RAPID TEST RECOGNITION

RAPID TESTING RECOGNITION

FF/P Tom Larkin was recently given the Lord Mayor’s Award for his role in the fast-track COVID-19 testing of DFB staff.

“The single most important tool in DFB’s resilience throughout our response to the COVID-19 pandemic”

FF/P Tom Larkin with the March Lord Mayor’s Award. Credit: Conor McCabe.

In March, North Strand FF/P Tom Larkin was honoured with a Lord Mayor’s Award for his work in helping to establish the fast-track COVID-19 testing facility for Dublin Fire Brigade members at the

Rotunda Hospital.

Held annually in previous years, the awards have recently been given on a monthly basis, with March focusing on candidates from the emergency services.

FF/P Larkin was instrumental in initiating the system that saw DFB members able to get tested for COVID-19 as quickly as possible at the Rotunda, meaning a suspected case that proved negative could see personnel return safely to work within hours, rather than having to isolate and remain off duty while waiting for a test and subsequent result. In our summer/ autumn issue, ACFO Greg O’Dwyer described this system as “the big game changer”, detailing how personnel could be tested at 9am and have the results back the same day. “In the first three days of the system coming in, we were able to allow 50 people back to work,” he said at the time.

IDEA

“I simply had a far-fetched idea and plan to get DFB staff tested quicker, which was successful,” FF/P Larkin said upon receiving the award. “At the start of the pandemic, I volunteered to work on a COVID-19 Crisis Committee and one of the issues we had was the ability to have firefighter/paramedics deemed close contacts or symptomatic tested more quickly.

“The problem was not unique to DFB, it was a national problem, but it was affecting the health and welfare of staff due to increased anxiety for them and their families isolating for days awaiting a test, and it had the potential to affect our service.”

PLAN

With his sister Suzanne, who works in the ultrasound department of the Rotunda Hospital, FF/P Larkin made an informal approach to Dr Carole Barry at the hospital, who supported the proposal of a fast-track system. This resulted in a formal request being made to the Master of the Rotunda, Professor Fergal Malone, and Hospital Secretary Jim Hussey, by CFO Dennis Keeley.

From there, DFB management finalised and implemented the testing process with the Rotunda, with the rapid testing of DFB personnel playing a significant role in ensuring a 100% service was maintained throughout the pandemic.

FF/P Larkin also commented: “I intend to share the gift voucher with Suzanne, who was also an integral part of the chain, and thank Master of the Rotunda Hospital Professor Malone and his staff for facilitating DFB.”

Speaking about the award, Lord Mayor Hazel Chu said: “I am delighted that this month’s award has gone to someone from Dublin Fire Brigade. I think I speak for the whole City when I say how proud we all are of the work the Fire Brigade have done, and continue to do, during this pandemic. Tom is a great example of someone who saw a problem and used their initiative to solve it. I was very impressed by his selflessness. Well done Tom!”

RESULT

The DFB end of March Communications Bulletin summed up the achievement, saying: “The success of the partnership with the Rotunda Hospital for rapid testing of DFB personnel has been the single most important tool in DFB’s resilience throughout our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The staff at the Rotunda testing centre and laboratory have been extremely reliable and efficient in processing all requests from DFB, ensuring a rapid turnaround and the ability of our personnel to return to work as soon as possible.”