COVID-19


homes, as part of an agreed ‘critical risk-based service’. FRSs would ‘cease’ most of their home fire safety checks and also avoid hospitals, care homes and residences of vulnerable people, to ‘limit coronavirus cross-infection between firefighters and the public’. This was agreed between the FBU, NFCC and National Joint Council, with firefighters and control staff to provide a ‘critical risk-based service’ to ensure residents ‘remain protected’ for the duration of the outbreak. The announcement added


that requests from either central or devolved governments for additional support ‘will be considered by all sides’, and agreed to ‘minimise protection activity’, such as the aforementioned home safety checks, ‘except for where deemed necessary by a risk assessment’. FRSs should ‘avoid visiting


hospitals, care and nursing homes or any other premises where vulnerable people reside’, except in the case of a fire or other emergency, with ‘any request for non-emergency visits by homeowners or premises staff’ needing to be agreed by service management. Finally, the groups will ‘continuously review’ the types of incidents firefighters attend ‘in line with the associated risk of infection’. The FBU had called for firefighters


to ‘cease all non-emergency interactions with the public’, including both fire safety visits and inspections, school visits and public meetings, as well as calling for ‘tightened restrictions on access to control rooms’, which many FRSs ‘already have complied with’. It also called for priority coronavirus testing for FRS staff, after a number of FRSs ‘reported losing hundreds of personnel to self-isolation’. These included ‘at least’ 280


London Fire Brigade (LFB) personnel, or 5% of its staff; 105 West Midlands FRS personnel, or 5.5% of all staff; and 285 Scottish FRS staff.


FRS support for other services An ‘unprecedented’ agreement between the FBU, NFCC and FRSs


will see firefighters deliver food and medicines, drive ambulances and retrieve dead bodies during the pandemic, with all three stakeholder groups – the FBU, NFCC and FRS employers – agreeing a ‘joint national approach to the crisis […] for the first time’. This is, all three added, because of the ‘scale of the national crisis and the urgency of the response required’. In addition to delivering essential


items including food and medicines to the vulnerable, firefighters will drive ambulances and assist ambulance staff, and ‘retrieve dead bodies, should the outbreak cause mass casualties’, while also continuing to respond to ‘core emergencies’ including fires and road traffic collisions. These additional services are ‘specifically related to COVID19’, with the agreement stating that ‘core responsibilities must be maintained throughout the crisis’. All involved will meet weekly to ‘discuss any additional requests for assistance made’ by local resilience forums and strategic coordination groups, and any considered ‘will be risk assessed’, with FRS personnel being given any ‘necessary additional training’ as well as the appropriate personal protective equipment. Initially in place for two months, this agreement can be ‘extended or shortened if agreed between all parties’, and will be temporary to ‘tackle’ the pandemic. FBU secretary general Matt


Wrack commented: ‘We face a public health crisis unparalleled in our lifetimes. The coronavirus outbreak is now a humanitarian emergency and firefighters rightly want to help their communities. To get through this, we must find ways to work together with other emergency services. ‘Firefighters are fantastic at


teamwork, are experienced in driving emergency vehicles and, as a service rooted in the community, may be best placed to deliver essential items to the most vulnerable. Many fear the loss of life in this outbreak could be overwhelming – and firefighters, who


NEWS


often handle terrible situations and incidents, are ready to step in to assist with body retrieval. ‘Firefighters and control staff


have always stepped in when the public has been in danger and this crisis is no different. The strain on all emergency services will be great, but we can and will get through it together.’ NFCC chair Roy Wilsher added:


‘All [FRSs] are working to protect communities during COVID-19 and they will use their wide range of capabilities and skills to ensure community reassurance and support; doing what they can to support people through this crisis. This joined-up approach is testament to the three organisations working together, to ensure [FRSs] can be at the forefront of the response to the current situation. I look forward to continuing this joined-up work with the National Employers and FBU.’ Nick Chard, chair of the National


Employers, stated: ‘We have worked at pace to bring an extra resource to the battle against the impact of COVID 19, working collaboratively with the FBU and NFCC for the benefit of local people. Fire and Rescue has always played its role in meeting seemingly insurmountable challenges and this crisis is no exception. ‘We can immediately step up


our assistance to support our over stretched public sector colleagues, especially ambulance services, with our can do attitude and sense of community spirit.’


FRA and waking watch guidance The Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM) and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) separately noted recommendations on continuing with fire risk assessments (FRAs). The IFSM had ‘received a few queries’, asking if fire risk assessors and ‘those linked with the fire industry’ were classed as key workers, and it had referred those asking to the government, as the IFSM’s ‘clear position is in supporting the government and the main information and guidance (Story continues overleaf)


www.frmjournal.com MAY 2020 7


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