Firefighters assisting setting up mass testing sites in Derbyshire

Derbyshire Firefighters are assisting Derbyshire County Council with the logistics of setting up mass Covid testing sites in Derbyshire.

Over the last couple of days, Wholetime Firefighters from Swadlincote and On-Call Firefighters from across the Service have been assisting setting up the sites ready for testing to begin on the 21 December initially in Swadlincote.

Group Manager Nathan Stevens said: “Firefighters have been working with colleagues at Derbyshire County Council handling heavy boxes of testing equipment as they arrive on site, setting up tables and gazebos and organising the one way system that will be essential for the efficient running of the mass testing sites.”

This latest work to support the community response to the pandemic comes on the back of a range of activities carried out by operational and support staff across the Service. Since March the Service has assisted with the delivery of over 23,000 prescriptions, made telephone calls to vulnerable members of the community and those shielding, provided support, expertise and training to enable NHS colleagues to carry out essential face mask fitting, supported the delivery of clinical and research equipment and assisted colleagues at East Midlands Ambulance Service by providing 12 operational Firefighters to be trained to drive non blue light urgent care vehicles.

Group Manager Stevens went onto say: “Since the start of the pandemic, as part of the local resilience forum and with the support of the Fire Brigades Union, the Service has been working with its partners to assist wherever possible as part of the Ready, Willing and Able campaign to support the community response to Covid19. When the request to assist our partners at Derbyshire County Council came in, we were only too happy to help them however possible.”