Shropshire fire service staff help to administer thousands of Covid-19 jabs
Firefighters in Shropshire have helped the mammoth effort to provide thousands of coronavirus vaccinations as the roll out programme continues.
Some teams have been redeployed to support the NHS while others have volunteered to help almost 4,000 residents get their jabs since February 12.
In just three weeks about 60 staff have taken part in training sessions before joining forces with other agencies at vaccination centres set up at Telford International Centre, Ludlow Racecourse and Shrewsbury Indoors Bowls Centre.
In addition team shave carried out about 500 hours a week of marshalling at the sites.
Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service Assistant Chief Fire Officer Dan Quinn said: “We’re really happy to be working so effectively with our health partners to get staff trained and redeployed to support the roll out of this vaccine which is giving reassurance to so many people in our community.
“Our very ethos is to make Shropshire safer and we’re proud to be part of this drive to help get our community vaccinated as practically and as quickly as possible.
“I’m very proud of all our staff, the majority of whom already have emergency medical experience and have undergone training closely monitored by NHS colleagues.
"It’s been a fantastic show of collaboration and community spirit and another example of how we are ready, willing, and able to support our communities and partners."
The brigade also has plans to expand its safe and well visits, driving ambulances for residents returning from hospital, providing mental health support to front line workers, helping to coordinate teams on site, providing medical assistance and implementing traffic management plans.
Grateful
Operational and support staff have been doing the vaccination shifts around their existing jobs and some are working additional time outside of working hours and that emergency cover is not affected. Almost 200 brigade staff have been helping out.
NHS Shropshire and NHS Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) joint accountable officer David Evans said: “We are grateful for the support of Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service who have helped us to deliver vaccinations across the county.
“Staff from NHS organisations are working alongside volunteers from partners in the region to support the roll-out of the vaccination programme, helping us to give the vaccine to people who are eligible to receive it.
“I am proud of all our NHS staff and volunteers, some of whom have been temporarily seconded to the vaccination roll-out and others who are volunteering in addition to their existing jobs.”
The National Fire Chief’s Council has confirmed that more than 27,000 vaccinations has been given to the public by staff which equates to approximately one in 600 jabs of the 16.5 million given so far.
