About the Civil Defence

Civil Defence is a volunteer based organisation that supports the front line emergency services and assist in our local communities.

Civil Defence has 3,500 volunteer members throughout Ireland. We have volunteers trained in each of the following services:

We support the frontline emergency services in dealing with severe weather, flooding, major accidents, water supply for fire fighting operations and searching for missing people.

Civil Defence supports hundreds of community events throughout the year. These include large events such as air shows, concerts and festivals, sports events. We also support smaller local events such as parades.

Civil Defence services are delivered through the Civil Defence Officer (CDO) who is a full time employee of Meath County Council and is responsible for the day-to-day management of Civil Defence matters.

In the day to day management of Civil Defence training and operations at local authority level the CDO is assisted by a key team of Volunteer Instructors and Officers.

Civil Defence members make themselves available for training, exercises or operations on a voluntary basis and have been involved in many high profile events over the past number of years including severe weather events, searches for missing persons and industrial accidents.

The International symbol for Civil Defence (blue triangle on an orange background) 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.