Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service praised for helping deliver Covid-19 community testing programme

Directors of Public Health have praised the involvement of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) in helping to deliver the Covid-19 community testing programme.

The programme began on the 15th of January and according to Public Health there would not have been the same successes in such a short period of time without the Service.

The Fire Service's support team focused on the delivery of the Community Testing Programme, the asymptomatic testing of the public. However, teams also led on surge testing operations in Nottingham, and the targeted testing of symptomatic persons across the county.

Overall, NFRS staff completed 1,096 tests, trained 294 clinical test operatives, and built 22 mass testing sites. However, the true testament to their involvement is that the Community Testing Programme has tested 81,858 people countywide.

Feedback from one site included: "It was an easy process, nice and quiet, signposted really well and [we] didn't feel at risk at all".

Another said: "Everything was explained well, we are very impressed".

While still running the community testing programme, the Service also responded to a major incident in the city centre, running surge testing for two weeks. The NFRS Covid Support team trained 416 people to undertake doorstep testing. They deployed 96 additional personnel to support surge testing, completing 1,006 tests of 2,424 in total - 41.5% of all tests.

Public Health's expectations were a 20% success rate for doorstep testing – NFRS achieved 70%.

The Service's efforts have successfully identified and suppressed Covid-19 within Nottinghamshire communities, informing individuals who might have unknowingly infected others to isolate. This provided more time for the elderly and vulnerable to receive their full vaccination, reducing hospitalisations and deaths.

Consultant in Public Health from Nottingham City Council, Mandy Clarkson, congratulated the NFRS team: "Thank you for coming together, pushing through despite the odds and the obstacles, and always looking for the sensible pragmatic way through to protect and enable our residents through this difficult time."

The Council's Programme Director for Covid Response, Roz Howie, said of NFRS: "They are professional, create a values-driven culture, are always happy to help and have driven high consistent standards throughout all of our sites. They have an amazing can-do attitude, and nothing seems to faze them. Great team."

Group Manager Andy Macey who has co-ordinated the Service's support for partner organisations during the pandemic said: "I cannot praise enough the Asymptomatic Testing team's hard work, dedication, flexibility and conduct. The team members have been a credit to the Service, great ambassadors, and showcased the best NFRS can offer our partners."