The National Ambulance Service (Irish: Serbhís Náisiúnta Otharchairr) is the statutory public ambulance service in Ireland. The service is operated by the National Hospitals Office of the Health Service Executive, the Irish national healthcare authority.

Uniform, vehicles and equipment

The operational uniform consists of green cargo trousers with a white open-neck shirt bearing the ambulance service crest as well as high-visibility outerwear for night time and poor visibility conditions. Clinical grade is depicted by use of coloured shoulder sliders; green for emergency medical technician, navy for paramedic, yellow for advanced paramedic and red for control operations staff. The dress uniform is navy blue with a white shirt and peaked cap. All front line ambulances operated by the service are CEN compliant. Almost identical to UK ambulances, they are yellow in colour with green and yellow battenburg markings along the vehicle. They are fitted with emergency lighting, digital radios, touchscreen data terminals, satellite navigation and tracking systems. The ambulance saloon is fully insulated with environmental control. Equipment includes a CEN stretcher, cardiac monitor/defibrillator, suction unit, diagnostic equipment, trauma kits, resuscitation kits, medications and oxygen. Ambulances are also capable of securely holding an incubator in place of a stretcher.

National Ambulance Service College

The National Ambulance Service College (NASC) (Irish: Coláiste Náisiúinta tSeirbhís Otharcarr) was first established in 1986 as the National Ambulance Training School and is based at the organisation’s new HQ named the River Building in Tallaght, which also houses the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC). 999/112 emergency calls are processed here also, as well as a second base in Ballyshannon, Donegal. Up until then, St. Mary’s Hospital in the Phoenix Park, Dublin was the training location in Dublin. There is also a second campus based in Ballinasloe, County Galway, which trains paramedics and Intermediate Care Operatives. The college provides training to NAS staff, hospital staff, the Garda Síochána, Defence Forces personnel and fire service personnel. It is operated by the National Ambulance Service and most of its courses are approved by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC). Paramedic and advanced paramedic programmes are conducted in conjunction with University College Cork.