Issue Date: 13/11/2026
On the afternoon of Wednesday 11th November 2026 one (1) special VIP escort was coordinated and carried out at the height of the arrivals of Heads of State and Government for the European Political Community Meeting.
A time-critical medical transfer involving a patient requiring urgent specialist care was successfully completed across the country to Dublin Airport.
These time-critical medical transfers occur on a regular basis, with well-established inter agency protocols, so what was different on Wednesday?
As part of the policing and security operation for the EPC a Strategic and Tactical Control room was in place at An Garda Síochána Dublin Regional Control Centre. This Strategic and Tactical Control Room is supported by an on-site Strategic Stakeholder Co-ordination Centre.
The single dispatch call to an ambulance to collect this patient was monitored by the National Ambulance Service representative in the SSCC. Instead of numerous phonecalls between various agencies control rooms one conversation in the SSCC alerted and mobilised all of the states agencies on this VIP escort. Every agencies protocols were enacted simultaneously.
As the ambulance started its journey it was met and escorted across the country by Garda Roads Policing Units. Despite the demands for EPC related escorts in the Dublin region a National Escort motorcycle team was diverted to meet the medical escort approaching Dublin and complete this VIP escort to Dublin Airport.
On arrival at Dublin Airport the medical escort was immediately guided airside to a waiting HSE private air transport service and airborne within minutes of arrival.
From first phone call the patient arrived at the required medical facility in the UK within 4 hours, well within the target window for treatment.
This escort successfully completed through a coordinated multi-agency response involving the National Ambulance Service, An Garda Síochána, Dublin Airport Authority, Dublin Airport Security Team and Dublin Fire Brigade.
One phonecall, One unified response, one VIP escort.
Background Information:
A Strategic Stakeholder Co-ordination Centre is established to support An Garda Síochána Strategic and Tactical Command rooms during major events, policing and security operations. The SSCC brings together representatives from all the support emergency services and agencies including Health Service Executive, National Ambulance Service, Dublin Fire Brigade, Dublin City Council, National Transport Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann, LUAS, Dublin Airport Authority amongst others.
This ensures one unified and coordinated response across the duration of the event.
