Lost Child & Vulnerable Individual Policy

Purpose

This procedure outlines the steps that need to be followed should TDLR receive notification of a Lost Child / Vulnerable Individual (LCVI) or a CRI Alert.

Scope

The requirements of this procedure apply to all TDLR relevant staff including but not limited to Customer Service, Customer Assurance Controllers, Customer Agents, Authorised Officers, Drivers, Luas Duty Managers, the Network Management Centre (NMC) and Safety.  

Definitions & Abbreviations

Procedure

Report of a Lost Child or Vulnerable Individual:

On receipt of a notification of a Lost Child, Vulnerable Individual (LCVI) or CRI Alert, the Luas Duty Manager (LDM) will instruct Operational staff (Traffic Supervisors, Customer Assurance Controllers and the Customer Service Team) to provide support as requested by the Luas Network Management Centre or by An Garda Síochána Child Rescue Ireland (CRI).

The procedure is to broadcast messages via PAs and PIDs across the network providing a description of the missing LCVI to both staff and passengers. Details of who / how to contact in the event of locating the LCVI are also provided.

If requested by CRI, the LDM will instruct the Traffic Supervisors to communicate directly to Drivers and Customer Assurance staff via a radio broadcast, notifying them of the incident and requesting them to be on the look-out. This can occur if there is a fear that the LCVI, or abductor, could abscond if aware that they are being sought.

In the event of an LCVI being located on the network:

TDLR staff will immediately notify the Luas Network Management Centre (Traffic Supervisors or Customer Assurance Controllers) of the situation via a closed communication channel. Information will then be relayed to the Luas Duty Manager for An Garda Síochána to be notified.

Where previously notified of an LCVI, Transdev staff will accompany the individual to the nearest Garda station,or will await the arrival of the Garda where instructed to do so.

Where no previous notification has been received, Transdev staff will accompany the individual to either their guardian (on the system, their home or other location where their guardian is present), or the closet Garda station.

Reasonable efforts will be made to have a TDLR team member of the same gender as the LCVI to accompany them.

In the event of a minor being found alone on tramway (not yet reported lost):

The TDLR staff member should contact the NMC and the Customer Service team to inform them of situation.

No radio broadcast should be made in this type of incident.

If no separation has been reported, then An Garda Síochána must be contacted and the staff member must bring the minor to the Gardai or the NMC should arrange for Gardai to attend. Gardai will then take the responsibility to identify who is the parent / guardian and arrange reunification.

In the event of a Child separation:

A driver when made aware of the separation of a child from a parent / guardian at a stop or whilst leaving a stop, will inform the NMC of the matter and stop the tram immediately. They will open the single door only, locate the child and reunite the child with the parent / guardian travelling with him or her.

Where a driver is informed of the separation of a child from a parent / guardian when travelling between stops, the driver will inform the NMC of the matter and drive to the next stop, this is best practice. They will open the single door only, locate the child and inform the NMC. The NMC will inform them on the process of reuniting the child with the parent / guardian. At no stage will a member of Luas staff leave the child and proceed onwards. This can only happen when all parties concerned are united.

How to report a Child separation:

If a child is separated from a parent / guardian there are several ways of informing the driver or the NMC of such a matter.

One is to press the red emergency button (SOS) at the Luas stop, each stop has one and it is located beside the ticket machine. This button allows you to talk directly to the NMC who will speak to the driver of the tram and start the process of reunification. The NMC also keep a camera on the person who is at the SOS button speaking to them and ensuring that they are fully informed.

There is also an emergency button on board the tram which allows you to talk directly to the driver.

There is an emergency handle on board the tram which when pulled, a passenger can bring the tram to a stop.