A rise in gated housing developments across Dublin is making it harder for emergency crews to access homes in these areas, according to a senior member of Dublin Fire Brigade, reports Breaking News.
John Guilfoyle, assistant chief officer with DFB, told an inquest that restricted entry to such developments could lead to delays in reaching people who need urgent medical help.
He made the comments at Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Tuesday during the reconvened inquest into the death of Chris Dignam-Healy, the nephew of the late Aslan frontman, Christy Dignam, reports Breaking News.
Mr Dignam-Healy (27), a father of two from Ashbourne, Co Meath, passed away in the emergency department of the Mater Hospital in Dublin on January 23rd, 2023.
He had been taken to hospital by ambulance after reportedly suffering a heart attack while visiting an apartment at Gracepark Manor in Whitehall, Dublin, reports Breaking News.
The inquest had been adjourned in May at the request of Mr Dignam-Healy’s family, who had raised questions about how emergency services responded to the 999 call.
His mother, Therese Dignam, claimed there were witness accounts suggesting that ambulance crews were delayed in reaching the apartment, which she described as “full of people taking drugs.”
The court had previously heard that gardaí were unable to contact Rachel McGowan, the apartment resident who made the 999 call, despite multiple attempts, reports Breaking News.
Garda Aidan McHale informed the coroner, Dr Cróna Gallagher, that Ms McGowan was now believed to be of no fixed address.
Dr Gallagher had agreed to pause the inquest in May so that more details could be obtained from Dublin Fire Brigade, as she had no records at that point showing the exact time emergency services were called, reports Breaking News.
The inquest resumed with evidence showing the first emergency call for Mr Dignam-Healy came in at 11:51am on January 23rd, 2023, but an ambulance was not dispatched until 12:10pm.
Mr Guilfoyle stated the call was given a “Priority 1” status with a “Delta” code, meaning it was considered a “serious, life-threatening” emergency, reports Breaking News.
He explained this code suggested that while the patient was still breathing, he was “not alert.”
Mr Guilfoyle reviewed DFB logs and confirmed that all 14 available ambulance units were already attending to other emergencies at the time of the call.
He noted that the first available ambulance was sent to Gracepark Manor 19 minutes after the initial emergency call, reports Breaking News.
The court heard that the ambulance reached the gates of the apartment complex at 12:20pm but was unable to get inside.
After waiting, the crew left at 12:39pm to attend another call, having made four unsuccessful calls to the number that initially contacted 999 between 12:22pm and 12:38pm, reports Breaking News.
Another call for emergency assistance at the same apartment was received at 12:42pm, and a second ambulance arrived at 12:51pm.
By 12:53pm, records show the patient was being treated by paramedics.
Responding to questions from the coroner, Mr Guilfoyle said he would have expected someone in the apartment complex to notice the ambulance waiting for 19 minutes and help open the gate, especially at that time of day, reports Breaking News.
He also said he expected that the person who placed the 999 call would have answered follow-up calls from emergency responders.
When asked about hoax calls, Mr Guilfoyle explained that in 2023, DFB responded to 80,000 incidents, and in 3,300 of those, no contact was made with anyone at the scene.
He added that emergency crews always attempt to verify whether an ambulance is truly needed before leaving the location, reports Breaking News.
When asked why the second ambulance had no issue getting in, Mr Guilfoyle said it was his understanding that they accessed the complex through the Bonnington Hotel on Swords Road.
However, he said he could not explain why the first crew couldn’t get in while the second one could, reports Breaking News.
Asked under what conditions a crew would break down a gate, Mr Guilfoyle said such action would typically only occur in the event of a large fire posing a clear and immediate danger to life.
After hearing all the testimony, Dr Gallagher told the family she could not provide an answer to their “burning question” about whether Mr Dignam-Healy’s life could have been saved had the first ambulance gotten inside.
“Nobody can answer that,” she added, reports Breaking News.
The coroner said it was unclear exactly when Mr Dignam-Healy went from being critically ill to experiencing cardiac arrest, but noted his chances of revival were “still quite low.”
She added that by the time he reached the Mater Hospital’s emergency room at 1:40pm, it was likely he was beyond the point of resuscitation, reports Breaking News.
Dr Gallagher said the cause of death was multiple drug toxicity, citing post-mortem results that revealed high levels of cocaine, along with other substances including benzodiazepines, methadone, and sleeping pills.
She officially recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.
Expressing her condolences, the coroner described Mr Dignam-Healy’s death as “a complete shock to all of us,” reports Breaking News.
She also assured his family that “everyone did everything to assist him.”
Mr Dignam-Healy’s passing came just weeks after the family confirmed that Christy Dignam was receiving palliative care at home following a long hospital stay at Beaumont Hospital, reports Breaking News.
The singer had been diagnosed in 2013 with amyloidosis, an incurable condition caused by protein build-up, as well as myeloma, a type of blood cancer.
The beloved musician, who was open about his struggles with drug use—including in his autobiography This is Christy Dignam—died at home on June 13th, 2023, aged 63, reports Breaking News.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
