival rate drops by 7-10%

Registering your AED allows the National Ambulance Service to direct callers to the nearest AED once an Eircode is provided during a cardiac arrest 112/999 call.
Having more registered AEDs across Portlaoise can help the community in a cardiac arrest to get to the nearest AED to them, and increase the chance of survival. It’s vital to the community of Portlaoise to have as many Public Access AEDs as possible.

You can scan the QR code, or click the link below to register your AED! 👇🏻
Additionally, we can assist in helping you register your AED, if you have any questions or need assistance, please email [email protected]

https://surveys.hse.ie/t/AED_Form/

We can also arrange free checks for your AED to ensure it’s functional, as well as information sessions on how to register your AED You can contact us via our email to arrange one of these sessions!

Alongside this, we are continuing to raise funds to install more Public Access AEDs across Portlaoise.
If you’re interested in supporting us, you can do so via our GoFundMe below👇🏻

https://gofund.me/8ff5cdc46

08/08/2026

Thanks to Leinster Express / Laois Live for their great article about our new campaign! over the coming days we’ll be sharing details on how businesses and individuals can sponsor an AED or heated box.

We have a live GoFund Me to raise funds for more Public Access AEDs across Portlaoise, if you’d like to donate, the link is below! 👇
Please share to raise awareness of our campaign.❤️

https://gofund.me/db7abf3f3

Big hearted volunteers in Portlaoise Community First Responders launch campaign for more public defibrillators

05/08/2026

Today marks the official launch of our Public Access Defibrillator campaign.

The main goal of this campaign is to install a minimum of 5 additional public access AEDs across Portlaoise. This will allow any members of the community to have easy access to an AED should a situation arise.
We also have additional goals including the following:
❤️CPR and AED demo sessions to help remove the fear of what to do in a Cardiac Arrest.
❤️lobbying local and government representatives for the installation of Public Access AEDs in any new housing developments in Portlaoise.
❤️Assisting established housing estates to install their own Public Access Defibrillator
❤️Register your AED: We are urging all businesses, sports clubs, retail outlets hotels etc to register their AED with the National Ambulance Service. You can contact us for further details.

This will be a long running campaign, and we are calling on members of the public, businesses and community groups to consider donating. We will have a GoFund Me launching tomorrow that will be used to run this campaign.

We want to thank everyone who attended our campaign launch today, including Cathaoirleach Catherine Fitzgerald, Cllr Barry Walsh, Deputy Sean Fleming, Laois People , Leinster Express / Laois Live and members of the Portlaoise Fire service. We also want to thank those who couldn’t attended but showed their support otherwise.

We also want to thank all the members of the community for their continued support❤️
You can watch our campaign launch speech below, where our Group Coordinator Colm Owens and our Fundraising Coordinator Claire Dunne outlined the goals of this campaign.

04/08/2026

Portlaoise Community First Responders have a big announcement to make tomorrow!
Keep an eye on our social media pages tomorrow, August 5th to find out more☺️

27/07/2026

We had an amazing time over the weekend at Forest Fest and talked to so many people and had great support from all over the country! It helped spread awareness of the importance of having Public Access Defibrillators in their own communities.

This wouldn't be possible without the go ahead from Philip Meagher and Josh from Native Events.
We want to thank all of our CFRs who gave up their time over the weekend as well as family and friends who helped out and travelled from Dublin and Kilkenny also.
We also want to thank Emo GAA for their help over the weekend.
❤️🎸

24/07/2026

Reminder‼️
We’ll be at Forest Fest all weekend with Emo GAA collecting your Re-turn bottles and cans!
This is to help us raise fund towards more Public Access AEDs in Portlaoise!
Have a safe and fun weekend to all attending 😊
Thanks again to the Forest Fest team and to Emo Gaa for allowing us to do this and for their support🙌🏻

Portlaoise Community First Responders have great news. 🎉
We are collecting Returns Bottled and Cans this weekend at Forest Fest Emo along with Emo Gaa.
Any funds we raise will be used towards a new Public Access Defibrillator in Portlaoise.
So dont dump your waste ,save your waste for Portlaoise Community First Responders and Emo Gaa.
Thank you to Philip Meagher Emo GAA and all the Forest Fest Team for allowing us to do this.

Stay tuned over the coming days when we have a really big announcement to make!!

20/07/2026

Portlaoise Community First Responders have great news. 🎉
We are collecting Returns Bottled and Cans this weekend at Forest Fest Emo along with Emo Gaa.
Any funds we raise will be used towards a new Public Access Defibrillator in Portlaoise.
So dont dump your waste ,save your waste for Portlaoise Community First Responders and Emo Gaa.
Thank you to Philip Meagher Emo GAA and all the Forest Fest Team for allowing us to do this.

Stay tuned over the coming days when we have a really big announcement to make!!

03/07/2026

Yesterday our two instructors Dee and Antanas joined some of the staff at the Midlands Park Hotel to deliver the certified Hands for Life CPR course. A huge thank you to the staff of the Midlands Park Hotel for having us, and a special thank you to Maureen for helping organise this!

We offer free certified CPR courses to any businesses, clubs, or groups across Laois. If you’re interested in learning how to do CPR, use an AED and learn essential life saving skills, you can contact us on social media or via our email:
[email protected]

27/06/2026

Today we were joined by to official launch the NEW AED machine for the local area.

It was through the help of People First Credit Union that the guys were able to push forward and install another community access machine.
The fabulous volunteers operate in a 7km radius around portlaoise and provide rapid lifesaving support in our community during critical moments, offering vital care before emergency services arrive.

27/06/2026

Portlaoise Community First Responders are proud to announce we have officially launched a brand new Public Access AED located outside The Make&Mark,Fairgreen. (R32 Y7F8)

In January we were runners up in the People First Credit Union Community Champion Award and received funding from them to install this AED. Without their support this would not be possible.
We sincerely thank People First Credit Union for their continued support to our group&to the community of Portlaoise.

We also thank Eoghan and The Make & Mark Portlaoise for kindly allowing us to install the AED outside their premises.

Having the AED in this area will help the community in the event of an emergency Cardiac Arrest.

Stay tuned and keep an eye on our pages for some very exciting news over the coming weeks where we will be making a big announcement on how we aim to keep the community safe😁😁😁