Firefighters step up to help NHS workers during coronavirus crisis

FIREFIGHTERS have stepped into the breach amid the coronavirus crisis by offering their support to embattled NHS workers fighting to save lives.
Firefighters from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service with doctors and nurses from the Intensive Care Unit at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.Firefighters from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service with doctors and nurses from the Intensive Care Unit at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.
Firefighters from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service with doctors and nurses from the Intensive Care Unit at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.

A total of 27 firefighters from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) have now been deployed across four of the region’s hospitals as those who normally put themselves in harm’s way to put out fires have joined doctors, nurses and therapy teams to provide support to intensive care units across the county.

It means medical teams have been receiving much needed help at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester.

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The hospitals have welcomed firefighters to work side by side with their clinical teams, working long and demanding shifts to help with tasks such as proning, a technique used in the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

Cate Leighton, divisional director of clinical professions at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, said: ‘The Critical Care team and wider trust are incredibly grateful for the enthusiasm and dedication of the firefighters who have volunteered to work with us and our patients.

‘They have brought a real boost to our staff during these difficult times and helped support them with a wide range of tasks.

‘While numbers are clearly moving in the right direction, we remain caring for a high number of patients with Covid-19 and knowing we have the support of our colleagues from the fire service is very important to all of us at PHU.’

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HFRS medical response and health lead, station manager, Alex Rhodes, said: ‘As a fire service we were pleased to be able to offer support to the amazing teams of NHS staff who have been working flat-out since the start of the pandemic.

‘Our firefighters have proved they have a valuable role to play and we are pleased that we have been able to offer assistance in this way.’

Watch manager Dan Joslin is one of eight firefighters detached to work in Portsmouth. He said: ‘When the opportunity came up to give a little help, I knew I wanted to get involved. We are helping the nursing staff with proning, turning and handling patients, and it has been well received.

‘They have been dealing with this for almost a year so I was keen to support them in whatever way I could.

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‘I think the experience and the backgrounds we’ve got has set us up to help. It’s a real privilege that we’ve been able to do this.’

Firefighters have access to twice-weekly lateral flow tests, vaccinations, and psychological support before and after detachments.

Since the start of the pandemic, firefighters from across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have been helping in a variety of ways to combat the spread of the virus.

This has included driving ambulances, training to become vaccinators at centres in both counties, responding to life-threatening medical emergencies as part of an enhanced co-responder service and performing other tasks to help the community.

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In January an agreement was struck between HFRS and South Central Ambulance Service (Scas) for firefighters to drive ambulances for an initial period of four weeks.

The move came amid the spike in cases which put severe pressure on critical services. Despite teams across Scas working tirelessly to reach communities across Hampshire, the surge in coronavirus was so relentless it had to request additional support to cope with demand.

But with a subsequent reduction in demand on the NHS, the venture concluded on Monday after a successful spell.

The firefighters who volunteered to join Scas already had extensive knowledge in delivering immediate emergency care (IEC).

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Assistant director of operations, area manager Dan Tasker, said: ‘These volunteers are the definition of everyone playing their part in the fight of Covid-19. I am so proud to see our teams playing a key role in protecting the local community.

‘I want to say a huge thank you to all those who volunteered their time and skills during this crucial time.

‘HFRS are ready, willing and able to support our NHS colleagues wherever we can.’

Paul Jefferies, assistant director of operations for Scas, said: ‘We are incredibly grateful to our partners in HFRS for their help and support during Covid-19.

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‘These firefighters were trained in spring 2020 to be able to drive our ambulances under emergency conditions and are also IEC trained so that they can be directed by and assist the clinician at the scene of an emergency.

‘Our colleagues in the fire service worked alongside our expert SCAS staff, driving our ambulances and assisting us in getting to those patients who really need our help, support and clinical treatment.

‘Fire service colleagues underwent driver training delivered by our SCAS teams but this built on the skills they already had to help support local communities.

‘This was a great opportunity to build on our joint-working relationships and also provided a fabulous opportunity for SCAS and HFRS to learn from each other.

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‘We would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners for their assistance during this time as we work together to care for our communities and of course, our patients.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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