Page 12 - July 2020

THE SALAMANDER | July 2020
carried out extra training as community first responders and we helped them become available for that adapted role effective from 20 April; they looked very professional in their new combat pants, polo tops and shiny boots!!
Two of our stations presented us with risk assessments and local collective agreements to co-respond in their own towns in support of the Ambulance Service and our driving instructors are delivering driver training to student paramedics to enhance patient transport arrangements.
In order to protect our crews, we have minimised movement between stations so crews have to manage without standbys and still carry out risk critical training, maintenance and enhanced cleaning and disinfecting regimes on vehicles and premises at shift changeover. It has to be said the introduction of 24 hour shifts some years ago has made this practically easier and to help them, we have provided shift stations with provisions so they do not have to shop or worry about meals, much like we would provide fire ground feeding at a less protracted incident! The almost unprecedented availability being consistently provided by our Fire Fighters on the retained duty system has given us more resources to support our whole response and we have maintained a very effective operational response capability to fire incidents, including a large number of bonfires spreading to buildings!
To support that further, we have had an impressive response
from recently retired Fire Fighters volunteering to return if needed. We are currently working through this with the NFCC and national employers to try to re-engage them without some impact on their pensions.
Like all the emergency services we, in turn, have been well supported by our community with faith groups providing meals and pizza arriving at stations out of the blue! Companies have sent massive shipments of canned drinks and chocolate and a major petrol company provide our utility vehicles with fuel and our staff with complimentary hot drinks.
It is not over yet and seems almost every day someone in the organisation, whatever their particular role, comes up with an idea of how they might help. But far from expect praise and credit for the way they have stepped up, they are keen, every Thursday, to stand outside Hospitals, Care Homes and Hospices along with other emergency services all over the county, to applaud those brave carers who all of us in the Fire and Rescue Service see as the true heroes of COVID-19.
SIR EYRE MASSEY SHAW
Born: 17 January 1830 Ballymore, County Cork
Died: 25 August 1908 Folkestone, Kent, England
Resting place:
Highgate Cemetery, London
Alma mater:
Trinity College, Dublin
Title:
Superintendent of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade
Term: 1861–1891 Predecessor:
James Braidwood
Successor:
James Sexton Simmonds
Awards:
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
View Online a presentation of Sir Eyre Massey Shaw at: https://youtu.be/s5U64-M-H0s
Liveryman David Rogers PRM Committee
Paul Fuller
CFO Bedfordshire FRS
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