Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service has won praise for its ‘positive contribution’ to the community during the coronavirus pandemic.
The service has supported other agencies in a tough year by helping to drive ambulances, deliver food and medicine, check on care homes and homeless people, and transfer the deceased from hospitals to the temporary body storage facility at Wollaston.
In August 2020, the Home Secretary asked HMICFRS to inspect how Fire & Rescue Services in England were responding to the pandemic. And in a recent letter to the Chief Fire Officer Darren Dovey, announcing her findings, Inspector Zoe Billingham said: “I am very grateful to your service for the positive contribution you have made to your community during the pandemic.”
The report shows how NFRS has managed to balance its COVID response while maintaining its core role of responding to calls from the public and attending emergencies.
Mr Dovey said: “I’m pleased that this report recognises that the service has worked hard and been willing to do whatever is necessary to keep the county moving and fight against the pandemic. “Firefighters and staff have gone the extra mile to look after the vulnerable and to protect lives in Northamptonshire.”
And Stephen Mold, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, added: “I don’t underestimate the pressure that comes with continuing the day job while taking on roles to support other organisations and I thank everyone for the way they have got on with the task in hand.
“I’m glad that the report also notes how well fire and police have worked together in response to the pandemic, and that has laid the foundations for even closer working in the future.”
