Hampshire firefighters driving ambulances to support paramedics during Covid pandemic

A group of Hampshire firefighters has started driving ambulances this week to support our area's paramedics during the Covid-19 pandemic.

They are being redeployed to South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) for an initial period of four weeks as part of an agreement with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS), due to an increase in demand.

Currently nearly 20 firefighters are taking part with another 20 expected to join in the coming weeks.

Another coronavirus initiative supported by HFRS includes the re-purposing of Basingstoke Fire Station as a community vaccination centre, which was announced earlier this week.

The two emergency services had been working in partnership before the pandemic.

Since 2004 they have been delivering Co-Responding from several Hampshire fire stations - which sees firefighters attending to emergency incidents before an ambulance can arrive, using HFRS Immediate Emergency Care (IEC) capability and equipment

The firefighters who have volunteered to join SCAS already have extensive knowledge in delivering IEC and are alos upscaling their existing skills.

Assistant Director of Operations, Area Manager Dan Tasker, said: "These volunteers are the definition of everyone playing their part in the fight against COVID-19. I am so proud to see our teams playing a key role in protecting the local community.

"I want to extend a huge thank to all those who have already 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 South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are incredibly grateful to our partners in HFRS for their help and support during COVID-19.

"We currently have a small but growing number of firefighters from our local areas (Hampshire, Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire) assisting us. These are predominantly firefighters who 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.

"Currently there are under 20 firefighters deployed across our region and we anticipate a further 20 will be deployed over the coming weeks; this is to support our 1,900 strong frontline workforce at these particularly challenging times. Our colleagues in the fire service will be working 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 have undergone driver training delivered by our SCAS teams but this will build on the skills they already have to help support local communities; many of whom are already co-responders in their local areas.

"This is a great opportunity to build on our joint-working relationships and also will provide a fabulous opportunity for SCAS and HFRS to learn from each other. 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."