The teams are making their way to Limerick, where they will compete against one another to find out which of the 26 countries in Europe is the best at treating injuries and saving lives.

Competitors at such events in the past have faced difficult and often traumatic scenes involving life-like reconstructions of crush injuries, car crashes, burns and violent crime, including gunshot injuries.

Right now the final touches are being put to the staging of this challenging event, taking place all day on Saturday next (7 July). Competitors will have to get through a marathon 28-stage route, spread out over a 7km circuit circling the circling the campus of the University of Limerick.

This is the first time that this annual event has been hosted in Ireland.

Known as FACE (First Aid Convention in Europe), the choice of Ireland as a venue is a significant recognition of the Irish Red Cross which is hosting this all-day competition.

The public are invited to attend the competition which promises to have lots of fun action events at which the public can learn basic life-saving First Aid techniques. There are more than a hundred million medical interventions across Europe each year, and many of these could be prevented if more people knew how to treat small injuries themselves and prevent further harm.

Admission is free and regular free shuttle buses will take spectators from Limerick City Centre to the University of Limerick campus.

Note to Editors: The press are also welcome to attend. Journalists are invited to the Press Centre, Dromroe Village, where accreditation and information will be provided. Professional photography will be available.

Essential Information

1. The competition is one element of a four-day long convention, known as the First Aid Convention in Europe (FACE).
2. It is therefore the hallmark of excellence and is the only international recognition for life-saving First Aid.
3. 26 countries from the Atlantic to the Adriatic are fielding teams of their best lifesavers to take part in this event.
4. The competition begins at 8.30am and will last until 6.50pm.
5. There are 28 different stations along a 7km long route circling the grounds of the University of Limerick.
6. Life-threatening and other serious injuries and conditions will test the abilities of competitors at half of the 28 stations.
7. Graphic and realistic injuries will be acted out by specially trained personnel who "simulate" or act the part -using professional make-up and props.
8. Competitors will be assessed on their speed, skill and kindness when treating patients.
9. The remaining 14 stations consist of fun challenges & quizzes, with opportunities for the public to pick-up a few vital First Aid tips.
10. Scenarios past competitions have included treatment for both children and adults for choking, burns, traumas (such as car-accident injuries) and heart failure.

Irish Red Cross Key Messages

1. The Irish Red Cross is part of the worldÂ's largest voluntary movement, with 97 million volunteers in 185 countries.
2. The organisation, and people associated with it, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize more often than any other single entity - four times in total.
3. The Red Cross is formally recognised by the Geneva Conventions for its special role in assisting civilians, prisoners and injured combatants who have ceased fighting.
4. The Irish Red Cross has well over a hundred branches throughout Ireland.
5. The Irish Red Cross is the most widely recognised provider of First Aid training in Ireland.¹
6. More than a hundred million medical interventions are required in Europe every year as a result of accidents, cardiac arrests and disasters.
7. Ireland has one of the highest cardiac fatality rates in Europe.
8. About a thousand new members have joined the Irish Red Cross in the last year alone as a result of an innovative scheme to place life-saving defibrillators in communities around the country, which is essential to save lives in Ireland. "The time to defibrillation is the single most important determinant of survival after cardiac arrest." ²
9. This defibrillator programme is part of a complete overhaul of the organisationÂ's services in Ireland, which has seen:
   

   • Well over €3 million invested in its fleet of ambulances and minibuses.
   • 34,000 people trained in CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) in the last 3 years.
   • 300 members trained to train people in First Aid and other life-saving techniques.

10. The Irish Red Cross, which was created by statute in 1939, is the only organisation run by volunteers that is specifically named in the governmentÂ's blueprint for emergencies.³

¹ Millward Brown/IMS Survey 2003.

² "Reducing the Risk: A Strategic Approach. The Report of the task Force on Sudden Cardiac Death", Department of Health and Children 2006
³ "A Framework for Major Emergency Management, Department of Health and Children, 2006, p.62

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